Once you start researching the nomadic lifestyle you’ll see one topic come up repeatedly. Everyone wants to know the best states for full-time RVer domiciles. The problem with asking this question in full-timer discussion forums and Facebook groups is that there is no single answer. Choosing the best state to register your RV if it’s your full-time home as a domicile is a complicated matter, so let’s examine the situation a little more.
Choosing a domicile is more complicated than picking a parking spot. Photo by flaggship1 iRV2.com member
The Final Choice Depends on Your Situation
Many people confuse the terms “residence” and “domicile” so let’s begin by clarifying those terms. A residence is simply where you live for the time being. Some people have many residences, such as people who spend time on property they own in multiple states. The California RV park where I spend winter is one of my many residences as I travel around, but it’s definitely not my domicile.
Our domicile is the state in which we choose to file paperwork concerning our important legal affairs. Image: pixebay.com
A domicile is not just a temporary home base for full-time RVers. A domicile involves legal paperwork. This is why it’s a more complicated choice than where to park your home. The bureaucrats of this world force all of us to have an official domicile. Our domicile is the state in which we choose to file paperwork concerning our important legal affairs, like vehicle registration and tax filings.
We also need a verifiable domicile for public obligations, like jury duty. Once we choose a domicile, federal and state governments want us to prove that we always intend to live in that state for the majority of the year. We must do so in order to show that we’re not just calling that state our home in order to escape paying income or property taxes.
Proving our intention is even more complicated. This subject alone is fodder for a future blog post. We’ll get there eventually but right now we’ll examine the three most popular and best states for a full-time RVer domicile.
We also need a verifiable domicile for public obligations. Photo by flaggship iRV2.com member
The Three Best States for Full-time RVer Domiciles
The best states for full-time RVer domiciles generally come down to Texas, Florida or South Dakota. All three states are income tax-free, the government entities will accept mail-forwarding addresses and they are headquarters for mail-forwarding services. A full-timer’s final choice of domicile usually comes down to a few important factors that affect a person’s wallet:
- Health insurance options and premiums
- Vehicle licensing fees and annual inspection requirements
- Ease to get mail on the road
- If you’re an entrepreneur, ease of running a business from that state is also a major factor.
What’s right for one full-timer isn’t always right for another. Like many things about this lifestyle, everyone’s situation is different. Some of us are working, many of us are cashing social security checks. Some full-timers own property and have complicated estates. Others don’t own anything more than what’s stored in their rig. This is just a snapshot of how a person’s financial picture affects their choice of a domicile.
Talking to other full-timers in discussion forums can get you thinking about which state you want to choose. Ultimately only you can decide which state works best for you. The good news is that if you choose a state and find out it doesn’t work well in your situation, the U.S. grants us all the freedom to choose another domicile whenever we wish.
Rene Agredano and her husband, Jim Nelson, became full-time RVers in 2007 and have been touring the country ever since. In her blog, Rene chronicles the ins and outs of the full-timing life and brings readers along to meet the fascinating people and amazing places they visit on the road. Her road trip adventures are chronicled in her blog at LiveWorkDream.com.
I always wonder why Nevada isn’t mentioned? It has no state income tax, or tax on IRAs or Social Security, and for those (like us) who may have work/clients in high-tax California, or like to spend time at the shore, it’s in close proximity for renewing vehicle tags and safety inspections.
Huge cost to register vehicles. My motorhome was in excess of 2000.00 a year.
Why is everyone so averse to paying taxes? We use the roads, the sewers, the water and hand over our garbage to be dealt with. We want to stay someplace as long as we want, but don’t want to pay any taxes that go to pay for many of the basics we take for granted.
We pay taxes for roads every time we fill the tank. We pay for sewer, garbage, water every time we pay a use fee at an RV park or camp site. We may not see the tax directly, but the fees we pay are set in part because of the operting costs (taxes) paid by the proprietors of the campsite – this is no different than someone renting an apartment – they may not pay property tax (funds school, community), but the owner of the property is.
Yes, I suppose that’s true. I just find it interesting the lengths people will go to to avoid paying taxes. No matter where they want to spend their days. Get domiciled in South Dakota, but spend your time in California. Tax avoidance seems to be the number one concern. Just an observation.
