Registration and drivers license in different states

[Jim2]

As with most law enforcement issues, it depends on the specifics of each situation. In some situations its perfectly legal to have multiple vehicles registered in different states. I have 8 of my 10 vehicles registered, insured & taxed in my primary home state of SD. But I keep a spare pickup truck garaged at my part time ranch in NM and its required to be registered, insured & taxed in NM. Likewise I keep a Jeep at my part time summer home in Colorado and its registered, insured & taxed by Colorado. Never had any issue when I'm occasionally stopped and show my SD DL with either NM or CO registration. Most of the officers don't even ask (the same SD home address shows on all license and reg docs), but the few that do, accept my explanation of multiple homes and spare vehicles garaged in those homes.
All 3 state DMV's told me this was the proper procedure, when I asked them up front. I did have to show 3 documents proving my property ownership with local physical address in order to register a vehicle as an out of state resident in both NM and CO.
Of course tax evasion is not a legal reason for it, and in areas where that's an issue with neighboring states, you may receive more attention.

[Gordon Dewald]

Originally Posted by jrwitt

I am not sure that is true. I have a relative who owns homes in 3 diff states. By law, he can only have one drivers license, but each home has a car that is kept there and is titled in that state. He is registered to vote in the state where he has a drivers license.

Jack

IMO the key word is home. One would expect if you had a home a vehicle would be as well.

Registering a vehicle out of state to avoid taxes is questionable. Even if you have it registered at a relatives address.

[Slolane]

When we changed residency to Florida we were told we needed "Florida" insurance to register the cars and MH. We couldn't get Florida insurance without Florida drivers license.

Catch 22.

Much easier (and cheaper ) to have everything registered in FL. We still have property in Kentucky but make sure we don't spend more than 5 1/2 months per year there.

[twinboat]

Originally Posted by Slolane

When we changed residency to Florida we were told we needed "Florida" insurance to register the cars and MH. We couldn't get Florida insurance without Florida drivers license.

Catch 22.

Much easier (and cheaper ) to have everything registered in FL. We still have property in Kentucky but make sure we don't spend more than 5 1/2 months per year there.

That wasn't the case with me. I got FL insurance and then FL plates, on my MH and toad, with my NJ drivers license.

A month latter I changed my license using my reg and insurance policy as some of the points of idenity.

As I stated earlier, I now have NY insurance and plates on a third vehicle, with my FL license.

[Jim2]

Originally Posted by Slolane

.... We couldn't get Florida insurance without Florida drivers license.
...

An uninformed agent may have told you that, but that's absolutely not correct. There are 1000's of NY'ers who own part time seasonal homes in Fl and keep a Fl registered vehicle in those Fl homes, with Fl insurance and legally using their primary home NY drivers lic.
I also have lots of live aboard boating friends who keep their boat and a spare vehicle at a marina in Fl during the off season for convenience, reg & insured in Fl, but still have their home state drivers lic (where they spend half the year).
The rule of law that applies in almost every state, is that a vehicle should be registered, insured & taxed in the state where it is primarily "garaged" when not in use. That's not always the same state as your drivers lic.
You're entitled to own a home with vehicles in it, in all 50 states at once, but you can only have one valid drivers lic at once, your primary home state.

[VAParrothead]

Insurance companies might care a great deal if your RV is registered in one state and you have a driver's license in another.

A driver's license indicates your state of residence. It follows that a vehicle registration should, too. The curtains and the carpet should match, so to speak. Register the vehicle where it is garaged; that's usually where you call home. The garage location -- where you typically park it overnight -- is one of the factors insurance companies use to determine your premium. Some people in high-cost states try to lower their premium by lying about where they garage their RV, falsely stating that the car is garaged in a neighboring, lower-cost state. But states are cracking down.

New Jersey has a rate evasion law, and legislation in Maryland would let insurers rescind auto policies of nonresident drivers who illegally register and insure in Maryland. Many other states have rules about this as well (I'm a reporter who writes about insurance issues).

If you lie on an insurance application about where the RV is garaged, and later have a claim, chances are pretty good you'll be the target of an insurance fraud investigation. If fraud can be proved, you'll get nothing paid on the claim. Zero. Zip. Nada. And you'll likely have your policy cancelled, too.

[VAParrothead]

Originally Posted by paz

Since you have a FL driver's license you must officially be a FL resident even though you spend a good part of the year in NY. FL wants all vehicles owned by a resident to be registered in the state (they want the revenue), and you have 10 days to do so after you become a FL resident.

Yep!

[Dtwallace]

I don't understand the hoopla here.


I have vehicles registered in three different states, because I visit relatives in those states, and have my own transportation when I do visit, I use the address of the relatives.


On those vehicles, I've paid what ever taxes that state required, and county also if that's required.


My driver license is from one of those three states and I've never had an issue with law enforcement over the method I use.


Yes when stopped by any LEO, they will ask you why, and having a valid address in that state makes it legal.


Now, remember, you are traveling to and from these states on a regular basis, that's the catch.


DTW

[RandyKathyM]

I think you need to be aware of is the intent. Are you intending to defraud the state that you live in of the taxes that are due then you might have a problem. Or do you have some other reason to license your RV out of state. When I retired I moved my Motorhome across the country and licensed it in another state where I would be retiring to. The only problem I had was finding an obscure form that would allow me to register my MH with an out of state drivers license. I considered getting my drivers license in my new state, but since I worked for law enforcement, a condition of my employment was that I needed to keep my CA drivers license. Insurance was not an issue for me.

If you are avoiding paying taxes you not only have to worry about the LEOs reporting you might get reported by your neighbors. 30 years ago when I went to work for the County of Orange, at one of the Board of Supervisors Meetings a private citizen received a commendation from the Board of Supervisors for his assistance in locating people who were working in the County with out of state car licenses. He would drive through business and record any out of state licenses and report them to the DMV.