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Florida Domicile Questions


tabrady1957

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Greetings:

 

My wife and I will be joining the full time RV crowd in April/May of this year. We are selling everything and using the opportunity as our "California exit plan". Recently I spoke to Kyle regarding health care insurance as we are 59 and 60 so have a ways to go for Medicare. Kyle told me that Texas is a poor option regarding health care insurance for a full timer that would be spending no time in Texas due to the plans not covering you in network out of state.

 

We have an 18 month Cobra option from my employer and is excellent insurance that is a full 50 state Blue Cross/Blue shield PPO but the cost is about $900/month for the two of us. The Obama Care BCBS insurance out of Florida is an option as they let you use the Nationwide network and is much less per month but the out of pocket maximums are much higher.

 

My questions reside around setting up FLA as our "domicile" but we do not plan on being there at all. We will spend our time in the Western USA.

 

We have a 1-ton F350 and a 16,000 GVWR 5th wheel so the total is over 26,001#

 

1. Does FLA require you to register your vehicles in person or can you do it by mail like in Texas?

 

2. Would we be required to do a driver test with the truck/trailer or could we fly there to get our license and do any driving test, if required, with a rental car?

 

These two questions are key to us deciding on FLA or Texas (using Cobra) as our domicile.

 

Thank you for any insight!

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No special license needed in FL.

I just renewed my registeration for both MH and Taod for two years via mail.

Check out Saint Brendon's Isle mail service web site. It has all the information you need to become a FL resident. It took DW and myself less than one afternoon to get new license, register two vehicles for two years, voters registration.

 

Edit: you can RENEW your registeration by mail. You must go to FL the first time to personally get everything done.

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Because of the "Patriot Act" effects, I am sure that you will have to go to FL to get your license, and you will need some sort of vehicle to take the driving test if required so you may want to check that. Of course a rental car should be sufficient.

 

You may also want to consider joining Escapees and possibly using their mail service/domicile.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

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Guys:

 

Thanks for the information so far. The most critical questions are -

 

1. do we have to have the vehicles present to register them or can the initial registration be done by mail.

 

2. do we need to take a driving test with the truck/trailer since they are over 26,001# GVWR.

 

We figured we would need to go there for the drivers license but if no issues arise from the 2 questions we could fly there, rent a car and get it done.

 

We are planning on joining Escapees Mail program, just trying to figure out if Fla. or Texas makes more sense.

 

Thanks,

 

Terry

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The best information would probably be from the Florida Highway Safety & Motor Vehicle Department, so try this link. You can also give them a call at (850) 617-2000. I am quite sure that the answer to #2 is no, but you can easily verify this with a phone call.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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Guys:

 

Thanks for the information so far. The most critical questions are -

 

1. do we have to have the vehicles present to register them or can the initial registration be done by mail.

 

2. do we need to take a driving test with the truck/trailer since they are over 26,001# GVWR.

 

 

I have lived in Florida for the past 11 years. I have owned a 5er for the past 4 years.

 

NO, you do NOT have to take a drivers test with the truck and trailer. Your F350 is NOT a commercial truck.

 

Fla does NOT add the F350 and trailer weights together to get a 26000 lb rating. YOU can tell the DMV if you want to change the weight rating of your truck. They base the tag fees on weight. The warning they will give is IF you are weighed and the TRUCK comes in over the rating, you will be fined.

 

For 2 yrs Fla rated my 2011 GMC dually at 13000 lbs. I questioned them. When the DMV rep told me the facts, I told her to drop the rating to 9K.

 

You also save NOTHING by paying for 2 yrs of registration. It is only a minor convenience, IMO. Following your initial registration, the truck renewal will be in December, regardless of your birth month. The 5er will be renewed in your birth month.

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What you need to get your Florida Driver license in person.

 

To register a out of state vehicle.

The VIN will be needed to be checked & a Florida Insurance policy on them will be needed before register can be done.

 

It would be best for you to get a FL. mail forwarding account set up now. Don't wait until you are retired.

Have your bank, cell phone, DirecTV or any other bills/statements change of address to your FL new address.

Those can be used when getting your FL drivers license Or vehicle Insurance.

Full Time since Oct. 1999
99 Discovery 34Q DP | ISB
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One thing to check - in many states BCBS requires six month per year actual physical presence in state and will not accept a mail forwarding address. They want utillity bills or some other proof of residence. I don't know if this applies in FL but I would sure call and find out.

