I apologize and ask you to bear with me - this is a different topic based on some (very) recent developments. I have also posed the question on Escapees but there is not a 100% overlap in the readership.
We have spent the last 18 months doing our homework in preparation for going full-time... plan to become Texans (for me, that's "again"), subscribed to the Escapees mail service and got a permanent address - check. Put the house on the market - check. Put the travel trailer on the market - check. Have everything ready to sign on the dotted line for the fifth wheel - check. Our original plan was to move into the fiver here in the Augusta, GA, area for a month or two while 1) waiting for the oral surgeon to give my wife a clean bill of health, and 2) spending some time near our RV dealer for a "shake-down cruise" and any initial warranty work. From here, I was planning to head to Livingston, TX, to register the vehicles, get drivers' licenses, etc. After spending some time in Livingston, the plan was to continue to southern New Mexico and stay long enough to spend the holidays with my family there.
OK, all of this sounds good, right? I've heard somewhere that it's a woman's prerogative to change her mind - and my wife is exercising that inalienable right. The house is now under contract and the travel trailer is all but sold. Closing on the house is August 21. My wife now wants to go from Augusta, GA, to Maryland (north of Baltimore near the PA border) to spend a couple of months near our daughter and that set of grandkids. Then, sometime in November, we would leave the North Pole... I mean northern Maryland... before things get too cold and head for Texas to take care of business and then New Mexico for the holidays.
Our drivers' licenses don't expire until 2020 and the earliest a vehicle tag would have to be renewed is June of 2016. I'll call USAA tomorrow and ask about insurance and banking, but my question is this: can anyone foresee any problems if we wander around for a few months with South Carolina tags and licenses (with a SC address on them) and a Texas mailing address before heading to Livingston to get those things taken care of? When we sell the house, I'll have to notify USAA (banking and insurance) of our permanent mailing address and print new insurance cards for the vehicles. Would a state cop between here and Maryland get heartburn seeing different addresses on a driver's license and an insurance card? Can you think of any other issues that might arise given this scenario. Please put your experience, knowledge, wisdom (they are two different things), and imagination to work for us.
Thanks in advance!
Rob (and Laura)
NWescapee said
06:46 PM Jul 21, 2015
We "wandered" for about a month with WA plates, licenses and a SD address before we made it to SD. Of course, we never had any reason to speak to a state trooper in any of the states we wandered through and no one else questioned the variance.
The Restless Youngs said
09:31 PM Jul 21, 2015
We wondered for two and a half months with PA tags prior to getting our tags in Texas. I know several folks who have wondered for a bit before getting to Texas or Florida to get things set up. Our insurance agency didn't write policies in Texas, but there was a grace period to get things switched over. I also believe in Texas you have 90 days to actually get your driver's license, so if you do get pulled over you can just tell them you are in the process of moving, would imagine you'll be okay.
soos said
12:16 AM Jul 22, 2015
Also,
vehicles are usually registered and insured in the state where they are garaged, which could be different from the state you have your license with.
For example, if I garage my Jeep in AZ all year, I need to get AZ tags and insurance, but my license is TX. Slightly different reasons, but still a case of different addresses.
Sue
dewwood said
08:24 AM Jul 22, 2015
This is just another thing to think about. I do not know about the states you are looking at but here if I buy a new unit and title it I have to pay sales tax at that time. If I buy a unit and title it elsewhere or move here (Indiana) and go to get the registration changed I have to pay the tax again. I do not know if that applies to your situation but it would be worth looking into.
Second Chance said
08:38 AM Jul 22, 2015
dewwood wrote:
This is just another thing to think about. I do not know about the states you are looking at but here if I buy a new unit and title it I have to pay sales tax at that time. If I buy a unit and title it elsewhere or move here (Indiana) and go to get the registration changed I have to pay the tax again. I do not know if that applies to your situation but it would be worth looking into.
We appear to have hit the jackpot on this one... South Carolina (where we will still be residents when we purchase the RV next week) has a maximum $300 sales tax on new motor vehicles to include RVs. When we move to Texas, there is a one-time $90 transfer fee per vehicle (have talked with the Polk County DMV and tax offices in Texas).
Thanks for all the input so far, everyone!
