Newbie With A Domicile Question

[Allie McMackin]

Hello! I'm a CA resident looking to purchase a truck and 5th wheel. 

I haven't made SD my domicile yet, but I'm thinking about it. 

Would I need to register and insure my new truck and 5th wheel in CA and then switch to SD? 

Or should I just switch my domicile to SD now and then purchase a truck and 5th wheel?

Looking to buy a truck and 5th wheel in the next 2 months.

[sandsys]

It depends a lot on your life in California. If you are working there or living in a house you own there you probably can't change your domicile that easily. California does not like people to leave so they nitpick. You need to physically leave the state and most of your connections to it. It's best to do this at sometime other than year end so you can file a partial year income tax to make your intent to leave clear. You can get your South Dakota address whenever you like but it takes more than that to change your domicile.

Linda Sand

[rynosback]

1 hour ago, sandsys said:

It depends a lot on your life in California. If you are working there or living in a house you own there you probably can't change your domicile that easily. California does not like people to leave so they nitpick. You need to physically leave the state and most of your connections to it. It's best to do this at sometime other than year end so you can file a partial year income tax to make your intent to leave clear. You can get your South Dakota address whenever you like but it takes more than that to change your domicile.

Linda Sand

Well said.

[Kirk W]

Welcome to the Escapee forums!  I believe that Linda has given a good answer, I am wondering if you really understand what domicile is because it can be a very complicated thing. I suggest that you start by reading Domicile for Full-Time RVers, which was written by a practicing attorney. 

As indicated by Linda's reply, you can not change your domicile just by getting an address somewhere to register vehicles to and California is one of the more aggressive states about enforcement of their vehicle registration laws. Every state has its own set of laws about who must register their vehicles and when and has the legal authority to enforce their laws over vehicles which stay in the state beyond just passing through. The action of registering vehicles in SD(or any other state) and placing their license plates on them does not give you any protection from CA laws if those vehicles are located in CA. You haven't said if you plan to go on the road fulltime or not and that makes a big difference in what will work for you.