Updated information on South Dakota residency

[Glynb]

Hey Y'all,

I start fulltiming in August, and plan on driving straight to South Dakota to set up residency.  There has not been a post on South Dakota residency for some time, so I wanted to ask several questions.

1. What town in South Dakota is the easiest to reach heading north into the state, that has a drivers license bureau. personal experience would be great.

2. Please advise the blow by blow details of what you did when you pulled into town to get your residency and register your vehicle.

Thanks for any information.  I know i could look his up, but I was hoping somebody could speak from personal experience on what town, where the DMV is, and what you did.  Maybe the names of people and places to contact. I'll be coming from Louisiana.

Thanks for any help

 

[MrNoodly]

"Heading north into the state" from where? Eastern US? Western US? Texas? Sioux Falls is in the southeast corner and Rapid City is in the southwest corner.

First off, you're going to need a South Dakota address. Unless you have an actual place there, you'll need a mail forwarder and use that address. Google "mail forwarding, South Dakota" and take your pick. The mail forwarder will walk you through the whole license and registration process.

You need to book at least one night (per person) in the state and bring that receipt, plus the contract from the mail forwarder, plus sufficient ID to the local DMV (or is it MVD there?). You show them the documents, take the eye test, surrender your current license, sign an affidavit stating you will someday come to live in SD, smile for the camera and walk out with your new driver license, an official SD "resident."

As for vehicle registration, the process isn't as fast, but it's not complicated. You just need the same type of documents you'd need anywhere else, including insurance that's valid in SD. Most people have the mail forwarder deal with that. They'll send the new plates and registration when they arrive.

 

[Glynb]

Thanks for replying.  I'm coming up from Louisiana.  Any idea on a town that the DMV is in that would be close to where Ill be entering the state.

 

[MrNoodly]

Like I said, you'll need a mail forwarder first, so the closest DMV to where you enter SD (I'm guessing I-29) is kind of irrelevant.

There will be a DMV in the same city as the mail forwarder you choose.

 

[B and C]

Here is a Google Map with directions from Shreveport to Sioux Falls: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Shr...f3aa8b2fccf!2m2!1d-96.728333!2d43.5473028!3e0

Sioux Falls is almost directly north of all of Louisiana. South Dakota is only about 200 miles across from East to West.

 

[Glynb]

Thanks for all of the help.  Im calling a mail provider tomorrow.

 

[skyl4rk]

I would rather be a resident of Rapid City than Sioux Falls.

Rapid City: cattle and grassland, lots of National Forest, a western city.

Sioux Falls: corn and tilled farms everywhere, a midwest city.

 

[Matildas mate]

Having previously set up a South Dakota address through Escapees (in Box Elder just outside of Rapid City), I got a campsite at the fairgrounds in Rapid City for two nights last month. 

On the first day I got my SD driver license thru the state and on the second day got my vehicle registration and paid the tax thru Pennington County office. 

Extremely simple and quick and all the people at both offices were very familiar with the process. 

Escapees provided all the information and forms I needed. 

After completing the registration, I went to the Rapid City AAA office to change my road service to SD as well. After doing that I decided to check their vehicle insurance rates. I walked out paying about a two thirds what I was paying in Californiaand better coverage. AAA also recognized my van as an RV and insured my personal property as well. Note: Ioutfitted the van myself with a bed, toilet, stove, and ice chest. I also have solar. 

A very good experience.

 

[MrNoodly]

Rapid City: cattle and grassland, lots of National Forest, a western city.

Rapid City is a gateway to the Black Hills — Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Deadwood, Spearfish, Sturgis, Badlands NP, Wounded Knee...

However, near Sioux Falls is the Porter Sculpture Park — http://portersculpturepark.com/

 

[B and C]

I thought we were talking about registering for domicile, not actually living there. I could spend about 2 days anywhere whether there is something to see or not. Once registered, free to roam. If coming back for full time residency, take your pick.

 

[VanForNow]

To get the SD drivers's license, you have to show proof of your Social Security number. An actual SS card is good, but if you don't have the card then you can show an old 1040 tax form which includes a 1099 form displaying your SS number.

