boat registration

[tom]

I'm thinking about living aboard and cruising. How do you deal with boat registration ,drivers license etc etc when you don't live attached to terra firma?? Almost everything requires that an address be provided. If I have a mailbox in some state is that residency??? Also which is the best state to live in regards to taxes fees etc. Can I claim Nevada if I've never lived there and just have a PO Box??

 

[Robert B.]

P.O. Box

I was told by a friend who lives aboard his boat in Florida (after moving there from California) that he had to have a physical address to get a driver's license. He gave them the marina address, although he anchors out and doesn't actually have a slip there. They accepted that with no question.

 

[John K Kudera]

Many states require

A street address in addition to the P O Box. For either registration or a driver's license.

 

[Bob Pugh]

Boat Registration and State Residency

Many people I know who do not have a physical presence in a place use Mail Boxes, Etc. (now called UPS stores) or a similar physical address for their mail. Mail is addressed to the store's address so you avoid the PO box problem. They can forward your mail to you wherever you are. State tax policies vary, and you should spend a $100 with a tax accountant or investigate via the internet the particular rules for taxes and residency in a state.

 

[IslandJack]

Frequent lawsuit issue

This comes up more than you might think in our transient society. I lawyer to pay the sailing bills and run into it fairly often. Generally in Texas and most Federal questions, home is where the heart is. If you leave a place with the intent to someday return there, you wil probably be able to claim it as your residence for life. On the other hand, if you have a trail of evidence like voters registrations, drivers licenses, tax returns that contradict what you say is in your heart, a court might find somewhere else is your home. Likewise if you state your domicile to be a place you've never been and haven't attempted to get to, its unlikely that's your domicile. Down here in Texas you can come out of bankruptcy as a millionaire....we get a lot of wannabes!Islandjack