South Dakota registration

[etcetera]

I am a contractor in IT, travel all the time, (6 month gig here, 3-month gig there ad infinitum) all over the country and don't have a connection to any state, or own any property.
I want to register my RV in South Dakota.
I do not want to get a DL in South Dakota. I hear there are 7 counties in SD where it's possible?
What are the basic steps? Can it be done remotely? I don't mind flying there for registration.
What else do I need other than the vehicle title and the application and Proof of the SS#? So I get there prepared?

I found a number of web sites about the matter but wanted to talk to someone who has done it.

[B52Rnav]

Checkout Escapees RV Club. They have very detailed domicile information for FL, TX, and SD. Information is found in menu/commercial partners/mail service/domicile.

[twogypsies]

Originally Posted by etcetera

I am a contractor in IT, travel all the time, (6 month gig here, 3-month gig there ad infinitum) all over the country and don't have a connection to any state, or own any property.
I want to register my RV in South Dakota.
I do not want to get a DL in South Dakota. I hear there are 7 counties in SD where it's possible?
What are the basic steps? Can it be done remotely? I don't mind flying there for registration.
What else do I need other than the vehicle title and the application and Proof of the SS#? So I get there prepared?

I found a number of web sites about the matter but wanted to talk to someone who has done it.

You might want to do a Search on this site entering 'South Dakota Residency' & lots of info will appear. This is discussed all the time in the full-timer section of this forum.

[capecodbob]

Definitly use Montana LLC. Can be done remote;y. Google it or search on here. Find a service that sets it up for you , get plates in mail. No need to become a resident there or anything. Thousand s of people do it for planes, boats etc. Perfectly legal.

[AJMike]

Originally Posted by capecodbob

Perfectly legal.

I am not so sure about this part of your statement. Lots of states, including Arizona where I live, ask people to report RVs and other vehicles that seem to be permanently resident with out of state plates. The state wants the revenue from the plates and I have read about them fining people for having out of state plates while being a resident. There also may be some insurance issues, although I am not sure about that.

Arizona RV registration rates are very high, and I ended up paying something like $2500 when we first bought our used relatively small B+, so I thought about registering in SD to save the money but decided that it was not worth the potential legal issues. The OP's situation is different, and registering in SD is probably fine for him, but I am not so sure that it is legal in all cases.

[BillJinOR]

Sounds like you don’t want to domicile in SD ( a drivers license is important to that) but just register your rv there ? Keeping your DL in an existing state ? Your domicile and registration of vehicles in different states can be problematic. Montana LLC is the preferred state for that in my understanding.

[twogypsies]

Originally Posted by AJMike

Lots of states, including Arizona where I live, ask people to report RVs and other vehicles that seem to be permanently resident with out of state plates. The state wants the revenue from the plates and I have read about them fining people for having out of state plates while being a resident. There also may be some insurance issues, although I am not sure about that.

Did the OP say he was staying in a state permanently?

It is perfectly legal for a traveling RVer to use Montana's LLC and insurance is readily available. We know many full-timers who have done this for years with no issues.

There are also many people that own a home elsewhere and register their RV, boats, etc. in Montana. You can do it legally.

I've not heard of states asking people to report RVers! Not even Arizona, as you state. Do they advertise this request on TV? Do they send out a notice to every resident? How do they do it?

[AJMike]

Originally Posted by twogypsies

Did the OP say he was staying in a state permanently?

No, and if you look at my earlier comment you can see that I specifically said that it probably did not apply to the OP. It was meant as a more general comment about the legality of registering an RV or other vehicle in SD or MT if you are a permanent resident of some state.

Originally Posted by twogypsies

How do they do it?

It was a bit ago but, if I remember correctly, it was a quote from some state official that I saw in the news.

[AJMike]

There is also this, found online, about registering out of state. I have added the italics to highlight the relevant section. This is an online blog concerning insurance so you have to consider that it might or might not be true, but it corresponds with what I found when I originally did some research on this. The cost of registering an RV in Arizona is very, very high and I wondered whether MT or SD were options, but decided after research that they were not and have just paid the Arizona registration fee for my RV and car.

Of course South Dakota and Montana, who make a lot of money off of these registrations, encourage people to do this, but the individual's home state may not be happy with losing the money and may take action.

