Updated information on South Dakota residency

[MrNoodly]

Is one ever required to return to the South Dakota county that they registered in?
That would have a bearing on choosing which end of South Dakota to do the deed.

Registration can be renewed online. You pay the fee and they send your sticker. 

It's more complicated renewing a driver license remotely because of the need to prove who you are. Here's a link to that information: https://dps.sd.gov/driver-licensing/renew-and-duplicate/renew-online

You can decide if it's less of a hassle to drive to SD and renew in person or to do the online renewal. I chose to change my residency to a much more convenient state.

 

[MrNoodly]

...I chose to change my residency...

I will say one thing for South Dakota: they make it easy to get a sufficiently legal address. That's one of the common questions among nomads. What do I do about having an address for insurance, banking, DL and registration? 

It's just that I went a different way. It was a little more work but it was worth it.

 

[wanderin.pat]

In response to "why would you want to change your residency": 
(I notice no one else has said anything yet about this ONE aspect)
Some states get picky about you not actually having a sticks and bricks residence.   
When I moved out of my apartment and hit the road, I had to do some looking around for an address.  I found a mailbox place that has worked for more than 2 years now. 

Thus, it can be prudent to change to a state that allows for a quick stay in an RV park to establish residency.

Another reason is that some states have much lower auto insurance rates, and some of us need that.  My current residency state is in the top 10 of most expensive states, or so I read.

There are other reasons.  Those are minor compared to the first item I mentioned.

Regards,

WP

 

[highdesertranger]

some states not only have cheaper insurance but insanely cheap vehicle registration. highdesertranger

 

[RVTravel]

Louisiana has a road use tax..cost me 1300 bucks to register a 2014 honda crv...moved there to be around family.

 

[MrNoodly]

some states not only have cheaper insurance but insanely cheap vehicle registration.  highdesertranger

And depending on the state or county, some have no vehicle inspections or smog tests.

 

[Kaylee]

Louisiana has a road use tax..cost me 1300 bucks to register a 2014 honda crv...moved there to be around family.

Dang!!!
That's mind shattering!
Is that every year, or just when you move "in"?
What happens if you change your residency away from Louisiana, then change back in a few months/years?


wanderin.pat:
Yes, I agree with you and I have all too intimate experience with that, albeit at the county level.
The OP has not yet become a full-time Nomad.
He won't know if the lifestyle suits him until he gives it a go.
Most newcomers will not remain full-time, long term.
I'm trying to save him (and other new Potentials) some angst. This particular decision can be safely deferred, particularly if your renewal dates line up well & can be done before one leaves one's s&b.

As I've said elsewhere, better to focus on lots of other stuff, like hygiene, sleeping, cooking/eating.
Mastering those first, will increase the probability of success.

 

[wanderin.pat]

wanderin.pat:
Yes, I agree with you and I have all too intimate experience with that, albeit at the county level.
...............

I'm trying to save him (and other new Potentials) some angst. This particular decision can be safely deferred, 
..............

I agree with your priority list.  After more than 2 years, I still haven't changed yet.

 

[highdesertranger]

"Louisiana has a road use tax..cost me 1300 bucks to register a 2014 honda crv"

say what, that even beats California I believe.

highdesertranger

 

[MrNoodly]

In my case, I just wanted to get the legalities out of the way. I knew I could fake it for a while, using a DL, registration, insurance and bank account with the address of the house I no longer owned, but the registration and insurance would need to be renewed in a few months, the DL the next year, and I wanted to switch to a bank with plenty of ATMs in the West. I would also save money by making the big switch. So I hit the road in North Carolina and drove three days to Rapid City and got it all taken care of.

Any deficiencies in hygiene, sleeping or cooking skills were unlikely to cause legal problems.

 

[Kaylee]

Noodly:
I concur on insurance.
Do tell them you'll be away from your domicile, travelling/etc.
I've always kept my insurance companies "in the loop".
Thanks for bringing that up!

For the other stuff, check your state laws.
In almost every case, if you do not establish a new domicile, you're still legal in your old one.

Edit To Add:
Louisiana is the one state that's most likely to have legal differences, because some of their laws are based on the French, not British code of laws.
Always check for weird stuff.
If having difficulty, phone and explain that you're retiring and planning to hit the road for an unknown amount of time, perhaps many years.

 

[RvNaut]

Time to drag this to the front for a rehash...

Lucky may be buying an RV in the Rapid City Area.

Has anyone been though the residency process in SD recently?

How do you handle telling the Insurance company where you live.. IOW, don't they want a physical street address?

 

[abnorm]

Escapees is one solution..........Join the Club and sign up for their mail service......they provide an address in SD (at their RV park) for Domicle and they will forward your mail as requested (They forward your mail from the TEXAS location....You pay ALL postage)

I use the Florida Escapees and pay about $200 a year including the postage......My Florida address passes all the "Real ID" and Insurance requirements