Not adverse to taxes that are reasonable. But paying “property tax” on a $100,000 RV in Virginia isn’t reasonable
A lot of Full time RVers don’t have a brick or wood house, also US citizens and Military that work over seas also need to have to pick a state to be their residence, for mail, banking and to pay their federal income taxes. Vehicles like Bicycles have designated lanes in a lot of city’s and the are using the streets, when they are on the streets the riders are required to follow the rules like a car or a motorbike, but the riders don’t they also use the sidewalk, and have no license plate and pay no road use taxes, they don’t buy fuel but they have designated bike lanes, if they are going to use the streets they should have license plates to pay a use tax like motorbikes. Electric cars have a license plate but don’t buy fuel so they pay very little tax also. So who is going to pay for road taxes.
Because the politicians see our money/taxes as theirs to skim, scam, squander and buy votes with.as their personal slush fund. They encourage failure in a large segment of of the population by putting them/us on the Government Plantation and demonize the very citizens that actually work, bear risk, to produce GDP, see and grasp opportunity. hey allow our country to be over run by illegals because they want voters. In America, we call baseball os the national pastime. In Denmark and other Socialist countries, their national pastime is beating the tax man……as it will soon be in America should the Socialists gain more control…….which it is really all about.
You think so? Please, tell me if the wonderful countries where the population pays no taxes, yet everyone has access to health care, a good education and a home. Tell me about all the great jobs that exist in those countries please.
Another person trying to ruin a site with politics. UUGGHHH??
Taxes are always paid on each and every thing we use/buy a full 50% of your income is eventually taxed. Ftaxes on fuel, taxes when buying a vehicle, taxes on registering a vehicle. Most u.s. citizens are uninformed and have no clue. A rate of is a tax on the person buying a product, not on the country selling it.
You think I’m being political because I call out people who want to scam the system by not paying taxes where they live?
Taxes for services you mentioned are not the taxes which are in question. Not to get political but………
You like paying taxes to pay for the EBT crowd? To pay for the services of foreigners here that sneaked into America illegally? By all means you can pay my shared too! Yeah I thought not.
Please consider its not paying taxes, so much as how much taxes and knowing how those in office blow it, and hide where it goes. This being the norm, begs me to ask – how much is really fair? It’s not how much we pay, it’s how much is blown and why should we pay so much.
If you feel compelled to pay taxes, go right ahead and register in California or NY.
If I ever live there I will. Does that seem so outrageous??
I’ve been compiling a list of tax rates and various other expenses and have come to the conclusion that Nevada is a very tax friendly state for home owners, but not so much for nomads.
Between AK AZ NV NM OK SD TX UT (AK for wth and OK for comparison to home state) based on averages Nevada is:
The Good:
3rd lowest home insurance
2nd lowest real estate property tax (0.69%)
2nd lowest combined state and local sales tax avg 8.14% (-23.77% deviation from national average)
NV driver’s license is valid for 8 years and can be renewed online
no state income tax
The Not So Good:
Highest auto insurance (average $1,156/annum)
Health insurance at 13% above national average (only AK was higher at 73%)
Vehicle property taxes ranked 36th nationally with average tax of $322, 2nd worst on my list
not so friendly to the 2nd Amendment
JJG
You all can harp all you want about taxes, but lying about where you live to avoid paying taxes where you do live isn’t right. No matter how you try to justify it.
IDK why you replied to my post with that ad hominem attack. My post is in reply to Candice about NV as one’s domicile state. READ: LEGAL RESIDENCE. My post compares rates to the typical domicile states. I’m a law abiding citizen, a patriot, and a retired veteran. I advocate paying one’s fair share of taxes.
My apologies. I accidentally posted a reply to you that was meant for someone else’s comment. Thank you for your service and enjoy your retirement, sir!
Your gracious apology is humbly accepted. Thank you for your warm sentiments. The reply buttons do seem a bit misaligned, and I can see how easily that could have happened. Water under the bridge.
Ericka, Some of us have jobs that require us to live all over the damn place for months at a time. That does not mean we are adverse to paying taxes. As previously noted we are still contributing to the tax base with other taxes – sales tax, fuel tax, grocery tax, etc. I am the sole provider in my family. I do not approve of how the government spends my hard earned money…so yes, I would like to live somewhere where there is little to no INCOME tax. The government did not work for my INCOME, I did. Is that simple enough?
