Entries about become nevada resident

Because nomads never stay in one place for very long, they have the advantage of choosing to which state they want to "belong". There are more advantages to living in some states than others and each state has its own requirements for becoming a "domicile". There are 4 states that are particularly attractive to full-time RVers: Texas, Florida, South Dakota and Nevada.

The Escapees RV Club has published a Step-by-Step guide on how to become a resident of Texas, Florida or South Dakota; partly because they offer legal addresses in these three states. I could find no such help with establishing Nevada residency, which is why I'm writing this guide.

A Residential Address is Mandatory

Your residential address represents your physical location. A building in which you live has a residential address. If your home moves from place to place, you must choose somewhere to represent your "permanent" physical location. The commercial address of a mail-forwarding service is unacceptable for use as your residential address.

Your residential zip code is used for all sorts of things:

1. where you vote,
2. which state issues your Driver's License and Vehicle Registrations,
3. whether your vehicles need smog inspections,
4. whether you pay income tax to the state or not, and
5. what you pay for insurance rates.
6. Even financial institutions require you to have a residential address.

NOTE:
Your mail-forwarding service can be in any state and has nothing to do with your domicile address. I recommend establishing your mail-forwarding service before you hit the road so you can be sure your service works as expected. I have been very satisfied with the Las Vegas location of Anytime Mailbox.

Do Your Research

Some important topics to consider when choosing your domicile state are:

1. Where will you be spending most of your time?
2. Must you re-register your vehicle in person?
3. Must you return to the state for a smog certificate?
4. What are the state taxes?
5. How much will insurance cost?
6. How difficult is it to establish a domicile in Nevada?

Here are several websites I found helpful during my research on establishing Nevada residency:

My 3 easy steps to establishing your Nevada domicile are:

Step 1 - Establish Your Residential Address

According to the Nevada DMV Residency & Proof of Identity page, you'll need two documents to prove your Nevada residential address. Both documents must be original and show your name and Nevada residential address.

There are more than 20 documents from which to choose to prove Nevada residency. One of them is:

A "record from a hotel, motel, recreational vehicle park or campground located in Nevada indicating no fewer than 30 days of consecutive residency"

The address of this campground will become your new residential address.

The second document we used was the DMV 005 - Certification of Nevada Residency form, which we downloaded from the Residency & Proof of Identity page.

Once you've found a place in Nevada that suits you, it's time to rent your space for at least 30 days.

Step 2 - Obtain Your Nevada Driver's License

Now that you'll be settled for at least a month, you'll have plenty of time to get your new driver's license and register your vehicles in your new home state. Expect to make at least a couple of trips to your local DMV office while establishing your Nevada domicile.

For your Real ID compliant driver's license you will need:

1. the two documents that prove your Nevada residential address (referenced above)
2. your current Driver's License or ID Card
3. proof of ID: your valid, unexpired Passport, original Birth Certificate, or any out-of-state Real ID
4. proof of Social Security Number: your original Social Security Card, W-2, IRS Form 1099, or a paystub
5. proofs of all name changes
6. a completed Application for Driving Privileges or ID Card (DMV 002) (This form is also available at the DMV.)
7. corrective lenses, if needed. You will receive an eye exam.
8. some form of payment: cash, check or credit card. As of 2017, most Nevada driver's licenses are valid for 8 years and cost $42.25. Licenses issued to those 65 and older will be valid for 4 years and cost $18.25.

Bring the above items to your local DMV office and you should have no problem getting your new Real ID compliant Nevada driver's license. If you wish, you can also register to vote in your new Nevada County by completing the Voter Registration Application on the last page of the Application for Driving Privileges.

Step 3 - Register Your Vehicles

In order to register your vehicle in Nevada, you must first obtain vehicle insurance from a Nevada-licensed carrier. Out-of-state insurance is not accepted. The new carrier will require proof of continuous coverage from your current insurance company. This can usually be handled with a few simple phone calls.

Your first trip to the DMV is a good time to get a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Inspection for one of your vehicles. You'll need a VIN inspection for each vehicle you wish to register in Nevada.

It is not necessary to have the title to your vehicle to register it in Nevada. You WILL need the current registration, though.

To register each vehicle, you'll need:

1. a Nevada Evidence of Insurance card or policy information
2. a Nevada Smog Certificate, if required. For more information see Nevada Emissions Testing Areas.
3. your current registration and license plates (Remove & bring in.)
4. tools you'll need to detach/attach your license plates
5. residential and mailing addresses of all registered owners
6. the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Inspection Certificate
7. some form of payment: cash, check or credit card. You can estimate your vehicle registration fees by entering your VIN into Nevada's Online Fee Estimate tool.

After your vehicles are insured and registered in Nevada, you are officially a Nevada resident. You're now free to move about the country and when someone asks "Where you from?" you can honestly answer, "Nevada!"