how does a person van living full time have an address?

[lightspeed]

i have wondered about this for some time , especially if a person moves to another state , how does a person have an address to put down to change drivers license over ?
I do know a few people in another state i may move to in the future , but what if i can't use their addresses by the time i get out their in ca,?

I am hoping someone can answer this question for me !

What i want to do is use a physical address but have a post office box for my mail to go to .

[stanw909]

PO box is simplest if you don't travel a lot. My older bro who traveled full time with his wife until he passed away, was a member of Escapees. That organization has mail forwarding and other services for travelers. Ceaprvliving.com is a good website to check out also.

[lightspeed]

yes a post office box is what i will use for my mail , but am i mistaken about having to have a physical address to get a drivers license changed to another state (like california?) This is what i am asking about is how do people get around having a physical address if they don't have a place and are living in a van . Maybe marcopolo can answer this ????

[markopolo]

Sorry, can't help much. I think you are right about needing a physical address for some things though.

[stanw909]

My bro became a citizen of Texas. Went there for a couple of weeks and never went back. Escapees membership seemed to hold the key.

[AmCruiser]

Check out MyRVmail.com. They are recommended by Passport America. I haven't tried them but this is from their website:

Virtual Mailbox Online

Complete mailbox management online!
View ALL your postal mail Online including magazines and packages
Get a detailed description of individual items with senders name or address.
Lowest prices with more personal & professional care (mail forwarding as low as $9.00/month)
Request a scan for that urgent letter. (note: add'l $2.50 per scan letter up to 10 pages)
Physical street address in Florida to receive packages and Florida state benefits.
Shred all requested unwanted mail for both plans - no extra charge
Unlimited address forwarding changes - no extra charge
Unlimited mail pieces received - no extra charge
Hold mail up to 6 months - no extra charge.
Custom mail sorting - no extra charge
Go over mail count via telephone - open a letter if requested - no extra charge.
Automate your deliveries with out shipping schedule - no extra charge
Receive shipment e-mail notification.
No club memberships required just a one time set-up fee of $25.
FREE Fax Available, receive a fax or have us fax a letter for you.
No charge for receiving incoming packages (large or small)
No storage fees

Randy

[lightspeed]

thanks , i am a little confused about this part from their web site .

High Quality Scans – With all scans performed at 200+ DPI and in color, your documents will look great on both screen and paper. And seriously, who still scans in black & white in this day and age?
do they open and scan all your mail so it is virtual to you to access?
if so what happens to the original mail after its scanned by them , shredded or put into garbage bins and what about personal information such as bank numbers and social security numbers ( think identity theft) .
it may not be this way , i just don't understand it though .
unless someone else does .

[lightspeed]

i did find this on it .
http://www.virtualpostmail.com/tour/data-security

i am wondering though what a person would do about social security , i am on it because of post tramatic stress syndrom and if i lived in ca. but had a virtual box in florida for an address , what would a person do about health care? in ca. i could sign up on social security , (get mine transferred ) . at least their i could be in better weather .

[masterx808]

By using a virtual mailbox I travel a lot and my postal mail was a huge problem for me. I used to ask everyone i know to check it when i’m gone but then i heard about postscan mail. it’s a great service. They receive your mail and scan it so you can easily view it and manage it online. In your case, you will be happy to know that they also offer free storage. You can forward your mail later to any address you pick.

[Bruceper]

Personally, no way would I let anyone open my mail. I would rather use a mail forwarding service.

Some of the mail boxes you can rent have a physical address. Such as

Mr Smith
box 1234
9876 Main St

The motor vehicles branch here doesn't care (or know) that it's a rented mailbox.

[Exechobo]

We used My Dakota Address for a couple years. Good service and very personal. The owner is the person with whom you deal. They customize services for you, such as sorting out junk mail, immediate forwarding items you flag, dealing with vehicle registration, etc. We had them open specific mail and read it to us on certain occasions. It was great for us.

[Jostalli]

I use America's Mailbox in South Dakota. Permanent address, vehicle registration, insurance all through them. Best rates I found.

[mumkin]

Many full timers use South Dakota as their address. That is why you see so many RVs with SD tags. They make it quite easy and convenient as two posters have reported. AND South Dakota has no income taxes.

Others use Texas and Nevada. Pahrump, Nevada is also used by many RVers.

[Exechobo]

Don't forget South Dakota's low sales tax as well- quite beneficial on a motor home purchase!

[Jostalli]

Originally Posted by Exechobo

Don't forget South Dakota's low sales tax as well- quite beneficial on a motor home purchase!

3% sales tax on my Promaster thanks to my new "home address" in South Dakota.

[Mike]

Anyone aware of any Canadian versions of these virtual "bricks and sticks" address services? Would like to know in advance of any moves in the direction of extended trips (mail forwarding/opening/digitizing service), or going full time in Canada, by province of "last known address" before becoming "no fixed address".
We also have the issue of the gradual ending of door to door mail delivery being phased in. Canada Post is replacing DTD delivery with mail super boxes, sort of like a P.O. box on your street corner. The super mail boxes will have an associated street address of a bricks and sticks dwelling. More complexity?

