Drivers licensing for RVers

by Pete
(Mesa, AZ)

How will the new Federal regs regarding drivers licensing effect fulltime RVers?

Comments for
Drivers licensing for RVers

Dec 28, 2009

Domicile for Fulltime RVers
by: Sharon

I think you'll still be able to use Escapees as a domicile since you can park there as long as you like...basically live there, and get your mail there. Any RV park that lets you live there annually and get your mail there should work as a domicile.

You won't be able to use a mailbox as your domicile since you can't actually live at the mailbox.

We had a Park Model RV in an Arizona park for years and used it as our domicile since we owned the house and had all of our bills/mail go there plus you can actually live there full-time.

Many folks in the same park did the same thing with their RVs. Since they paid an annual rate and all their mail and bills went their it was their domicile.

I think the rub is can you actually live there, and get your mail there. If not than it can't be a domicile address.

We were domiciled at Escapees in Texas when we lived over there. When we moved to Arizona for a job that required an Arizona drivers license we had to find a domicile here. We could have used one of the RV Parks that offer annual rates and get our mail there, but the job will move us around the state frequently. So we decided to use a UPS Store mailbox to get our mail, but we use my sons Arizona house as our domicile address.

We ended up adding both addresses to our drivers license so there wouldn't be a problem. The domicile and the mailing address.

Arizona has tons of RV parks that allow annual stays or basically permanent addresses. You get your mail there and if you're traveling they will forward your mail to where-ever you are within reason I guess.

We had a bigger problem with our domicile when we were working in Oregon.

We ended up using one of the RV parks as a domicile which is not a good idea since you could get mail there after you're long gone. Another problem with it was the RV space rent included utilities, so there was no utility bill to show the DMV, and all of our other banking and bills went to our mailbox. In the end the RV park gave us a letterhead memo that stated we lived there and had lived there paying rent with utilities included for the past three months. It worked for the DMV as prove of address.

We tried to apply for an Oregon "Continuous Traveler" that is an applicant who travels continuously and can use the residence address of "continuous traveler" if the applicant is a resident of or domiciled in Oregon but has no physical home in Oregon.

For instance, an applicant who has retired from an Oregon employer may present papers indicating he/she sold a home in Oregon and purchased a motor home.

This didn't work for us because we sold our home in California and bought our RV. Even though we provided all of the paperwork they refused us the "continuous traveler" status since we hadn't been domiciled in Oregon prior to becoming full-timers.

I'd love to hear from other full time RVers to see what they do to overcome the domicile issue, so please add your comments if you're reading this.

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Dec 28, 2009
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Submitted by: Sharon

Title

Comment
I think you'll still be able to use Escapees as a domicile since you can park there as long as you like...basically live there, and get your mail there. Any RV park that lets you live there annually and get your mail there should work as a domicile. You won't be able to use a mailbox as your domicile since you can't actually live at the mailbox. We had a Park Model RV in an Arizona park for years and used it as our domicile since we owned the house and had all of our bills/mail go there plus you can actually live there full-time. Many folks in the same park did the same thing with their RVs. Since they paid an annual rate and all their mail and bills went their it was their domicile. I think the rub is can you actually live there, and get your mail there. If not than it can't be a domicile address. We were domiciled at Escapees in Texas when we lived over there. When we moved to Arizona for a job that required an Arizona drivers license we had to find a domicile here. We could have used one of the RV Parks that offer annual rates and get our mail there, but the job will move us around the state frequently. So we decided to use a UPS Store mailbox to get our mail, but we use my sons Arizona house as our domicile address. We ended up adding both addresses to our drivers license so there wouldn't be a problem. The domicile and the mailing address. Arizona has tons of RV parks that allow annual stays or basically permanent addresses. You get your mail there and if you're traveling they will forward your mail to where-ever you are within reason I guess. We had a bigger problem with our domicile when we were working in Oregon. We ended up using one of the RV parks as a domicile which is not a good idea since you could get mail there after you're long gone. Another problem with it was the RV space rent included utilities, so there was no utility bill to show the DMV, and all of our other banking and bills went to our mailbox. In the end the RV park gave us a letterhead memo that stated we lived there and had lived there paying rent with utilities included for the past three months. It worked for the DMV as prove of address. We tried to apply for an Oregon "Continuous Traveler" that is an applicant who travels continuously and can use the residence address of "continuous traveler" if the applicant is a resident of or domiciled in Oregon but has no physical home in Oregon. For instance, an applicant who has retired from an Oregon employer may present papers indicating he/she sold a home in Oregon and purchased a motor home. This didn't work for us because we sold our home in California and bought our RV. Even though we provided all of the paperwork they refused us the "continuous traveler" status since we hadn't been domiciled in Oregon prior to becoming full-timers. I'd love to hear from other full time RVers to see what they do to overcome the domicile issue, so please add your comments if you're reading this.

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Dec 28, 2009

Drivers license
by: Anonymous

I don't believe you will be able to use a mail box as a domicile so many people that are members of groups like Escapees will no longer be able to license in Texas unless they have a residence. I wonder if resorts such as Hart Ranch or Colorado River Adventures could work for full timers as domicile?

My license is good until 2013 so won't worry about it for a while. I own a home in a resort in AZ, but live in RV in summer. Thanks for response.

Dec 28, 2009

Domicile for Fulltime RVers
by: Sharon

If I understand you correctly proving your principal address with TWO legal documents will really be the issue after the licensing regulations change on December 31st.