Not quite sure why you cant see that people on the road, in their tiny houses on wheels, are not paying taxes? BTW…many are seniors and have paid into the system our whole life. Why not bark up the trees of people that are living FREE on our dime?
John, You mentioned you were compiling a list of comparative costs per state. Would you be willing to share? I am doing the same thing trying to compare states and would very much apreciate the info.
Abby
Dear Abby, sorry, I couldn’t help it. I’ve always wanted to say that! Dear Abby. My spreadsheet is long gone. Though, the post is the highlights. It was just a bunch of googling and most likely outdated somewhat by now.
I agree with Candace. My husband and I are real estate agents in Mesquite, NV, and we have many RV folks purchase homes here, especially in Sun City Mesquite. We often see a summer exodus of our RV clients–they travel to get out of the heat and come back home for the fall. The tax structure here is very friendly to retirees.
Any RV “bardominiums” there ????
actually yes
I believe they have them in Mesquite, TX but I do not know of anyplace within the Mesquite city limits that allow them.
Mesquite NV or Mesquite TX. I believe one of your posts have a typo.
What is a “bardominium”?
Something NOT mentioned yet. As RV full timers who once called WA state home, we would not be able to renew our driver’s license, pay for health insurance, etc. UNLESS we can produce a address within that state. The same goes for all other states EXCEPT FL, TX, and SD. I had no intention of ceasing to declare my domicile in WA state—which is also a no state tax just like FL/TX/SD, but I had no choice since I would have to produce proof of residence. There are millions of people who have chosen the RV full time lifestyle. Some are retirees wanting to visit North America before they’re too old to do so, some do it to live off grid (modern hippies if you like), some (and increasingly) are young families who have decided to quit life treadmill and work on the road, home schooling their kids. Technology has made this possible in the last dozen years.
While I may be paying a bit less in health insurance than say in SD, more of my tax dollars are now going to more fuel, RV general costs which are very similar and not much cheaper than living in a sticks & bricks.
A Postal Mail Box (PMB) is a valid private address for residency. Not a Post Office Box (POB), though. The PMB is also acceptable under new Safe ID requirements for a state DL. Do need to change address with voter registration as you’re restricted to voting for most general city, county, state, federal elections and not eligible to vote for some local items. Florida law apparently allows for 100% traveller status, and allows the RV/camp tag # as your DL address. That, under common sense, imho, would likely restrict your voting options to general state and federal elections/ issues. They print restricted ballots that eliminates non-eligible items.
As for taxes, I have stayed in for extended work periods, and lived in a dozen states. The ‘usury’ illegal alien and sanctuary states taxes aside (CA, NY, IL etc), all states collect taxes, just in different ways depending on the tax bases. FL & WA have little (used to be no) grocery food tax and no individual income tax–but vehicle fees and taxes, all insurances, and professional licenses and other ‘user’ fees are abundant and outrageous. And tack on unrelated surcharges. Tourism pays 17% occupancy tax, and gas taxes are about 40c /gal higher to help pay tourism use of roads. WA gas is $1/g > FL. FL was a haven for retirees or snowbirds due to untaxed homes “valued” under $25k and no school taxes—that’s why park model senior restricted mobile home communities thrived. Rarely will even a new luxury double wide with a carport, porch and shed, be “valued” as taxable. Even when a second home. FL has been very lucky to have governors who were fiscally conservative for better part of the past 20 years. The department heads, and illegal alien region/city admin., not so much. It will be interesting to see what transpires after no tourism for 1/2 year+ due to China virus
Where does one stay in Nevada to acquire an address? In order to use Nevada as domicile? Thanks
I’m not exactly sure Sylvia but I do know if you search online for “Nevada residency mail services” or something to that effect, you’ll find out how to do it. Also keep in mind that it’s not so much about where you stay when securing your domicile as it is about proving to the government that you intend to live there for the foreseeable future.
Because the DMV fees are very expensive in Nevada. Mine (Reno) are $4600.00 every year. Compared to those 3 other states, where our same motorhome is under $300.00. That is one of the main reasons we’ll be domiciled in Florida or Texas.
Plus NV is not friendly to PMB (personal mail box) for voting.
