What Needs to be Taken Care of Before Hitting the Road?

[myway_1]

I just signed a contract to sell my house in a cash deal and expect to be on the road in 2 - 3 weeks.

What are the things I should do while I still have a physical address? I already have one of those Real ID driver licenses.

Thanks,
Joe

 

[MrNoodly]

The State Department will give you less grief if you have a physical address when getting or renewing your passport. (Assuming you're in the US. And a citizen.)

 

[Wabbit]

P.O box. I got abit lucky with mine. The lady understood that I wasn't at the physical address on my license(I can lie, just don't like too) but still let me get a P.O Box. I still have my mailing address at a UPS store also, but you need a physical address to get a P.O box(from my understanding of how the postlady explained it to me).

 

[caretaker]

why would you want a UPS box and a P.O. box?

 

[Wabbit]

I am still "based" out of Iowa, but wanted a mailing address in Arizona. Also thinking of switching residence states this coming winter and if I do that I will drop the UPS store and won't have to worry about setting up a P.O Box.

 

[caretaker]

Oh,,ok,,,makes sense

 

[DLTooley]

I think you are fine in your current area for awhile as a previous resident.

 

[CautionToTheWind]

In your shoes, I'd apply for a Passport.

 

[DrJean]

Renew or get your local library card? If you plan to be back around in the area, free computer use and or checking out materials (how to fix it books, novels, videos etc) will be good for another year.

Voter's registration renewal... driver's license renewal? You can use a mailing address if you have a residential address to give them too...

 

[DuneElliot]

Check the expiration date on your DL. You may still need all the physical address proof when you renew so it might be a good time to renew now, just in case. I'm lucky with timing. My DL expires a month before I hit the road.

 

[masterplumber]

X2 on library card. I don't use mine as much right now as I used to, but I'm sure I will again. If you have a Kindle or tablet most have a digital library also where you can download books for free for a certain time period, then they just disappear off your device. Sometimes movies and audio books also. And the best part is you can do it from anywhere with a wifi connection. My wife uses this all the time and loves it. We're taking a long drive to Fargo for our son's college graduation next weekend and she just told me she downloaded a book for us to listen to. I imagine if you have a library card already another library system may not think twice about issuing a guest card while in their area also.

Also the passport if you don't already have one. Even if you don't plan on it, you never know when you might want to pop over the line to Mexico or Canada. They are also legal ID so if your camped in a forest area and get hit up by an over zealous ranger just show him the passport. It has no address on it but he can't legally ask for further ID.

 

[Dgorila1]

Update all your bank/insurance/investment accounts, bills, etc to either online statements or to your PO Box or UPS box. Do a change of address with the US Post Office too to try to redirect any mail from your old address to the new one you list. They're not real effective in catching everything but at least it will be changed in their system in case there's an important piece of mail that needs to get to you so they will have a current place to redirect it to.   Even after you move you'll still get junk mail, credit card offers, etc at your old house. We've been in this house for 4 years and still get occasional mail for the last 2 owners. 
  And don't forget to contact the utility companies and have all the utilities shut off the day of the closing so you don't get charged any extra.

 

[DLTooley]

I voted absentee for a couple of years while in another state. I changed the registration when it was clear to me I was not going back soon.

 

[XFILE36]

The State Department will give you less grief if you have a physical address when getting or renewing your passport. (Assuming you're in the US. And a citizen.)

Thankls, I just looked at my passport and didn't realize it expired last year.

 

[Alcatraz]

Invaluable information, suprised its never been suggested here.
Especially after 9-11.
J.J.Lunas- How to be invisible.
https://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Invisible-Protect-Children/dp/1250010454
His first edition book can still be found on the Internet for free.

 

[frater secessus]

Thankls, I just looked at my passport and didn't realize it expired last year.

As long as it's not over 5 yrs expired (15yrs from issuance) you can renew by mail and save (at least) the $25 execution fee.  And if not traveling by air or outside the NA continent you can save another $80 by getting a passport card instead of a traditional passport book.

I encourage anyone with a passport to check the date and renew before the 5yrs of expiration has passed.  Makes things easier and cheaper.   It might be useful for us to mark the expiration date in your calendar so we remember to renew.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

For those who still have to work for a living, I saw an article in the paper recently that a US passport is one of the best proofs that you are a US citizen and legally entitled to work in the US.

Without getting in to politics, I expect the Feds to be cracking down on that more and more in the coming years.

Which makes a US passport worth having even if you don't plan to ever leave the country.

 

[Almost There]

Thanks for the reminder!

I just checked mine and I'll have to take care of the renewal BEFORE I head south this coming fall!

 

[masterplumber]

And don't think they won't check the expiration date. I traveled to Canada last year and still had six months left on my passport. I was pointedly reminded by literally every agent that looked at it, both US and Canadian, that it was about to expire.

 

[DrJean]

IDK this might be over the top... but IF you should want to get back into the area where you live now, and there's a disaster, you have to show proof of residency to enter past the police... so the last utility bill you might keep...