Rob
Barbaraok said
09:15 AM Jul 22, 2015
Register by mail in Livingston. Just call Polk County Tax Assessor:
416 N. Washington
Livingston, TX 77351
Phone: 936-327-6801
Fax: 936-327-6885
Tell them you are out of state, give them your address, and get all of the information from them on how to register your vehicles. Then when you get to Texas you can get everything inspected, get your new drivers licenses and you will be good to go.
Barb
Camper Chronicles said
05:37 PM Jul 25, 2015
We kept our New Hampshire plates for several months before becoming Florida residents. If your license and registration aren't expired I don't see what the big deal would be
Trace
jrzygrl64 said
06:47 PM Jul 26, 2015
I think the key is keeping all things the same address. We were planning on keeping my husbands motorcycle registered and insured at my cousins address in PA, but after changing everything else, we got a notice from our insurance company that they will be dropping the policy when it's up (end of Sept) b/c we are no longer PA residents. Guess it caught up somehow that his driver license is now in FL. Not sure what we will do about it yet as we weren't planning to bring the bike to FL, he only rides it when with his brother. B
Hope that is a perspective that helps.
Allpeds said
05:33 PM Aug 13, 2015
I'm so glad you're asking these questions! We are having to move up our date from next year to as soon as we can get ready for various reasons. My head is spinning I hardly know where to start. I'm following your questions and finding them very helpful.
Beth
Second Chance said
07:23 PM Aug 13, 2015
Hang in there, Beth. It's been a whirlwind for us, too, with the house selling "out from under us" in less than two weeks. We've taken everyone's advice and are leaving everything (DLs, insurance, tags, etc.) in South Carolina at our old address until we get to Texas in early November to switch everything over. If anyone asks, we're just taking our sweet time - and meandering a bit - as we move from South Carolina to Texas. They don't need to know anything more...
Rob
PD CFK said
09:52 AM Aug 14, 2015
Congratulations! Enjoy your new adventure. Pat K
Glenn West said
03:59 PM Mar 27, 2016
We full timed for years with our NC address, tags, etc. Used Escapees mail service. Never was a problem except getting vehicles inspected. NC was a pain about that. Would not accept many places.
PrairieRV said
07:30 AM Mar 28, 2016
I'm not a full-time, yet, but when I moved from Missouri to Georgia I planned to keep my Mo license until it expired. But I got stopped for getting into a left-turn lane too early (trying to avoid the daily Atlanta traffic back-up on the way to work). I only got a warning from the flirty cop, but he said you're supposed to get a Ga license within 30 days of moving there.
Neil and Connie said
11:03 AM Mar 28, 2016
As a Navy guy at one time…one thing we learned was that if drivers license, registration, and the state you are physically in when the cops stop you add up to 3 different states then in at least some states it's illegal. As long as your license and registration are from the same state…it doesn't really matter what address is attached to it…even if you have a Texas address on your GA registration and title. So…you can wander for awhile.
I would not shift the title/registration to Texas if you'll still be using your GA license in the meantime…just wait until you get to Texas and do it all. Don't know how heavy your rig is…but in Texas when you get your license if the gross weight of the combination is over some number (not the GCVW, the actual weight) then you have to have the commercial drivers license instead of the regular one (sorry, don't remember the category). The good news is that it's just a paperwork drill mostly…you don't have to do any of the special CDL requirements with the single exception that you have to have a road test in the vehicle you'll be driving…so you'll have to take the 5ver to the DL place with you. Of course…I'm guessing that this is one of those things that sometimes isn't required depending on where you're taking the test…since you're going to Livingston I would call Escapees or the county Livingston is in and ask them what the specific license requirements are. At least one person with a truck/5ver told me they didn't have to do the road test even though they were over the limit.
NorCal Dan said
01:10 PM Mar 28, 2016
When we full-timed we also used the SKP's mail service as our home of record. You can do vehicle registrations and drivers license all online, there is no requirement to actually visit Texas. Later, if you do decide to visit Texas, you have 3 days to get your vehicle inspected, but don't worry about it until you actually enter Texas. The vehicle weight for requiring the TX CDL is GVWR over 26k lbs. There may be other requirements for your license, ie. air brakes (see www.cdl-course.com/faq-tx.html)
I apologize and ask you to bear with me - this is a different topic based on some (very) recent developments. I have also posed the question on Escapees but there is not a 100% overlap in the readership.
