Half Timers

[grmalv2003@yahoo.com]

We have an RV and own a home in Arizona. We leave in the spring and come back in late fall. Basically, we're gone from our home in Arizona for about five to six months of the year. Arizona licenses are quite expensive, so this year we went through a mail service in Rapid City, South Dakota. We were able to apply and get our license all by mail. Now we need advice on whether to change our drivers license to South Dakota and whether we should get our towed car also licensed in South Dakota. I am sure there are many of you in the same situation. This is all new to us.

[gbrinck]

I would change them all to SD or all to AZ. You are on shaky legal ground with one vehicle registered in one state, the toad in another and drivers licenses elsewhere too. Since you are in AZ at least half the year and have no other "home," AZ will justifiably consider you a resident and insist that all vehicle be titled there unless it never comes into the state. If they catch you, that is. I'm told that CA also watches for RVs that have a toad licensed in a different state than the coach, but it seems unlikely they care if neither are from CA.

[tbutler]

Welcome grmalv1,

If you haven't already read the discussion Full Timer's Residency Requirements in this Lifestyles section of the Forum, you should take some time to read and follow that discussion. There is a post there citing another thread, Registering Your RV Using a Montana LLC, which deals with some legal complications that is directly applicable to your situation.

I won't go into details because there is simply too much in the above cited discussions to summarize in a short posting. You create genuine problems for yourself if you don't clearly have a state of residence. It is something like standing with one foot on the dock and one foot in the boat. Both states may apply their laws to you or your estate, and next thing you know you're needing a life preserver!