What Do You Do For a Driver's License?

Note: I'm speaking of in terms of the U.S.

So, this is really the only thing I'm concerned about at this point. I don't really care whether or not I can live in my tiny house legally wherever I end up, if The Man comes, I move, or stay. I also don't plan on building a tiny house to any sort of code, unless I have to, I do plan on having it connected to solar power as well as a well (pun not intended ) so I don't know if I'd have to build to code for that. Anyways, onto the question, what have y'all done to have a permanent address for a driver's license? Could I buy land, put a mailbox on it, and call that an address, or does it have to be a permanent home? Also, could I use a UPS box? I heard that works. I don't want to use something like a friend's address for a couple reasons. So, thoughts? I really want me having a tiny home to be a reality, so hopefully y'all have some ideas.

A rented mailbox will work, also I have a po box on my cali drivers license because I just insisted to the DMV that I do not have postal service or an address where I live.

stephen lowe wrote:A rented mailbox will work, also I have a po box on my cali drivers license because I just insisted to the DMV that I do not have postal service or an address where I live.

Awesome! So, a rented UPS box will work on my driver's license in like any state, they won't think anything? I'll probably end up trying to use it as my address on my license before I actually build the tiny home.

The rules are likely to vary from one state to another, sometimes from one county to another.  

Your best bet is to ask the people that will be issuing the license what they require.

Peter VanDerWal wrote:The rules are likely to vary from one state to another, sometimes from one county to another.  

Your best bet is to ask the people that will be issuing the license what they require.

That's true, I guess it just depends on where I end up. I'm hoping that if a permanent address is required, I can get by with a UPS or other mail box (not P.O. box obviously).

UPS mailbox will definitely work. you just get the prerequisite mail sent there and bring it in and give your address as 123 main st. #53. Unless you tell them it is a rented mailbox they won't likely know it's anything other than an apartment. Bigger cities will be easier.

Hi Robert, I actually did what you're talking about some time ago. When I was younger, for a period of my life I lived in a 6x9 box at the UPS store (smallest place I ever rented ). All joking aside, I had been moving and knew I would likely be moving again, and instead of always monkeying with address changes and stuff, I got a mailbox at my local UPS store, and not knowing if it would work or not, I made it my address for everything. My drivers license, car insurance, bank account, everything had that address as where I lived. It worked, and no one ever really questioned it. One time I changed car insurance companies, and the agent on the phone, after giving her my address, said it was a high risk neighborhood because of all the bars and restaurants nearby. I assured her I didn't live at a bar. She laughed and let it go. Some years later, I would realize how I got away with it on my drivers license. There was an article in the newspaper about how the state of Tennessee had spent something like twenty million dollars on new servers and computers to replace the old 1980's era mainframe, which contained information like drivers license info, but there were oversights and the new, unstable, servers were essentially useless until another very large sum was spent. The state would go on to keep using the slow, but reliable mainframe that wasn't connected to the internet, and try to put out the fire of how it wasted so much money. It was after reading that article that it dawned on me as to why no one at the DMV ever realized or was able to cross reference anything or know it was a commercial address not a residential one.

It was cool and worked great for a while. It was nice because the clerk at the store could sign for packages and stick a note in my mailbox when I had boxes. I don't know if I could get away with that again today.

For a while I used a company in Texas www.escapees.com for my address instead of 'moving' legally to a sublet apartment in Austin. Escapees is designed for people who live in RV's, I was able to get a driver license, use it for my address for my employment, and everything else a usual address allows. They have a reasonable cost mail forwarding service that can be configured to send to you anytime, anywhere depending on your needs. When I went there and set it up they claimed that their ability to stand as legal residence for members was challenged in court and Escapees won.
If I remember South Dakota has a similar setup and maybe other states. Texas and a few other states have no income tax.

Confession time..I haven't had a drivers license since 1994 and have logged 1000s upon 1000s of miles since then, all 100% wreck free.
I live in SC, but all of my banking and social security information is tacked to my son's address in Ohio..
Now he did move once and forgot to put in a change of address for all my stuff which kind of screwed me up with social security for a while, but it's all fixed now.
If you trust your family (big IF with a lot of families) it shouldn't really be a problem. You can also use general mail if you're traveling a lot and pick your mail up at various post offices around the country..  How to go about general delivery..
https://www.truckcampermagazine.com/camper-lifestyle/sending-receiving-mail-road/
I used general delivery quite a bit as a young man back when I still thought hitch hiking cross country was a good idea. I've since completely given up on hitch hiking as a viable transportation alternative..

