States that recognize mail forwarders

[introverting]

I'm going through the process in Florida right now. DL is a pain as it requires several documents to prove your address. Voter registration, bank statement, health insurance card, utility bills, etc can all be used. I'm paperless with my bank, have no utility bills, and have insurance through a state exchange so those are proving difficult but I just got my voter registration card so I should have enough next time I'm in the state.

I'm also with St Brendan's Isle and am very happy with them. I get an email when I have new mail and can look at the outside of the envelope and decide what to do with it.

When I went in person to register to vote the clerk recognized the address and made sure I had filed a declaration of domicile. Once I filed that down the street I was fine.

Being paperless with your bank doesn't mean you don't get a monthly statement.  You should have access to an electronic (PDF) version of your statements.  Just download and print it out.

 

[introverting]

I think Bob should create a "Tin foil Hat" section.

Sent from my SM-G930VL using Tapatalk

 

[introverting]

All of this is a bit disconcerting. I don't want to have to ask someone if I can use their address as my home address.

 

[iloozyun]

All of this is a bit disconcerting.  I don't want to have to ask someone if I can use their address as my home address.

i have the same concern.  i only know one person i'd want to have access to all the personal info that comes in mailed items- account numbers, social security number, medical bills, tax statements, etc., but i would not want to ask her (dear daughter)  to take responsibility for my business, and i don't really want to be a 'resident' of the state she lives in.  also, from my understanding (which may be flawed), you have to sign some sort of limited power of attorney to allow a mail fowarding business to handle your mail.  seems like no really easy options, but still exploring and researching this aspect... thanks to bob for providing info on this topic!

i would prefer to keep residency in my own state, just to keep things simple, but i cannot find a forwarding service in new mexico.  i wish the post office would offer a forwarding service that was flexible enough to accomodate the traveling lifestyle.  my post office (tiny town with no house delivery, only p.o. boxes), says the best they can do is some elite service that will forward all your mail each and every week to one, and only one, alternate address.. not useable for traveling.

 

[akrvbob]

i would prefer to keep residency in my own state, just to keep things simple, but i cannot find a forwarding service in new mexico.  

The UPS Stores will forward your mail and they are all over NM. They are just too expensive and not very personal, but they will get the job done. 

But, you have other options:
http://www.weshipsantafe.com/mailboxes.html

http://www.theshippingstorenm.com/Mail_Services_Copy_Notary_UPS_FedEx_Alamogordo_NM.html

You don't give them power of attorney, you sign a Post Office Form saying they can receive and open your mail. Here is the form, you can read it for yourself. Nothing sinister there at all.
http://about.usps.com/forms/ps1583.pdf

 

[lenny flank]

My understanding is that the Feds are cracking down on all of this (because "TERRORISTS OH NOEZ !!!!!") and it will soon no longer be an option. While I was able to set my drivers license at a maildrop, my insurance company caught it instantly and wouldn't write a policy unless I had a "real" address. So I ended up setting all my paperwork at my sister's house.

 

[DrJean]

True. The addresses are now "all" but in the database and get kicked back for not being a "residential" address if it's not I thought maybe this would lessen in time but perhaps it will become tougher. IDK.

I dont' know.. if someone was devious enough they'd pick any address and use it and then immediately file at the Post office a forwarding address. That's good for a year?

 

[SoulRaven]

The issue with mail forwarding through the PO is that some mail says "Do Not Forward" and that is where the snag comes in. If the government were just watching who they should be watching and leave the rest of us alone...........

 

[Reducto]

Geico allowed my address at St Brendan's Isle, though I was not able to put in the box number because it isn't in their system as an apartment complex. Mail they send me gets to my box just fine with a rubber stamped note telling me to give the sender my full address.

I was able to get my Florida DL using that address as well. I used my voter registration and either a paycheck or medical insurance document. I brought both with me, I forget what I used.

This was 2 months ago.

 

[Magicwolf]

Just wanted to clarify a few things. I have a class A CDL and have been backgrounded every which way under the sun with some of the jobs I've done. Maybe I can help a little with some addressing terms. I used to work closely with the USPS and it's 9,000 rules, acronyms and regulations. We had numerous customers confused between mailing addresses (as far as the USPS only is concerned) and street/physical addresses - which are not necessarily the same thing. This confusing difference is why a person out in the sticks can have a UPS shipment delivered to their physical house, but yet the mailman won't go there because the house has a PO Box actually as their mailing (USPS) address that UPS won't ship to. PO Boxes and PMBs are valid mailing addresses as far as the USPS is concerned, but they don't work well for some other things sometimes because it's known that those addresses are just facilities where mail is sent to on behalf of a customer. The trick is in differentiating the address types and terminology.