I am a current california resident. temporarily in michigan in the process of moving to florida. in the proccess of buying my first RV QUESTIONi could use some help with. i am not required to pay sales tax if i take the rv out of state within 2 weeks. is there a southern state i can register it in that does not require me to pay the tax there. Thanks in advance for your response!
Best deal is Heggen Law Firm in Montana…. Rving for 30 yrs & best/cheapest way to be legal….
This is a long comment because I tend to be verbose and like to give a full communication. If it is too long for you, please skip to the last paragraph in case you have an answer to my question stated there. Thank you!
When I first started full timing I read many articles about this and finally decided to take the plunge and moved my domicile from CA to SD. The initial move as with any initial move had more expenses attached to it than I had expected. Setting up a new mailbox cost money, getting a new driver’s license cost money, etc. When I finally got around to registering my RV it ended up saving me a couple of hundred dollars which i was thrilled with. The one thing none of the articles ever talked about was vehicile insurance costs from one state to the next. I and everyone I spoke to assumed that since I was moving from CA to SD that my vehicle insurance would be less which may be why no one ever researches or talks about it. But, in reality, my insurance went up over $200/year so I ended up not saving anything in the long run for that year.
Then, as I was about to embark on my second year as a SD resident the company I had set my domicile/mailbox with, went out of business! They talked with another company in SD who said they would help all of their customers and gave us their contact information. I called and just got a message. I didn’t hear back from them for over a month. In the meantime, the other company shut down and I had to come up with a forwarding address because I no longer had one! At the time I was staying at my daughter’s in CA so I put her address for my “new” address. When I finally heard from the “new” company, they wanted around $300 to get set up and I didn’t have the money at the time! So I went ahead and got my CA driver’s license back (same number I had for 50 years) and decided I guess I would become a CA resident again. It just seemed so much easier and cheaper in the long run.
Now I’m up against that it is time to register my RV and my tow vehicle and I have to either register them in CA at a much higher rate (probably – no way to check that I know of) or pay to get a new domicile in SD. The company in SD told me I could keep my address in CA and my Driver’s license and register my vehicles in SD if I get an address through them. Does anyone know if this is true?
You can license them in South Dakota with out being a resident there….however it is a good idea to have a drivers license from the same state they are registered in as then it all seems great if you get stopped by the police or get in an accident etc. Not required but a good idea.
Be carful. CA has a state funded snitch program designed to ensure you pay the exorbitant CA vehicle registration fees.
https://www.chp.ca.gov/notify-chp/cheaters-out-of-state-(out-of-state-registration-violators)
As a CA resident (still sticks n bricks) I’d jump all over $300 for a SD residency.
Many RVers title RV in Montana…..no sales tax, no property tax, and no annual vehicle inspections. Set up a Montana LLC. Buy RV through LLC. Set yourself up as a non-compensated Manager of LLC.. Set up paperwork showing legal “temporary” use of RV as non-compensated Manager. Addresses issue of Montana RV title with other state driver license. Paperwork to show your responsibility for providing insurance in your name with LLC as co-insured. Could also show rental agreement of RV from LLC. Use care regarding cash flow and positive income paper trails.
Set up an LLC in any state and use a Mail Center for the address. Use the address for either for your DL and title/registration. A New Mexico LLC is $50 or $75 per year. Check with Cindy’s New Mexico LLCs in Alberquerque. They even advertise free mail address and forwarding.
If your only home is an RV and you spend most of your time in one state…I keep hearing California…why would you not feel it is fair to pay the registration in that state and consider it your “fair share”?. Maybe taxes in California for those of us who admit to living there and actually pay all those “exhorbitantly” high taxes and fees would be less. In some ways it makes you an illegal occupant does it not?
Great point, Sherry!
No, We are not supposed to be taxed by multiple states simultaneously. SCOTUS said there is no prohibition to living and planning our lives to pay the lowest taxes possible. If you want to pay more, please do so. You could even add extra if you’re in the mood but don’t accuse others of not paying their fair share, if they are citizens and pay taxes somewhere. Its not how much, it’s what is right and what is fair. Fair not being part of whatever they “Want to spend” and fail to justify.
Are we going to start filing state property taxes for every out-of-town hotel we stay at also? This is rubbish.
Taxation is theft. Plain and simple.