When we first started full timing we went the Cobra route but when that ran out and we wanted to switch to a personal policy they denied us.

We moved to SD and same thing happened there . A broker in SD was able to find a company for us but it was close to $2000 per month since my wife had some preexisting conditions.

Clay(WA5NMR), Lee(Wife), Katie & Kelli (cats)
Full timed for eleven years in our 2004 Winnebago Sightseer 35N Workhorse chassis. Snowbirds for 1 year. Now settled down in western CO.
Honda Accord toad.

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"What you need to get your Florida Driver license in person.

To register a out of state vehicle.

The VIN will be needed to be checked & a Florida Insurance policy on them will be needed before register can be done.

It would be best for you to get a FL. mail forwarding account set up now. Don't wait until you are retired.

Have your bank, cell phone, DirecTV or any other bills/statements change of address to your FL new address.

Those can be used when getting your FL drivers license Or vehicle Insurance."

 

 

I just looked at that drivers license site and it requires two forms of proof of address - none of which seem to apply to a full timer with only a mail forwarding address. How do full timers get around that?

Clay(WA5NMR), Lee(Wife), Katie & Kelli (cats)
Full timed for eleven years in our 2004 Winnebago Sightseer 35N Workhorse chassis. Snowbirds for 1 year. Now settled down in western CO.
Honda Accord toad.

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I just looked at that drivers license site and it requires two forms of proof of address - none of which seem to apply to a full timer with only a mail forwarding address. How do full timers get around that?

Like I posted. Have his bank send statements to his FL. mailing address. Have his cell phone send their statement to the Florida address. And any other bills they happen to have.

Now he has 2 proof of address.

 

I have Full Timed in FL. for over 16 years and last renewed my license in 2012 using a bank statement and vehicle insurance statement, both were sent to my mailing address that I have never lived at.

I now have all bank statements paperless now.

 

After getting his vehicles registered the first time. After that they can be renewed on line and up to two years each time. The Stickers will be sent to his FL. mailing address.

Full Time since Oct. 1999
99 Discovery 34Q DP | ISB
Datastorm | VMSpc | Co-Pilot Live | Pressure Pro
2014 MKS Twin Turbo V6 365 HP Toad
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I have had them sent to different addresses for the two year registrations. Need to be present to get driver's lic. Any county will do. Vehicles - FL has a form to witness the VIN. Therefore you could just appear for DL and present the paperwork for vehicle registration. And viola done in less than 30 mins.

 

Good luck

Bill

Bill & Lynn Baxter

MCI102A3 Conversion, Detroit Diesel S50  

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Depending who your mail forwarding service is with and if it's a legal address (Escapees is), don't volunteer anything about full-timing and mail service unless asked.

Full-timed for 16 Years
Traveled 8 yr in a 2004 Newmar Dutch Star 40' Motorhome
and 8 yr in a 33' Travel Supreme 5th Wheel

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Guys:

 

Thanks for the information so far. The most critical questions are -

 

1. do we have to have the vehicles present to register them or can the initial registration be done by mail. You have to have your vehicle there so they can verify your vin #.

 

2. do we need to take a driving test with the truck/trailer since they are over 26,001# GVWR. No drivers test required.

 

We figured we would need to go there for the drivers license but if no issues arise from the 2 questions we could fly there, rent a car and get it done.

 

We are planning on joining Escapees Mail program, just trying to figure out if Fla. or Texas makes more sense.

 

Thanks,

 

Terry

 

You have to be there in person for your DL, as I remember you have to have 3 pieces of ID to get your DL. As stated above go to the FL DMV web page, it addresses all your questions.

 

http://www.hsmv.state.fl.us/dmv/faqmotor.html#3

Ron
US Army retired
2010 Tiffin Phaeton 40QTH
2016 Ford F150 XLT

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1. do we have to have the vehicles present to register them or can the initial registration be done by mail. You have to have your vehicle there so they can verify your vin #.

 

Not right.

The VIN must be physically inspected by one of the following:

  1. A law enforcement officer from any state. The VIN can be checked outside of FL.
  2. Read FL. Info from Here

Full Time since Oct. 1999
99 Discovery 34Q DP | ISB
Datastorm | VMSpc | Co-Pilot Live | Pressure Pro
2014 MKS Twin Turbo V6 365 HP Toad
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