 

[MrNoodly]

However, if your current driver license meets the Real ID standards (it has a gold star in the corner if it does) then that's sufficient identification. A passport also works. (That's what I used.)

 

[MrNoodly]

Required documentation:

https://dps.sd.gov/driver-licensing/required-documents

Scroll down for full-time traveler requirements.

 

[kaBLOOnie Boonster]

The original poster seemed eager to roll up their sleeves and get to work on establishing a South Dakota residency/driver's license. But is that prudent?

When law enforcement sees the South Dakota license plate, isn't that like putting a billboard on the side of your rig that says, "I am a full time RVer, living on public lands."

 

[maki2]

Some things are just not worth worrying about.  Lots of people live in South Dakota who own RVs and spend the winter in the South of the USA or just travel for pleasure anywhere at anytime of the year. Just don't act hostile towards authority figures and you will be just fine.

 

[Kaylee]

Glynb:
If you're comfortable discussing it, what is your motivation for abandoning your current domicile state?

I ask, because many are confused about this, due to mistaken claims on the internet (imagine that?!?).
In general, you do not have to switch domiciles, if your intent is to become a full-time nomad.
Abandoning one's existing domicile state can be extremely complicated - far more than the paperwork involved in switching into one of the "easy" states.

Many change domicile, purely for tax & other savings.
Others change due to bureaucratic idiocracy.

In my case, my legal domicile county found out I'm homeless & a full-time Nomad, and the supervisor illegally refused to renew my car registration.
The State had absolutely no objection to renewing my driver's license.
This tends to occur too often.

Fortunately South Dakota has an awesome "non-resident" vehicle registration option purely for full-time Nomads who do not have a physical address.
It requires no lies/fibs, no mail forwarding service, no overnight stay, no complicated paperwork, and took me less than 15 minutes (in person at the Rapid City county office). I literally arrived & left the same day, with no other interactions.
I do have a USPS PO box, which SD now sends stuff to.
It also means I have no jury duty obligation.

I recommend you take your time, and do the math (taxes, etc).
If you're interested in hearing more, I can post more info - SD recently changed their previous awesome webpage overview, and I don't have the time to dig up the current references (I'm just doing a fairly short Library free wifi visit - will be back probably Saturday).

 

[wayne49]

Many Class A (a type of motor home, top of the line) snobs have SD (South Dakota) plates and they only park at classy RV (Recreational Vehicle) parks.
SD plates signify nothing.
LEOs (Law Enforcement Officer) should have more on the minds than which states are harbors for full time nomads.
Having a vehicle with everything one owns strapped in or on it, or placed around the vehicle says a lot.

 

[wayne49]

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.

 

[B and C]

Why would it be any different than if you lived there full time and moved to another part of the state? Counties don't have a hold on you unless you have property there, then they just tax it until you sell it.

 

[Kaylee]

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.

If you're a resident, then you're subject to jury duty.
From what others have posted, it sounds like one can generally get out of it, due to travel hardship, but it was one of my reasons for not changing my own domicile.

Most of the stuff I've read @CRVL (and similar sites) fails to understand domicile.
Normally, you never "lose" your current domicile, unless you genuinely establish a new one.
By definition, Nomads never do that in fact, only as a pretend/fake/on-paper simulation.

Bottom line:
If you're becoming a full-time Nomad, you do not have to change your domicile/residency.
You may choose to, or you may find your county and/or state has too many idiots so that it's impractical not to (fortunately, it usually takes a while for the idiots to twig to you).

Personally, I strongly recommend new full-timers wait one year to find out if the lifestyle suites them, before jumping thru those hoops. I've been a (non-dweller) true Nomad for a quarter century, and only recently had problems, strictly at the county level.
Instead, renew everything you can while you're still in s&b.

Slow down, do your own research, and do not feel rushed on the residency issue.
There's lots of higher priority stuff to deal with.

Glynb: You sound like you're going to rock at this lifestyle.
All your questions have been highly focused, and relevant, which are excellent indicators of future success.
Plus... cover your vehicle's rear with LEO bling.