[Rocketman53]

Originally Posted by lightspeed

I have wondered about this for some time, especially if a person moves to another state, how does a person have an address to put down to change drivers license over?

The question is better put how does one establish residency, which means to become a "citizen" of a state and eligible for such things as drivers licenses. It varies from state to state. However, with the post-9/11 I.D. laws, one must present a street address for a license. Most states require some proof of actual residence, like a utility bill or some official mail delivered by the USPS. Mailing services offer an address, with a possible hitch. The USPS has a rule that requires a certain address format to identify such services, and reportedly will not deliver mail without that format to these services.

However, there is more to it. Taxes, particularly income and property, can create complications. Some states consider any residual property left behind (bank accounts, for example, especially with direct deposits from Soc Sec or other regular depositors, like pensions or dividends) as representing a bonafide intent to return, and thus may claim you as a resident. Other states go by days of presence over a year - over 182 makes it your primary residence. Voter registration and participation is also used. Payment of utility bills another. Merely registering a vehicle or taking a drivers license from X state may not make you another state's resident in the eyes of your "former" home state. My brother was chased for years by Wisconsin for income taxes despite his being a Texas resident. (They were relying on the military's "Home of Record" to make their case.) Read the rules, and follow them on both ends. They're on the 'net.

Originally Posted by lightspeed

I do know a few people in another state i may move to in the future , but what if i can't use their addresses by the time i get out their in ca?

I don't know why anyone would take California residence, but nonetheless look at the state's website and search on residency.

Originally Posted by lightspeed

What i want to do is use a physical address but have a post office box for my mail to go to .

There are a number of businesses that do this. Look in the phonebook, or others have listed their recommendations.

[Suzzz]

Why not use a relative's address? Personally, I receive less than 10 letters a year so it wouldn't be a great burden. I get all of my bills by email and pay them through online banking, and all sources of income find their way to my bank account via direct deposit so for me location is irrelevant.

I'm still a few years away from living the dream but when the time comes I've been planning on using my brother's address for my mail, to register my RV, my driver's licence and for tax purposes. He and I are pretty close and he says he has no problem with it. Here in Canada, I can move to any province without any issues and as long as I'm not out of the country for more than 6 months, I keep all of my benefits (health, pension etc.).

I'm not familiar with US rules and regulations, is it more complicated on your side of the border? Personally, I'd rather use a relative's or a friend's address as opposed to paying a business for this kind of service... I prefer to know the person handling my mail, even if I don't get much of it.

[Rocketman53]

Originally Posted by Suzzz

Why not use a relative's address? Personally, I receive less than 10 letters a year so it wouldn't be a great burden. I get all of my bills by email and pay them through online banking, and all sources of income find their way to my bank account via direct deposit so for me location is irrelevant.

If one is looking for a mail drop there's no problem to use a relative's address or a commercial service. The issue lurking in the background is "residency" and taxes.

The issue of residence is usually a question of which state/province is entitled to your income tax revenue. Having changed residence several times over the years in the US, my advice to Americans is to clear out any significant assets and accounts from the state you leave behind, or they are exposed to the taxman and his bag of liens to extract what he says you owe, even if you claim residency elsewhere. These disputes can last years, and they're decided in the state court claiming you owe money. Whether the courts are involved in Canada is something you would know.

Canada's laws seem to be similar, but there is a difference. You can find the rules the Canadian taxman uses at this link to Canada Revenue.

The general Canadian rule is one "will be considered to be resident in the province in which the individual has the most significant residential ties, for purposes of computing his or her provincial tax payable." Those "residential ties of an individual that will almost always be significant residential ties for the purpose of determining residence status are the individual's: dwelling place (or places); spouse or common-law partner; and dependents."

The universal rule is that you can do anything you like, until some authority takes exception. Maybe they will; maybe not.

[Suzzz]

[QUOTE=Rocketman53;54326]Canada's laws seem to be similar, but there is a difference. You can find the rules the Canadian taxman uses at this link to Canada Revenue.

The general Canadian rule is one "will be considered to be resident in the province in which the individual has the most significant residential ties, for purposes of computing his or her provincial tax payable." Those "residential ties of an individual that will almost always be significant residential ties for the purpose of determining residence status are the individual's: dwelling place (or places); spouse or common-law partner; and dependents."[QUOTE]

My plan when I retire is to sell everything I own in NB and move to Ontario to be closer to family. Whether I decide to actually live in an RV or a regular ''dwelling'' will be determined by a number of factors such as health and money but for now that's my plan A. Since I want to move there officially and permanently, the taxman should be happy but it's definitely something to keep in mind when the time comes.

There's no point looking at the rules now, these things have a way of changing every time a new government comes into place but when the time comes I have every intention to do things right. I want a worry free retirement... and winters far far away from all this snow!!!