No. Taxation is the government collecting money from its citizens to pay for public places and services, such as roads, parks, libraries, medicaid, Medicare, defense, police, fire, schools. Have you used none of these?
Just observing, pro-athletes pay income taxes on income for each game played in other cities. When I earned income in a city with a city income tax, I documented when I was out of town working and avoided paying taxes for income those days. Politicians and taxing authorities see The Little Peoples’ money as theirs to skim, scam, squander, and with with to buy votes. Businessmen buy goods and services from the source providing the best value for their needs, why not do the same with taxing authorities….voting with your feet. Several states are bidding more competitively for my domicile. Domicile is where you declare legal existence, but does have to be where you choose to spend your time. Post Office has fits because I don’t have a mail box in front of my “home” address”. Other services bid with better services/costs. Taxing authorities take it personal if you don’t surrender the fruit of your labor to fuel their insatiable appetites for money. It’s a power struggle. Very satisfying to beat them at their own game….using their own rules!!!!! Sick of paying for goods and services for others that don’t work for them. America was founded on individuals enjoying the fruit of their own labor. No labor; no fruit; no joy. A segment of the politicians discovered more wealth in Government than cotton, and promptly placed a segment…rapidly growing….of the population on the Government Plantation by indoctrinating them to be victims not responsible for their own condition. Then, tax others to pay for the shanty shacks, collard greens and sow belly, but still get 99% of the inhabitants votes. And, despite that the inhabitants condition does not improve while the politicians become wealthy in office, they continue to blindly vote for the Santa Clause politicians. (President Truman observed that if you see a politician become rich in office, you’re watching a crook.)
And, someone feels it is wrong to have the fruits of their own labor stolen as taxation to fund the Plantation. To each his own. They can always write a larger check to the government…..but never do.
First American Revolution over taxation without representation.
Second American Revolution over taxation by representation.
Just observing. A fool and their money are soon parted……especially by politicians and taxing authorities.
Nope…never use any of those things. 🙂 🙂 Of, course, I do. Don’t mind paying for services and goods received. It’s the skim, scam, squander, and vote buying which I object to. To get $1 in real value from the government, someone has to send them $5…..$2 to skim, $2 to squander, $1 in services to make it all seem right. And, with that $1 comes a ton of freedom killing control requirements.
AMEN!
Some people just don’t see taxes being spent foolishly as in the famous Alaskan bridge to nowhere. Has anyone ever seen taxes go down? Only if they go off ad valorem and then become direct which is just swapping. Famous millionaires, Rockefeller, Ford, Carnegie and others thrived when there was NO income tax, which by the way was to be temporary – as was many sales taxes. But, give a government largess in tax revenue and never see it go away, only grow. By the way your taxes help pay your member of Congress $174, 000 a year for fifty 5 day weeks. That is $3500 a week or $700 a day. Also received is a travel allowance, miscellaneous expenses related to his/her/they work and medical benefits. Any wonder Nancy Pelosi has a $24,000 refrigerator?
Mr pro2A…sounds like a great rationalization to avoid paying your share. Just because loopholes exist doesn’t mean you have to use them.
I dint even know where to begin with this. I hope you enjoy wherever you choose to claim as your domicile.
And, you can always write a bigger check to cover your Liberal touchy feely guilt. Which of course you Liberals never do. Just like spending others’ money.
StLPro2A, great point!
You can’t help but be snarky and hateful. I wasn’t bashing you, just trying to understand why you think it’s okay not to pay your fair share of taxes. Maybe you’re the one feeling guilty.
Just curious. What do you consider a ‘fair share?”
You realize that personal property tax equals quid pro quo…this for that. For your tax payment; you get to keep your property. Almost every government act is a quid pro quo. You don’t really own your RV or house. The government lets you use your money to acquire said asset, and then they rent to you.
Technically, your example is not quid pro quo since “you” get nothing.
I am retired military and have lived in Texas for 20 years. My cars, my will, and my voting are all registered in Texas which has no state income tax. Recently, I requested and received, a military specialty license plate for my Class A RV. With that plate, I escape the $229 annual reregistration fee for the motorhome – I only pay the $25.50 annual vehicle inspection fee and the $8.50 cost of the registration sticker for my windshield. Having served 22 years in the military and having flown 135 combat missions over NVN, it doesn’t bother me a bit to take advantage of this perk. USN (Retired)
All the comments here are great. We all are like the three blind men who are touching the elephant. The man touching the trunk says he is touching a snake, The man touching the side says he feels a wall. The man touching the leg says it is a tree.