My Grandfather was trying to get his licensed renewed and their was an issue, he was born just over the line in New Brunswick Canada, but has lived in Maine for 81 years. They said to renew he had to get a copy of his Birth Certificate, but he could not get a passport to get into Canada to get it without his birth certificate either. Kind of a Catch 22.

So he went to the Maine DMV and the supervisor came out and asked him if he was the 83 year old man that wanted his truck driver's license renewed, to which my Grandfather said, "How many 83 year old truck drivers do you get here?"

The man laughed and said none, and was glad he was still working and gave him one.

By the way, my sister has down-syndrome, and my parents got tired of driving her to work. She applied 5 times to get a driver's license, but each time failed due to a couple of tricky parts; merging into traffic, stopping on a hill, and parallel parking. So in desperation my Mom called the DMV and my sister got her license on the next drivers skills test: they just "modified" it.

I admire my sister as she has only missed 4 days of work in 5 years of employment at the same place, but I have no confidence in the DMV as aspects of what was modified is important for everyone else on the road. My parents are smart enough to limit her driving to work and back, a short distance in a rural area, but by rights, she could drive through Boston if she wanted too...legally! YIKES!

I'm sure she'd by far not be the most dangerous driver on the road.  Have you _seen_ Boston??

Travis Johnson wrote:By the way, my sister has down-syndrome, and my parents got tired of driving her to work. She applied 5 times to get a driver's license, but each time failed due to a couple of tricky parts; merging into traffic, stopping on a hill, and parallel parking. So in desperation my Mom called the DMV and my sister got her license on the next drivers skills test: they just "modified" it.

I admire my sister as she has only missed 4 days of work in 5 years of employment at the same place, but I have no confidence in the DMV as aspects of what was modified is important for everyone else on the road. My parents are smart enough to limit her driving to work and back, a short distance in a rural area, but by rights, she could drive through Boston if she wanted too...legally! YIKES!

Banks will likely be a problem. Also stock brokerages. I don't recall if social security was picky. The "patriot act" has clauses that require financial institutions to attempt to verify details about their customers every year. They love it. Providing a DL might get you an account, but some of their forms I've seen specifically require a physical residential address. That means that if push ever comes to shove, they can cancel you and you might also have trouble getting your money out. Your credit cards and/or debit cards may suddenly go dead. Very, _very_ inconvenient.

A good buddy, provided you both can maintain a civilized relationship, is probably the most bullet proof setup. Forwarding does require some bit of effort and expense, so that needs to be addressed (!) beforehand.

I speak from experience. And I would expect this to get more difficult with fewer alternatives as we move into full BigBrother mode in coming years.  I only know one person who lives invisible and it has a _major_ impact on his life. No DL, no bank, no social security, no medical insurance, no passport. He resides with a woman he loves but has to take care of as she advances into dementia. He, they, had to fight tooth and nail for him to remain her official care taker and when she passes, or, probably, when she has to go into some kind of nursing home, her relatives will eliminate him.

Take away: Find, create and nurture those personal networks and relationships. Establish some kind of trust and as much commitment as possible. Give and take. It's really important basic stuff - don't shy away from or shine on the need. "Double teaming" is the best and sometimes the only way to deal with some of the crazy situations we find ourselves in.

Rufus

Joshua Myrvaagnes wrote:I'm sure she'd by far not be the most dangerous driver on the road.  Have you _seen_ Boston??

Travis Johnson wrote:By the way, my sister has down-syndrome, and my parents got tired of driving her to work. She applied 5 times to get a driver's license, but each time failed due to a couple of tricky parts; merging into traffic, stopping on a hill, and parallel parking. So in desperation my Mom called the DMV and my sister got her license on the next drivers skills test: they just "modified" it.

I admire my sister as she has only missed 4 days of work in 5 years of employment at the same place, but I have no confidence in the DMV as aspects of what was modified is important for everyone else on the road. My parents are smart enough to limit her driving to work and back, a short distance in a rural area, but by rights, she could drive through Boston if she wanted too...legally! YIKES!

Point well taken!

I once saw the slowest collision between two cars in the history of the world...in Boston. Two cars collided at what might have been 4 mph tops in a merging situation as each one refused to yield. Add to that what must have been a drunk pilgrim chasing a lame mule while laying out the streets down there, and you will understand why almost everyone in Maine takes the train/Bus into Boston to watch the Bruins play hockey.

Boston ... where turn signals are a sign of weakness. Circular intersections were probably great for horse & buggies but not so great for cars. Just saying.