Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle Department Temporarily Suspending issuing new Drivers Licenses or registrations to individuals who utilize a mail forwarding service

[Kirk W]

4 hours ago, Carlos said:

I can tell you that AZ has never seemed to care that I use a UPS PMB address for everything. 

Is that the address on your driver's license and vehicle registrations?

[rynosback]

10 hours ago, Kirk W said:

So how many fulltimers do you believe there are domiciled up there? According to the US Census Bureau, SD has a current population of 833,354 which should include fulltimers if the count was accurate. Just for reference, the last number that I heard for Escapee supplied addresses was 15,000. I think that your numbers might be a little bit high? 

It was a guesstimate statement. Is the Escapees number just people that use Escapees mailing service?  If so, there are several other SD mailing services.

[Carlos]

22 minutes ago, Kirk W said:

Is that the address on your driver's license and vehicle registrations?

Yes.  Absolutely nothing has my home address.  Not banks, not anyone.

[Kirk W]

13 hours ago, rynosback said:

Is the Escapees number just people that use Escapees mailing service?  

Escapees only reports on their customers so that would only be theirs but I believe that it includes TX, SD, and FL. And you are correct that SD has at least 2 other mail service companies but to be half the population they would need to have 100K customers each if you use 2 voters per address. Unfortunately I can't find any source for an accurate number of fulltimers by state or nationally. The US Census used to have a catagory for "boats, RVs and other non-standard housing" but if they still do, I can't lforocate it. The last figure that I saw from them was about 300k in that catagory. Perhaps 10 years or so ago, the U of Texas did a study on fulltimers impact on the state and they then used a figure that I think was around 60K fulltimers in TX and something similar for snowbirds who winter here. The numbers of fulltimers is a subject that I have seen speculated on for many years and I have searched for some means of getting more than just a guess, but with no recent source for documentation, but I am pretty sure that fulltimers don't make up half of the SD population. If you ever do find a source, please do share it with us as the number of fulltimers is a very popular guessing game that nobody can win. 🤗

Edited June 13, 2019 by Kirk W

[Twotoes]

Kirk, why can't Escapees just contact the other 3 mail forwarding services in SD and ask them, how many customers do you have. Explain to them that we just want to know how small a number we are. They don't have to provide any personal information, just how many they have. We could do the same for FL. As many do not even vote at all, or do not vote on local issues and what few numbers we are, it can be shown that we do not have a major impact on the results of a local election.

[Kirk W]

7 hours ago, Twotoes said:

Kirk, why can't Escapees just contact the other 3 mail forwarding services in SD and ask them, how many customers do you have.

I'm not sure what purpose that would serve or why they would spend the money to do it and wonder how many of the companies would share that information? If you really want to know why they don't do that, contact the business office and ask them. I have no inside information that you don't have.  

[Dutch_12078]

Not all mail service customers are fulltimers and not all fulltimers are mail service customers.

[rynosback]

15 hours ago, Kirk W said:

Escapees only reports on their customers so that would only be theirs but I believe that it includes TX, SD, and FL. And you are correct that SD has at least 2 other mail service companies but to be half the population they would need to have 100K customers each if you use 2 voters per address. Unfortunately I can't find any source for an accurate number of fulltimers by state or nationally. The US Census used to have a catagory for "boats, RVs and other non-standard housing" but if they still do, I can't lforocate it. The last figure that I saw from them was about 300k in that catagory. Perhaps 10 years or so ago, the U of Texas did a study on fulltimers impact on the state and they then used a figure that I think was around 60K fulltimers in TX and something similar for snowbirds who winter here. The numbers of fulltimers is a subject that I have seen speculated on for many years and I have searched for some means of getting more than just a guess, but with no recent source for documentation, but I am pretty sure that fulltimers don't make up half of the SD population. If you ever do find a source, please do share it with us as the number of fulltimers is a very popular guessing game that nobody can win. 🤗

When Teri Lund shut her doors, they were all be referred to one of the other mailing services, and it was not Escapees. 

As far as the Sensis, I believed we are qualified as Simi Affluent Street People, as we do not own or rent a home. I even named my WiFi networks SASP for that very reason. 

[Ray,IN]

The vast majority of FL RV parks have some/many permanent trailers on sites. They are required to buy annual license plates and registration. Are they counted as full-timers by the state?

[Dutch_12078]

1 hour ago, Ray,IN said:

The vast majority of FL RV parks have some/many permanent trailers on sites. They are required to buy annual license plates and registration. Are they counted as full-timers by the state?