So, just for fun, I will introduce another thought. When we die, if you really want to make it hard on “the government”, don’t do any estate planning. Just go ahead and die and let the government sort it all out. After all, when we die, someone gets our “stuff” anyway, whether family or state, or a combination of both.
But it will cost “the government” money to get rid of it all by whatever means they use. You won’t have to worry about anything, since you will be somewhere else and untouchable.
So, eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die is an idea that has some merit. Yes, I have children, and yes, I intend to pass on as much stuff as they want to them. Therefore, I am doing as much planning as I can to give them as much as I can. I consider family much more important than the government and I will use their laws to my advantage. But I am not going to go out of my way to extract as much as possible from their grasp. I’ll do what is reasonable within my own “domicile”, wherever that is, and enjoy as much of life as God gives me ability to enjoy. The rest I am not going to spend too much time robbing from that enjoyment just so I can avoid as many taxes as possible. I’ve got an RV sitting out back that I can get in and take off if I want. For that, I am thankful! Have some fun everybody!
Thank you for your service…the perk is well deserved! 🙂
Tennessee has a sales tax. Has NO income tax. Depending on which county you live in, your vehicle tag is between $29.00 (no wheel tax) to well over $100.00, depending on the wheel tax in that county. Per vehicle, each year.Then, some counties require an annual smog test. Yep, more money. But you can get a semi tag for your trailer for $119.00 and it is for life. Tag for my ’89 HR is $29, lifetime tag on my enclosed trailer that holds my smart car, wife’s scooter, spare generator, ladder, and small trailer to haul her scooter behind the smart. Tagged, of course.
Thank you to (just about) everyone for the advice, inspiration, and information. Given our countries current upheaval by the ilk that fail to pay their fair share and consistently demand more, my wife and I have decided to purchase an RV for full-time living so that we may stay ahead of the riots, looting and arson. I’ll do my utmost to avoid what I may and pay for the goods and services that I require. Blessings to all!
I guess a straight answer as to which would be the best state for R/V domicile is one of three, Texas, S.D. or Florida. Can anyone advise on what one should do when they bought an R/V to live in full time, for when they hit the road next month in March. Of course we wish to minimize all costs, sales tax, registration, etc. We are buying our R/V today in Arizona. Thanks for a plan that works for anyone.
We are buying our first RV. We live in Hawaii and I was told we have a unique situation and can choose what state we want to register it in. Does anyone know anything about this and where we can find answers?
Go for Florida. Best all around.
I’ve lived in Florida and now in Tennessee. I assumed I would want to change my residency back to Florida when I hit the road full time because it appears to be more favorable to RVers and snowbirds. Both have no income taxes. Tennessee used to have a tax on dividend income but that is now a thing of the past. What I did notice is concealed carry reciprocity for TN is much better than FL (and actually many states) if you are a TN resident, so since that appears to be the only difference for me I’m thinking I will keep my TN residency. My motorhome is currently titled in SD with annual renewals around $280 but Williamson County (Franklin, TN) is the same as a car ($55). There is emissions texting required for cars only (under 10,500 pounds) but if you or your vehicle are out of state you can request a waiver until you and your vehicle are back in the state to do it (and they are working on making it go away too). Who would have thought that TN would be the better choice for me.
PA…thanks for the TN info. What about Personal Property taxes on vehicles, RVs?? In MO, that is a big hit for class A DP tag valued at $2-300,000+. Also, sales tax on RVs??
Thanks
We recently sold our large (4800 sqft) home in Texas and are traveling in our Class A RV. To assist in maintaining our Texas domicile, we have signed up for mail forwarding with Escapees in Livingston, TX. Aside from not having a State Income Tax, Texas also allows former military to apply for a military specialty license plate based on awards listed on their Form DD 214. My military plate on my Class A saves me $229 per year on registration of the RV. Such plates (or a Disabled Vet plate) allows the vehicle free parking at airports. When we went to Europe in 2019 for a month, the airport parking bill would have been over $700 when we got back – but it was free because of the military specialty plate on our car.