The SD residency affidavit is very simple, it's nothing anyone need lie on. It only asks if SD is your state of residence - which it will be if a DL, etc., was switched to there and it asks if SD is the state intended to return to after being absent. If one has their other services set up there, that need not be false. SD really doesn't ask much to be a resident.

https://dps.sd.gov/licensing/driver_licensing/documents/RESIDENCYAFFIDAVIT.pdf

https://dps.sd.gov/licensing/driver_licensing/obtain_a_license.aspx

I have a CDL/Real ID with SD - as a full-time traveler. Before I went full time, I moved states/addresses numerous times over so I've been to the DMV a lot.

Going as a full-time traveler in SD is not a big deal. As a traveler, in addition to standard Real ID document requirements, I provided a receipt from my mail-forwarding service and a receipt dated within the last year for a one night's campground stay. I even have a passport - sent to my forwarder. Because I have a CDL, the DL form asks for both a mailing/physical address. The physical address is the forwarder's physical street address. What appears on my license however is my mailing (PMB) address. I've had no problems in SD with that. They're used to it here.

I was grandfathered in with my insurance company, so I had no issues there. But - there are also places that cater to full-time RV insurance from what I understand if your insurance company does complain or refuse.

Banks. The bank didn't say a word when I changed my address with them, because all I changed was my mailing address. They just require a physical address for CIP (customer identification program) when setting up new accounts for the most part, that address doesn't have to be residential - or the one they actually mail your items to. If your bank squawks about using your mailing address for CIP purposes because it's a PO Box or forwarder, put down the address of a friend or relative, your storage unit, etc., whatever. If you don't have a permanent physical address, all you can do is get as close as you can. They just need something to satisfy that requirement. But you can keep your mailing address as it is; mailing and physical addresses aren't necessarily the same thing.


If you have an established bank account already and then you go full-time, I don't think the address issue is so much a problem. When you contact the bank, you just let them know you have a different mailing address. But for setting up new accounts, the banks don't like PO boxes & PMB addresses put in their CIP requirements because again, they want a physical address and those boxes are just places mail is sent/collected. Yes, it's a nuisance for those who travel full-time. But that's why you put down the physical address of a friend, relative, etc., etc., it's just for CIP. You can still keep your mailing address otherwise.

I think being fearful about being monitored or stopped from living how you like, or what-have-you, has about as much energy as one gives it. That's not a dig at anyone - what I mean is - it's your energy, so take it back and don't feed fear or discouragement, and you can find solutions. Morally speaking, carry with you the knowledge that you're not doing anything wrong or hurting anyone else by traveling, so don't allow yourself to be made to feel you are. Approach things from that mindset and don't dwell too much on semantics. Carry on and find the ways you CAN do what you want.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Ran across this info in a thread over on the Escapees forum.  Can't vouch for it's accuracy, but thought it was interesting:

"The Real ID law requires states issuing compliant drivers licenses to verify both your identification AND your primary residence address. The issue is that the Federal rules left it up to each individual state to define the "exceptions" to the Primary Residence requirement. In other words, for those who have no primary residence (can't show property tax/utilities/rent receipts for their residence), each individual state defines how they will handle those exceptions.

In SD they wrote a specific exception for "full-time travelers" requiring that they sign an Affidavit, show a receipt for one overnight stay in SD and show proof of their mail forwarding PMB address. In return they get to use their mail forwarding PMB address on their driver’s license.

In FL they decided that if you live in your RV, then your DL address will be your RV license plate number and your current FL physical address. They may have copied that from the way they always handled live aboard boaters in FL, who’s DL showed their boat tag # followed by the marina street address.

I've run into a few FL folks who showed me their DL with their address as: Tag ###, Fort Wilderness Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830 , since they told the DL folks they were currently staying at Ft Wilderness.

There seems to be some variation from office to office in how this is handled. Apparently they do allow for a separate mailing address in their system, but not on the DL. This has been going on for a few years now. I can see that it could lead to some confusion in certain situations.

But it’s only indirectly caused by Real ID, it’s really the state of FL that dreamed up this wacky way of handling full-timer DL addresses; or each FL DMV office is making it up as they go."

 

[Ballenxj]

You mean I could have really used 1973 Winnebago Drive as an address? Back when I had my old Winny I used to kid with people and tell them that "was" my address. Then I would drive off into the sunset in my 1973 Winnebago.

