Traveling to Texas for drivers license (domicile related)

[Dr.Zaius]

Hi everyone, 

We are not actually RVers but will be digital nomads traveling internationally while working for a US-based company without actually having a US residence. We will continue to pay US taxes while abroad and will handle all of our banking through the US.

I am planning to set up an address with Escapees in Texas so I can begin the domicile process in June after we sell our house. We currently live 2 hours from the Texas border in Arkansas so we can easily get to Texas but it will be more challenging for us to get back and forth from Livingston where Escapees (~6 hours) is based out of. 

My question is this- do we need to be in the county of our future domicile to get our drivers license or can we just go to any TxDPS office in Texas to get our license? 

Thanks in advance!

[Kirk W]

You do not.

[sandsys]

The main reason for going to Livingston is the folks there know how to handle full time travelers. While you can get your driver's license at any DPS you may have have some hassle getting clerks to understand what you need. I think, if I was in your situation, I would try the closest DPS first but move on to Polk County if the first one caused problems.

Linda

[Dr.Zaius]

Thank you for the information! It sounds like I may travel down to Livingston myself to register my vehicle and get my license. My wife will try her luck with our nearest DPS and will go down later if we run into a problem. 

 

 

[jblo]

One thing might cause a problem for you--you cannot register a vehicle in a county in which you don't reside, at least that is what the Polk Co (Livingston) told me.  Had to get DLs changed to Livingston SKP address BEFORE I could register vehicles in Polk Co.  Someone might want to correct me if my info is wrong.

 

 

[Al F]

In over 50 years of living in Texas I don't recall being required to produce my drivers license when renewing my registration.  It could be that to do the initial registration you need to produce a drivers license.  

When renewing my registration I do have to "certify" I live in the county of registration.

Texas law also requires you to change the address on your drivers license when you change addresses, but that is different than vehicle registration. 

[chirakawa]

When renewing a registration in a different county, or when registering for the first time, you have to produce proof of residency.  That doesn't have to be a driver's license, it can be a water bill or similar.  There is no law requiring one to drive or have a driver's license in order to own a vehicle in Texas.

I always have to present my driver's license (I guess an official ID would do) when I renew my registrations because I pay with a check.

[Kirk W]

1 hour ago, chirakawa said:

I always have to present my driver's license (I guess an official ID would do) when I renew my registrations because I pay with a check.

I too supplied my D/L when I wrote a check for the cost of my vehicle registrations but the license was not asked for until after the paperwork for both the RV and the truck had been processed and was only used to put the D/L number on my check, then returned to me. At no time was my D/L compared to the information on my registrations. But they were also renewals and I'm not sure that would have been true if I had been moving from a different state or address. 

[jblo]

Only passing on my experience when moving address from Burleson to Livingston/SKP park. Cost me an extra trip because I did not have a Polk Co address on my DL.  And, the DL office in Livingston was closed at the time due to storm damage....just my normal luck.

[Kirk W]

50 minutes ago, jblo said:

Only passing on my experience when moving address from Burleson to Livingston/SKP park

When I moved from Ft. Worth to Livingston & Rainbow Dr., I did everything by mail and phone and never actually set foot in Livingston for nearly 3 years after our move. I put in a change of address with the DMV for the car and the RV and I did the same for our driver's licenses. 

[jblo]

Kirk,

That was my mistake--got the address at SKPs, but did not get it changed on DL--guess if office had been open in Livingston, it would have worked.  Guess I worded it wrong as if I had the address change with DMV, would have cleared up everything.

[Dr.Zaius]

Thank you all for the help! We have are Texas plates and are going to head to Texas next week to get our drivers license. 

I had one question about filling out the application- if we are living in an RV and using the escappees mail service, how would we classify our address on the DL application- ""single family home", "apartment ", "motel", or "temporary shelter""?

[Al F]

I you own your RV, you are living in a "single family home". 

[chirakawa]

19 minutes ago, Al F said:

I you own your RV, you are living in a "single family home". 

Even if you don't "own" your RV, you are still living in a single family home.

[sandsys]

Yup. It's your home and you are the only family living in it, right?

Linda

[Kirk W]

3 hours ago, Dr.Zaius said:

how would we classify our address on the DL application- ""single family home", "apartment ", "motel", or "temporary shelter""?

I believe that most fulltime RV owners only have 1 family living in the RV home. As you look at the choices, which one most closely matches your situation? Just 1 family in an RV that is not temporary.

[Al F]

15 hours ago, chirakawa said:

Even if you don't "own" your RV, you are still living in a single family home.

I was thinking if you rented the RV it would be like an apartment.  But I guess on the other hand if you rented a single family home that would still be considered "living in a single family home".