We have spent the last 18 months doing our homework in preparation for going full-time... plan to become Texans (for me, that's "again"), subscribed to the Escapees mail service and got a permanent address - check. Put the house on the market - check. Put the travel trailer on the market - check. Have everything ready to sign on the dotted line for the fifth wheel - check. Our original plan was to move into the fiver here in the Augusta, GA, area for a month or two while 1) waiting for the oral surgeon to give my wife a clean bill of health, and 2) spending some time near our RV dealer for a "shake-down cruise" and any initial warranty work. From here, I was planning to head to Livingston, TX, to register the vehicles, get drivers' licenses, etc. After spending some time in Livingston, the plan was to continue to southern New Mexico and stay long enough to spend the holidays with my family there.
OK, all of this sounds good, right? I've heard somewhere that it's a woman's prerogative to change her mind - and my wife is exercising that inalienable right. The house is now under contract and the travel trailer is all but sold. Closing on the house is August 21. My wife now wants to go from Augusta, GA, to Maryland (north of Baltimore near the PA border) to spend a couple of months near our daughter and that set of grandkids. Then, sometime in November, we would leave the North Pole... I mean northern Maryland... before things get too cold and head for Texas to take care of business and then New Mexico for the holidays.
Our drivers' licenses don't expire until 2020 and the earliest a vehicle tag would have to be renewed is June of 2016. I'll call USAA tomorrow and ask about insurance and banking, but my question is this: can anyone foresee any problems if we wander around for a few months with South Carolina tags and licenses (with a SC address on them) and a Texas mailing address before heading to Livingston to get those things taken care of? When we sell the house, I'll have to notify USAA (banking and insurance) of our permanent mailing address and print new insurance cards for the vehicles. Would a state cop between here and Maryland get heartburn seeing different addresses on a driver's license and an insurance card? Can you think of any other issues that might arise given this scenario. Please put your experience, knowledge, wisdom (they are two different things), and imagination to work for us.
Thanks in advance!
Rob (and Laura)
vehicles are usually registered and insured in the state where they are garaged, which could be different from the state you have your license with.
For example, if I garage my Jeep in AZ all year, I need to get AZ tags and insurance, but my license is TX. Slightly different reasons, but still a case of different addresses.
Sue
We appear to have hit the jackpot on this one... South Carolina (where we will still be residents when we purchase the RV next week) has a maximum $300 sales tax on new motor vehicles to include RVs. When we move to Texas, there is a one-time $90 transfer fee per vehicle (have talked with the Polk County DMV and tax offices in Texas).
Thanks for all the input so far, everyone!
Rob
Register by mail in Livingston. Just call Polk County Tax Assessor:
416 N. Washington
Livingston, TX 77351
Phone: 936-327-6801
Fax: 936-327-6885
Tell them you are out of state, give them your address, and get all of the information from them on how to register your vehicles. Then when you get to Texas you can get everything inspected, get your new drivers licenses and you will be good to go.
Barb
Trace
Hope that is a perspective that helps.
I'm so glad you're asking these questions! We are having to move up our date from next year to as soon as we can get ready for various reasons. My head is spinning I hardly know where to start. I'm following your questions and finding them very helpful.
Beth
Rob
As a Navy guy at one time…one thing we learned was that if drivers license, registration, and the state you are physically in when the cops stop you add up to 3 different states then in at least some states it's illegal. As long as your license and registration are from the same state…it doesn't really matter what address is attached to it…even if you have a Texas address on your GA registration and title. So…you can wander for awhile.
I would not shift the title/registration to Texas if you'll still be using your GA license in the meantime…just wait until you get to Texas and do it all. Don't know how heavy your rig is…but in Texas when you get your license if the gross weight of the combination is over some number (not the GCVW, the actual weight) then you have to have the commercial drivers license instead of the regular one (sorry, don't remember the category). The good news is that it's just a paperwork drill mostly…you don't have to do any of the special CDL requirements with the single exception that you have to have a road test in the vehicle you'll be driving…so you'll have to take the 5ver to the DL place with you. Of course…I'm guessing that this is one of those things that sometimes isn't required depending on where you're taking the test…since you're going to Livingston I would call Escapees or the county Livingston is in and ask them what the specific license requirements are. At least one person with a truck/5ver told me they didn't have to do the road test even though they were over the limit.