 

[lenny flank]

Ran across this info in a thread over on the Escapees forum.  Can't vouch for it's accuracy, but thought it was interesting:

"The Real ID law requires states issuing compliant drivers licenses to verify both your identification AND your primary residence address. The issue is that the Federal rules left it up to each individual state to define the "exceptions" to the Primary Residence requirement. In other words, for those who have no primary residence (can't show property tax/utilities/rent receipts for their residence), each individual state defines how they will handle those exceptions.

In SD they wrote a specific exception for "full-time travelers" requiring that they sign an Affidavit, show a receipt for one overnight stay in SD and show proof of their mail forwarding PMB address. In return they get to use their mail forwarding PMB address on their driver’s license.

In FL they decided that if you live in your RV, then your DL address will be your RV license plate number and your current FL physical address. They may have copied that from the way they always handled live aboard boaters in FL, who’s DL showed their boat tag # followed by the marina street address.

I've run into a few FL folks who showed me their DL with their address as: Tag ###, Fort Wilderness Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830 , since they told the DL folks they were currently staying at Ft Wilderness.

There seems to be some variation from office to office in how this is handled. Apparently they do allow for a separate mailing address in their system, but not on the DL. This has been going on for a few years now. I can see that it could lead to some confusion in certain situations.

But it’s only indirectly caused by Real ID, it’s really the state of FL that dreamed up this wacky way of handling full-timer DL addresses; or each FL DMV office is making it up as they go."

Alas, it is just a matter of time until the Federales step in and either (1) standardize this practice across all 50 states, or (2) end it and require a "real" physical address for everyone.

 

[uneedus]

Geico allowed my address at St Brendan's Isle, though I was not able to put in the box number because it isn't in their system as an apartment complex. Mail they send me gets to my box just fine with a rubber stamped note telling me to give the sender my full address.

I was able to get my Florida DL using that address as well. I used my voter registration and either a paycheck or medical insurance document. I brought both with me, I forget what I used.

This was 2 months ago.

My problem is similar to what RV people have, because despite owning a actual plot of land, there is no street address assigned, and can never be assigned unless I am willing to spend several thousand dollars to extend a land line telephone to the property, which I cannot do since I cannot grant them an easement to do so, as addresses are tied to Landline 911.

I have always used a PO Box on everything, in fact since there is no mail delivery, it is fee exempt.

I use GEICO, and they had no problem accepting a PO Box as my address in FL.  In the few cases where a street address is required, I give them the street address of the Post Office.  My vehicle registrations also just have the PO Box.

The problem I had last time I had to renew my drivers license in FL was that they no longer will use the PO Box on the license like in the past.  I went though the exception process, and the 2 residential address items were 1) The vehicle registration I live with/in (even though it just showed a PO Box) and 2) An address certification form, listing my CAR tag as my street address.  This is what appears on the license on the street address line, and since the 9 digit zip code belongs only to my PO Box, anything mailed to my tag number will still get there in my case.  Most mail forward business addresses also have their own unique 9 digit zip code, so be sure to give them all 9 digits in case something is mailed to that address. Since I have an amateur radio tag, I will never have to change that address (Tag Number), and it did not cost me 30 days of rent at an RV park, and I never have to update it.

In Florida, simply tell them you live in your car/rv/boat/whatever and they will process your license via the exception process without any additional costs.  In fact this is better than the 30 days of RV park, as Florida Law says you have to notify them within 10 days of moving from the address on your license, reporting the new address and paying $25 for a duplicate license.  If your RV tag number is the address on your license, this rarely changes, and you have nothing to report when you move from place to place.

As for voting in Florida, even the homeless can register, by using the precinct of the County Courthouse, but as to getting the license, it is easier to avoid this issue by simply telling them you do not care to register to vote.  The supervisor of elections will process your application without much proof at all if you choose to register. Just do it AFTER you get the license.  Because all FL jury summons are sent out based on driver licenses, it is unlikely you will ever be called, since it will be returned to them when they try to mail to your tag number, and they will see you are not a regular person that can be called.

Drivers licenses in Florida only have to be renewed in person every other time, otherwise they just mail it.  Tags can always be mailed, renewed for 2 years at a time, and renewed up to 3 months early.  We have no vehicle inspections, so 16 year return schedule is easy, and you can renew your DL up to 18 months early.  The only "gotcha" is that $225 initial registration fee.  However if you ever before had a vehicle registered in Florida, even a long time ago it is waived.  Same for trailers or vehicles over 20 years old.

Allow at least a couple of hours at the DL office for your appointment, as they have to get exception approval from Tallahassee.