None of this applies to the OP because he is not a resident of any particular state, but may apply to those, like me, who are residents of another state.

Can I register my car in a state where I don’t live?

You must register your car in the state where you're a legal resident to comply with your state's registration requirements and insurance company's rules for coverage.

It is illegal to register your car in a different state to avoid higher registration fees or find lower insurance rates.

Most people will use the same address on their vehicle registration, driver’s license, and auto insurance policy — this address is typically the same as your primary residence.

Special Circumstances for Registered Cars That are Out-of-State

Listed below are a few instances where you can temporarily maintain a registered car that's out-of-state.

College students. Young adults attending college out-of-state can maintain their home state’s car registration and remain on their parent’s auto insurance policy.

Active-duty military. Servicemembers on a temporary assignment can typically maintain their home state registration. You can also find lots of options for military car insurance discounts. Check with your insurance company to see what rules apply to your situation.

Homes in two states. If you split your time between two states, you’ll only need to register your car in the state where you live and drive most of the time. Consider registering a car in each state if you spend equal time at both addresses.

[parcany2]

AzMike is right. The mvd in Az wants you to report people that are trying to buck the system. In Az there is a law that states if you reside in Az for 7 months than you are a resident of az. You have to get a drivers licience, and register your vehicles here. I know 3 people that play the game. One person has Iowa tags on all vechiles, lives in Az and has South Dakota for their mailing address and they live in A for 9 months out of the year. The other couple live in Az go to Texas for 3 months than come back to Az for the rest of the year. Az wants the money that they are loosing because these people are doing things wrong. Now I know that the police stop people with out of state tags in the summertime cause they cannot figure out why anybody would come to the Phoenix area in 110-120 degree weather and let me say that they do catch people trying to get away with it. Az wants the money they are loosing to help take care of the roads and things like that. I have to agree with them. I donot have any problems with people coming from states to spend the winter.

[dbircky]

Originally Posted by parcany2

Now I know that the police stop people with out of state tags in the summertime cause they cannot figure out why anybody would come to the Phoenix area in 110-120 degree weather.

Police in AZ use heat as the reasonable articulable suspicion to traffic stop out of state plates? I’d love to see the department policy which approves it. Please let them stop me for driving there with out of state plates. It’ll be fun.

You have the right to remain silent. For example, you do not have to answer any questions about where you are going, where you are traveling from, what you are doing, or where you live. If you wish to exercise your right to remain silent, say so out loud.

We have protections under the 4th and 5th amendments.

[parcany2]

Originally Posted by dbircky

Police in AZ use heat as the reasonable articulable suspicion to traffic stop out of state plates? I’d love to see the department policy which approves it. Please let them stop me for driving there with out of state plates. It’ll be fun.

You have the right to remain silent. For example, you do not have to answer any questions about where you are going, where you are traveling from, what you are doing, or where you live. If you wish to exercise your right to remain silent, say so out loud.

We have protections under the 4th and 5th amendments.

I understand where you are coming from but the police can and will stop you for any little thing. Crossing the white line, maybe going over the speed limit, yes you do not have to say anything but if you do not want to show them the paperwork or talk to them that is on you. I will say that if they feel that something is not right than things will not turn out for the better. I have lived here since 1978 and worked with the police dept.

[dbircky]

The two things you mentioned are probable causes to make a stop. RAS is a lower standard, but one that requires a reasonable articulable suspicion. A cop can’t stop you strictly on the basis of your car being from another state. And yes, you don’t have to answer any questions not directly related to the stop, nor can the cop extend the stop without RAS or PC. Neither of which is brought about by invoking a constitutional right. Want the magic words? “Am I free to go?” Anything other than a yes, the stop has become a custodial circumstance which REQUIRES the reading of your Miranda warnings (don’t need to be a physical arrest, simply your movement restricted) including the opportunity to have your attorney present. Once you invoke those rights, the cop can’t even ask another exploratory question without your attorney present. And you definitely don’t have to answer if he does.

28 years LEO.

[USMCRET]

If states such as AZ would have a more reasonable tax environment for RVs, they may just find their tax revenues actually increase. Avoiding taxes is as American as baseball and apple pie.