I think the issue would be whether they're using a mail service and claiming that address as their domicile. If they're using a park/site address, then it shouldn't be a problem.

[Kirk W]

2 hours ago, Ray,IN said:

Are they counted as full-timers by the state?

I don't think that the state even considers if anyone is a fulltmer. The issue is if they have a permanent, physical address in the state or county. 

[rynosback]

But if people just want to use the mailing service, I would think that they are keeping there state issued drivers license. There was a form that I had to fill out stating that my intent was to come back when applying for a SD drivers license. 

[remoandiris]

45 minutes ago, rynosback said:

There was a form that I had to fill out stating that my intent was to come back when applying for a SD drivers license. 

SD has specific provisions for full time travelers.  That is why you signed that form.  FL does not have specific provisions for full timers.  That is why this issue is now coming up.  Maybe FL will look to SD for suggestions.  

[FL-JOE]

On 6/15/2019 at 4:30 PM, Ray,IN said:

The vast majority of FL RV parks have some/many permanent trailers on sites. They are required to buy annual license plates and registration. Are they counted as full-timers by the state?

In Florida, what generally determines if park models and double wides have to purchase registration stickers every year is if they are on a rental lot or are they on an owner owned lot.

You might have a nice double wide with attached lanai in a gated rent park.  Every year you would be purchasing two registration stickers and putting them on one of your front windows (one registration sticker for each section/side of original trailer).  On the other hand, that same nice double wide in another gated park where you actually own your site you would not have annual registration stickers to purchase.  Instead you would be paying property taxes each year.  

Folks that own/occupy either one of these types of homes would normally get mail delivered directly to their own mailbox at their own site, or sometimes a numbered box at the main office. 

Not sure if there is some sort of special designation on park model or double side titles that would be different than a regular RV title.

[jbh]

Title is the same but one-time registration for the owned-land unit is RP (Real Property) and of course property tax applies. This also applies to co-op parks. I think that probably only applies to non-mobile units such as mobile homes and park models.

Edited June 19, 2019 by jbh

[Ray,IN]

I was thinking of the 1980's model travel trailer, set up permanently, owned by a cousin, on an annual rented site. They must display the current license plate in a front window, and the wheels cannot be removed.(as if they would support the weight anyway)

Edited June 23, 2019 by Ray,IN

[jbh]

  Yes, it's still a vehicle and registered as such even if immobilized and on a rental site.

[Dennis_Sherry]

BULLETIN…

UPDATE:  6/24/2019

Over the past couple of weeks, we have continued to work with the  Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle Department (FLHSMV) in regards to their requirements for registering vehicles/vessels and the issuance of Florida Driver’s Licenses to individuals who live full time in their RV’s or Vessel as it pertains to the Real ID Act.  As of June 24^th 2019,  The FLHSMV has decided to not alter or change the requirements necessary for registering vehicles or Vessels or the requirements for obtaining a Florida Driver’s License.  We are pleased that Florida will continue to be a travel friendly state for full time RVers and Cruisers to call home.

Scott Loehr

President

St. Brendan’s Isle

[Dutch_12078]

That's fantastic news for Florida based fulltimers and those planning to become one! Thanks for the post!

[Carlos]

Oh, part of the whole Real ID thing?  Maybe that's why in AZ I can use a UPS address for everything; no Real ID.

 

[Dutch_12078]

Not for long...

https://ktar.com/story/2124179/adot-making-it-easier-for-drivers-to-get-real-id-compliant-license/

[Carlos]

It's been an option for a while.  Nothing about that article says they will stop issuing the standard version.

 

[Dutch_12078]

Yep, it's voluntary unless you want to fly or enter a federal building without a passport or other accepted ID.

[Carlos]

I'm a political refugee, so I'm already legally required to carry a green card or refugee travel permit, and of course that works.  Others can get a travel ID, or get the Real ID, or use any federal ID like military/etc.

 

 

[Dennis_Sherry]

A followup on this thread.  We sold our house in Alabama in Sept 2019 and in Oct 2019 we declared our domicile in Fla, (St Brendans Isle address in Green Cove Springs),  registered our motorhome and truck in Fla, applied for and got Fla drivers licenses and registered to vote in Clay County Fla.   We got this all done in one day in person at 3 locations in Green Cove Springs, Fla.   One month later we applied for CCW permits as well.  

One interesting thing was we had to register our motorhome before applying for drivers license.  (That is backwards from normal Fla residents). The Clay County offices were well versed in the procedure.  The motorhome registration must occur before the drivers license application because they now use the tag number on the motorhome as the Street Address on the drivers license.   

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Dennis