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Topic: Soon to be LD owners and registering as non-residents (Read 19 times) previous topic - next topic
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Soon to be LD owners and registering as non-residents
Yahoo Message Number: 159765
Hello everyone, We have found our dream LD through a kind member of the forum: a 2001 26.5 MB, front dinette, powder blue.
Thanks for your advice getting there!

We now need to decide where to register the rig as non-U.S. residents. I am a US citizen but don't have a state to call home anymore. My mother is in Kentucky and I could use her address. On the forums, though, I've seen South Dakota mentioned a lot.

We want to stay legal and keep our costs down at the same time. Any full-timers have experience to share?

The LD is in Ohio. Ideally my mother could finish the transaction in our name before we get in the US. Not sure how to do that yet. My next call is to the Ohio BMV.

Cathy

(American/French couple with four young kids)
Family of 6 traveling in our 2001 26' LD from Kentucky to South America
Soon to be LD owners and registering as non-residents
Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 159782

Cathy, to be sure you get it right, you should have a discussion with an attorney, but I will try to rough out the issues as I understand them.

First, you cannot register the vehicle unless you are a resident. Being a resident does not mean you rent or own a home there. It is the place you call home. Home is where you vote and where you pay your taxes, among other things. Many of us fulltimers use facilities in South Dakota or Texas to meet this requirement. In Texas, one service that can help you is Escapees. As I understand it, you become an Escapees member, you go there to DMV, you fill out some forms, you pay for the registration and your drivers license, and you receive your documents. You are then free to travel wherever you want to go. Escapees will also perform mail forwarding services if you wish.

If you call Canada home, you may not be able to follow that course. In that case, you could put the vehicle in your mothers name and use her address for vehicle registration. I do not recommend that course if avoidable because of liability concerns.

Ken F in OR
'08 MB