If you have no acceptable documentation to prove residency per the South Dakota guidelines then you could run into problems.

If you are domiciled in South Dakota, but stay in Arizona part of the time - including having mail delivered to you in Arizona you probably won't run into problems.

However, if your RV vehicle stays in Arizona over six months out of the year then Arizona requires that it be registered in Arizona. If it is your only home and is registered in Arizona, and you receive all you bills, bank statements, etc in Arizona - the state would most likely consider you an Arizona resident.

Of course I am not expert on this topic. You're best to contact the South Dakota Central Driver Licensing Program to ask what the requirements are and how you might meet them.

Dec 27, 2009

Drivers License
by: Anonymous

What I was wondering is? If you have bank statements, utility bills in AZ and want to renew your SD drivers license under the new rules, can you get a SD license or will one have to get an AZ license.

Dec 10, 2009

licensing
by: Anonymous

I Have contacted South Dakota Motor Vehicle Department The sent me this:

New Requirements for All Driver License and ID Card Applicants Effective 12-31-09
Make your visit to the driver exam station a successful one. Learn about the new identification
requirements so you?ll be prepared when making application for a driver license or ID card.
Effective December 31, 2009, to apply for a new, renewal or duplicate driver license or identification card
you will need to provide the documents listed below:
ONE of the following to prove identity, date of birth, and lawful status:
Certified U.S. birth certificate
Valid unexpired U.S. passport
Certificate of Naturalization
Certificate of Citizenship
Valid unexpired permanent resident card
Valid unexpired employment authorization document
Foreign passport with valid unexpired U.S. Visa with I-94
If your name is different than the name on your identity document, you will need to bring additional
proof of your legal name. Acceptable documents for proof of legal name change are a certified marriage
certificate (issued by a state vital records agency), a certified adoption document, or a certified court
order authorizing a name change (such as a divorce decree).

ONE document to prove Social Security number. The documents below serve as proof of Social
Security number:
Social Security card
W-2 Form
SSA 1099 Form
Non-SSA 1099 Form
Pay stub (must include name and social security
number)

TWO documents to prove your principal address. A parent?s proof of address is acceptable for a minor
child. Please bring two of the documents listed below (each must contain your current address and have
been issued within the last 90 days):
Utility bill
Credit card statement
Pay stub or earnings statement
Rent receipt
Phone bill
Transcript or report card from
accredited school
The following must have been issued within the last year:
Bank statement
Mortgage document
Tax document
Homeowners/renter?s insurance policy
These new rules will help to establish a more secure driver license and will help address our shared
concern about national security, identity theft, and highway safety.
If you have questions please check our website at www.dps.sd.gov/licensing/driver_licensing/default.aspx
or call the central Driver Licensing Program office at 1-800-952-3696.

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Dec 10, 2009
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Submitted by: Anonymous

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I Have contacted South Dakota Motor Vehicle Department The sent me this: New Requirements for All Driver License and ID Card Applicants Effective 12-31-09 Make your visit to the driver exam station a successful one. Learn about the new identification requirements so you?ll be prepared when making application for a driver license or ID card. Effective December 31, 2009, to apply for a new, renewal or duplicate driver license or identification card you will need to provide the documents listed below: ONE of the following to prove identity, date of birth, and lawful status: Certified U.S. birth certificate Valid unexpired U.S. passport Certificate of Naturalization Certificate of Citizenship Valid unexpired permanent resident card Valid unexpired employment authorization document Foreign passport with valid unexpired U.S. Visa with I-94 If your name is different than the name on your identity document, you will need to bring additional proof of your legal name. Acceptable documents for proof of legal name change are a certified marriage certificate (issued by a state vital records agency), a certified adoption document, or a certified court order authorizing a name change (such as a divorce decree). ONE document to prove Social Security number. The documents below serve as proof of Social Security number: Social Security card W-2 Form SSA 1099 Form Non-SSA 1099 Form Pay stub (must include name and social security number) TWO documents to prove your principal address. A parent?s proof of address is acceptable for a minor child. Please bring two of the documents listed below (each must contain your current address and have been issued within the last 90 days): Utility bill Credit card statement Pay stub or earnings statement Rent receipt Phone bill Transcript or report card from accredited school The following must have been issued within the last year: Bank statement Mortgage document Tax document Homeowners/renter?s insurance policy These new rules will help to establish a more secure driver license and will help address our shared concern about national security, identity theft, and highway safety. If you have questions please check our website at www.dps.sd.gov/licensing/driver_licensing/default.aspx or call the central Driver Licensing Program office at 1-800-952-3696.

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Dec 10, 2009

Full Time Licensing Regulations
by: Sharon

Hi Pete,

I am not sure if you're asking about how the new U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rules for the Real ID Act, where states have to verify the identity drivers and reissue secure licenses to them?

That would mean all states must verify the identity and legal residence of all license holders using the five electronic databases required by the law.

As a full time RVer you still must claim domicile in a state a verify identity, and a home base. Which is why so many full timers use Escapees for their domicile.

If you're referring to Classification of licensing. We're not aware of any changes to requirements based on gross vehicle weight.

The FMCSA defines CDL classes based on vehicle weight, type, and cargo. A CDL isn't required in most states for driving larger RV's, but some states require a non-commercial license that is based on the federal classification such as the class A & B.

If you're concerned about classification requirements you should contact your local motor vehicle department to find out the current requirements.

If you could give slightly more information we'll try to give you a more comprehensive answer.