Choosing Domicile-Dakota Post

[KiraR]

Hi all:
For anyone who is contemplating where to select a domicile state, I can't recommend highly enough Dakota Post in Sioux Falls.

After months of researching, I came across this company. I just got off the phone with the friendliest, calmest and most patient individuals who helped me navigate through what feels like my own complicated personal scenario. They made it SO easy!

Another piece of the puzzle is in place. And what a relief that is!

Happy to answer any questions....if you want more details.

[HeavyAssault]

Are you required to have all vehicles registered, state insurance and a state DL for SD?

[KJRitchie]

Don't forget health insurance issues. Those work for you in SD?

[kb0zke]

We use Your Best Address in Sioux Falls, SD. So far all we have used has been the mail forwarding service, but we just yesterday mailed all the paperwork to get our MH registered there. We'll do the Jeep and drivers licenses this summer. They have been easy to work with so far. We'll see how the registration/title for the Foretravel goes.

[Jaxon]

Escapees! Been utterly trouble free for the past 5 years. And yes, as that is my "permanent” mailing address, my insurance, registration (both voting & auto) and taxes (!), etc. are Livingston, TX. Where ever I am, I can have mail sent to me within 3-4 days. And indeed KiraR, it IS a relief!

[Msmoto]

Maybe someone can show a list of the steps necessary to register in South Dakota. As I understand it one must pay a fairly large initial tax on an RV at the time it is registered. Also, insurance may be an issue if you want to stay with your current insurance company.

But, if someone can show the actual process, costs, etc., this would be appreciated.

FYI, I was raised in Sioux Falls, travel there once or twice a year.

[kb0zke]

Here's what we did. Your Best Address | RV Mail Forwarding | Sioux Falls | South Dakota is our service's main web site. Near the bottom is a link for registering vehicles, which brings up a set of .pdf pages. You probably won't need all of them, but since different people have different circumstances they are all included. Any mail service should have a similar set, but with their name printed in the proper place. It cost us right at $500 to register our MH, but that is a 14-month registration. South Dakota has registrations come due all through the year based on the registrant's last name. Since our name begins with "L" we are up in June. The initial registration can be for more or less than 12 months (with an appropriate fee adjustment, of course) to get you on schedule. We'll do the Jeep in July when we're up that way, so it will get a registration that is due again in less than 12 months.

[Tincampers]

Originally Posted by Msmoto

Maybe someone can show a list of the steps necessary to register in South Dakota. As I understand it one must pay a fairly large initial tax on an RV at the time it is registered. Also, insurance may be an issue if you want to stay with your current insurance company.

But, if someone can show the actual process, costs, etc., this would be appreciated.

FYI, I was raised in Sioux Falls, travel there once or twice a year.

What kind of tax are you referring to? Sales tax?

[kb0zke]

Part of the fee is based on the empty weight of the coach. Our coach is just over 27,000 pounds. Many counties also have a wheel tax. Sioux Falls charges $4/wheel, so we paid $24 in wheel tax.

Your 25' Flying Cloud has an empty weight of just 5500 pounds (more or less) and has only four wheels, so your tax ought to be a lot less than ours.

Keep in mind that South Dakota, like other States with sales taxes, you will have to prove that you have paid sales tax to Alabama (in your case) of at least as much as SD would have charged you IF you are registering in SD within a certain amount of time of purchase.

[Msmoto]

From the South Dakota DMV website:
"4% motor vehicle excise tax and 4% mobile/manufactured home initial registration fee. All fees are assessed from purchase date regardless of when an applicant applies for title and registration."

Titling & Registration

I was going to register my moho and it was going to be an initial registration fee of about $11,500. Then of course the yearly fee would have been minimal compared to the taxes in North Carolina of about $2,000 per year.

[Tincampers]

Didn't you pay sales tax when you bought your MH? If you did and it was at least 4% you won't have to pay that again. If you paid less than 4% you only pay the difference.

[Msmoto]

In North Carolina there is a limit on the tax paid at purchase and it is capped at $1500.00. So, I was told I would have to pay the difference or about $10,000 to register it in South Dakota. There may have been another issue for a 41,000 lb moho, but it worked out that with the vehicles I owned the issue was too complicated at the time I investigated.

My point is simply this: Make certain you know the full amount you will have to pay, this information can only come from the South Dakota DMV, not from any other source. I am certain that an email to the SDDMV would help to determine the exact amount of tax.

[Tincampers]

Yep, that's going to leave a mark on the old checkbook!

[Msmoto]

Well, I have sold the moho and now am happily back in my relatively new Serenity......taxes....mmmm still horrible in North Carolina, but the weather is good

[Tincampers]

Originally Posted by kb0zke

Part of the fee is based on the empty weight of the coach. Our coach is just over 27,000 pounds. Many counties also have a wheel tax. Sioux Falls charges $4/wheel, so we paid $24 in wheel tax.

Your 25' Flying Cloud has an empty weight of just 5500 pounds (more or less) and has only four wheels, so your tax ought to be a lot less than ours.

Keep in mind that South Dakota, like other States with sales taxes, you will have to prove that you have paid sales tax to Alabama (in your case) of at least as much as SD would have charged you IF you are registering in SD within a certain amount of time of purchase.

We paid 4.25% in state and local sales tax here in Mobile so we are covered. The registration, title and license will be minuscule compared to what we will pay in August.

[rodsterinfl]

Interesting thread. The last week of March I was in a park where my neighbor with a 40 foot motor home shared with me his "South Dakota" savings- DL, motorhome, mail,etc. When I looked into it, the registration per year is something like $600 annually if not mistaken from the SD DMV. I pay $42.

[Tincampers]

Originally Posted by rodsterinfl

Interesting thread. The last week of March I was in a park where my neighbor with a 40 foot motor home shared with me his "South Dakota" savings- DL, motorhome, mail,etc. When I looked into it, the registration per year is something like $600 annually if not mistaken from the SD DMV. I pay $42.

Did you happen to compare insurance costs between the two?

[rodsterinfl]

No I did not but I bet it would be cheaper than FL in that regard.

[DHart]

As mentioned above, don't forget to look into your health insurance situation in this scenario. You will want to make sure that's all on the up and up in case you suddenly have a e claim to make!

[badkat]

We did all of our registration on truck, trailer and vehicle insurance thru America's Mailbox but would be interested in Dakota Post. Guess I will google it. We are in Pennington and from what I understand we need to stay in that county.