Over the past few years, the nomadic lifestyle has become all the rage. I personally blame Instagram for this, along with causing cancer and famine and all kinds of other scourges on humanity. But I digress.
Socials have done a great job of glamorizing vanlife (or #vanlife, depending on who you talk to), but it isn’t all that glamorous. It’s a lot of work and a lot of sacrifice. Full-timing has steadily gained steam for a lot of reasons. Hell, a friend of my wife’s did it for a year. Single mom with two kids living in California, so it made sense. It was a lot cheaper to buy a travel trailer and see the countryside than to suffer in a duplex rental.
But, if you have spent time in the PNW, you have probably noticed many campers parked in parking lots, roadsides, and even BLM property for “extended stays.” Far from the glamor of #vanlife, this represents a different group of people: these are people who are more or less living as nomads in their RVs. That ain’t easy, and it ain’t shiny and glamorous most of the time either – for modern nomads, this is a way of life.
But I won’t spoil the rest of the article. Let’s take a look at the modern iteration of nomadic living and how anyone can register their RVs from anywhere in the U.S. and probably save some coin in the process.
We Aren’t Talking About Full-Timing…But We Kind Of Are
First, let’s dispatch this notion that we are talking about full-timing in an RV. In a way, we are, but full-timing is more of a thing where bored suburbanites sell their houses and buy a nice RV and tow rig. Is this harsh? Maybe. But I have watched a lot of YouTubers who followed this exact formula, and while my advice here works just fine for these folks as well, it’s not who I am talking to today.
As an RVer myself, I’ve been around a lot of campgrounds and also some boondocking. At the federal and state campgrounds, you will definitely run into some folks who are living the nomadic lifestyle. And boondocking? Without a doubt, especially in warm areas like Padre Island, where the threshold of entry is very low and cheap.
Yes, you will absolutely see the YouTube full-timers there in a late-model truck and trailer, shooting videos. But you will also see the crowd rolling in 20+-year-old motorhomes (or older), Skoolies, and all kinds of other assorted RVs. They aren’t there making YouTubes. They live there. And this happens all over the place.
The Untethered Nomadic Lifestyle Is More Common Than You Might Think
The western states seem particularly prevalent to nomading. Can we call it ‘nomading?’ I’m calling it nomading.
It is common for RVs to be parked in Walmart parking lots, scenic pull-offs, and other random places until they are ushered off by security or the police. It's kind of a bummer deal for them, but that is how things go. But for the nomad in this digital age, it may come with the territory. Of course, if they don’t want to stray too far from the law (which we recommend you stay on their good side), you should definitely consider keeping the tags fresh on your RV and register in a state that’s friendly to the idea of nomading. Of course, you also need an address.
How or Where Can You Establish an Address?
Alright, now we’re down to the meat and taters of this article: Where can you establish your RV? Mind you, this is speaking to the nomadic crowd who probably does not have a permanent address of any sort. No house, no PO box they check on regularly, no friend who they swing by and pick up their mail once a month. The modern nomad needs a modern solution.
Well, the cool thing is that you could kind of pick just about anywhere out of a hat, couldn’t you? Not really, actually. Not every state is nomad-friendly. Only a handful of states are friendly to outsiders and non-residents (Vermont is off the list).
We at Dirt Legal are very careful not to name which states do what because rules change constantly. The case in point is Vermont. The Green Mountain State was once dubbed “America’s DMV” because it had no restrictions on out-of-state titling and registrations. But practically overnight, that all went away.
But, while it may have been the easiest, Vermont probably wasn’t really the best option for a nomadic lifestyle. See, there will always be a lingering problem with having a registration in a state but not really being there. Maybe it never comes up, but then again, maybe you get pulled over, and the officer isn’t satisfied with your answer.
Having a legal residence where your vehicle is owned – not by you, but by an LLC – can be the reassurance you need in this case, and Montana is just the place to do it. When you decide to register your RV through a Montana LLC, the LLC has legal ownership of the vehicle, meaning the legal owner of the RV is a Montana resident. That means you can stay parked as long as you want somewhere else and not have to move your license plate or title to that place.
However, the Montana LLC registration program does have limitations for some owners. The biggest limitation is that the vehicle must be owned outright. You cannot use this option if you are making payments. South Dakota is a great option if you do not own it outright and are making payments, and with a state tax rate of only four percent, it is still a low-cost solution. But it’s not Montana.
Montana is very attractive because of the LLC ownership and no state sales taxes, but again, if you have a lien on the vehicle, you won’t be able to use an LLC for ownership unless you use a company like LightStream, who allows you to hold the title while the vehicle is under a lien.
Where Are You Supposed To Renew Tags?
The traditional way of doing this is to go to your local DMV, wait in line for 125 minutes, and still be missing paperwork. Rinse. Repeat.
But the world is changing really fast. According to some estimates, there are over one million Americans living full-time in RVs. Of course, this is somewhat difficult to quantify since they live on the road and probably don’t really want to be followed or tracked.
Here’s the hard part, though: if you live on the road as a nomad and genuinely do not have a place that you call home, then where is home? More directly, where and how are you even supposed to conduct your registrations? Just a simple fact of life because NOT registering your nomadic rig will lead to a lot more problems.
Thanks to our easy process, you no longer need to worry about this. Both of our programs are completely online, meaning you only need to have somewhere to mail it. Yes, I know this sounds like a pain, but there are a ton of services to rent a mailbox, including the UPS Store, just to receive your paperwork and plate from us and call it a day. The world is truly your oyster.
Are There Any States With Online-Only Renewals?
We couldn’t find any states that offer online only, but more and more states are finally offering online titling and registration options. In my opinion, it is only a matter of time before all states finally follow suit and do the same.
But in the meantime, not every state is that easy. Thankfully, we take the guesswork out of it. For your RV, both Montana and South Dakota offer 100% online transactions, which we handle on your behalf. The only thing you need to worry about is having a mailbox to get the paperwork.
You Can’t Just Pick A State, Can You?
Ummmm, yes, you pretty well can just pick a state.
Of course, you will probably want to pick one with the lowest tax rates: Montana is zero. It’s hard to get much lower than that!
Again, though, you must own the vehicle outright to use our Montana LLC registration program. It is a great option for your nomadic lifestyle if you own it outright.
Which State Is The Best To Pick?
There really is no best state to pick. There are different reasons why you would pick one over the other. Money is usually the driving factor for most of our decisions and purchases, and here’s the honest truth: some options cost less than others.
Montana might not make the most sense if your RV is aging and has a lower value. Zero state sales tax is attractive, but if the value of your rig is low, four percent is not really a lot more, and South Dakota registration will cost less upfront. Plus, if you bought on a loan, SD is your best option.
Of course, there is the issue of ownership. The odds of you having issues with the authorities over where your rig is tagged is fairly low, so long as it is legal and current. But maybe you have had a bad experience in the past with this. If so, then paying off your rig and going with Montana makes the most sense.
Either way, you can rest assured that you are getting a real RV registration, making you 50-state street legal. And you never have to set foot in a DMV again. Ever.
The Dirt Legal Advantage
Here at Dirt Legal, we have seen a thing or two over the years. If you have anything that makes your case a little more complicated or difficult, just give us a call! We have helped tens of thousands of people get their vehicles street-legal, so chances are we’ve already dealt with an issue like yours once or twice.
If not, we will still see what we can do for you. That is what sets us apart from our competition: We haven’t seen every possible scenario over the years, but we’ve seen a lot, and we will use our vast body of knowledge and experience to get your vehicle registered or your money back.
If you have questions, hit us up on the contact link!