docj
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- Oct 16, 2010
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Jeff said:Joel
Except for corporations registered to do business in the state IL, WA, and SD require you to have a valid driver's license to register a vehicle in those states, or did while we resided in each. MT requires the same, in this case the LLC is registered in MT.
State requirements regarding use of vehicles in their respective states make it pretty clear what the laws are.
Not all states require you to hold a license from that state in order to register a vehicle. For example, here's a lift from the Orgeon DMV website:
In addition, a vehicle may qualify for Oregon registration even if the owner is not a resident of Oregon or domiciled in Oregon if one or more of the following applies:
The owner is a business that maintains a main office, branch office or warehouse facility in Oregon and operates motor vehicles in Oregon;
The vehicle is usually left in Oregon when the owner is away from Oregon, is used primarily for personal transportation in Oregon, is a private passenger vehicle or a vehicle having a loaded weight of less than 10,000 pounds, and is not a motor home or a camper; or
The vehicle is operated in intrastate transportation for compensation or profit for other than seasonal agricultural work.
If you'd like to see this quote in context, you can find it here: http://www.oregon.gov/odot/dmv/pages/driverid/residency.aspx
I have no idea how many states permit this but I sure it's not limited to OR. Quite a few states have rules that state that vehicles that spend more than XX days in the state have to be registered there. It's difficult to force people to register them if the Catch 22 is that the person owning the vehicle has to be a resident.
Here's a discussion about snowbird vehicle registration from a forum of The Villages, a major snowbird community in FL. Several people responding to this thread say that they have vehicles registered both in FL and at their "other" home. It doesn't sound like this is such big deal issue. Here's the forum link: http://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/villages-florida-non-villages-discussion-93/fl-car-registration-snowbirds-100923/
As another example, Maryland appears to handle the issue through what the State calls "dual registration": http://www.mva.maryland.gov/about-mva/info/27300/27300-07T.htm
As for the MT LLC, yes, my MH is registered in the name of my LLC which is a business entity, but it doesn't make the vehicle a commercial vehicle in the eyes of my insurance company. So the net effect is that it is registered to me.
Note added later--Here's the FL motor vehicle code section dealing with vehicle registration. Note that it says that the person registering the vehicle must have a drivers license issued by FL or another state:
320.02 Registration required; application for registration; forms.?
(1) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, every owner or person in charge of a motor vehicle that is operated or driven on the roads of this state shall register the vehicle in this state. The owner or person in charge shall apply to the department or to its authorized agent for registration of each such vehicle on a form prescribed by the department. A registration is not required for any motor vehicle that is not operated on the roads of this state during the registration period.
(2)(a) The application for registration must include the street address of the owner?s permanent residence or the address of his or her permanent place of business and be accompanied by personal or business identification information. An individual applicant must provide a valid driver license or identification card issued by this state or another state or a valid passport. A business applicant must provide a federal employer identification number, if applicable, or verification that the business is authorized to conduct business in the state, or a Florida municipal or county business license or number.
The more I look into this the more I'm convinced that this is a pretty common situation. Lots of people own properties in multiple states.