(this requires your physical presence in South Dakota for less than one day for the initial drivers license.   After the license is issued with a 5 year term, you can only renew it in South Dakota, and again with a one day 'residency'.

 

I arrived at a hotel at 9 PM in Sioux Falls, and by 1 PM the next afternoon was leaving town with a new South Dakota license.  (I transferred my current license from a different state)

 

I could have been finished by 10 AM or so if I had my shit together.    I couldn't find my SSN card.   The DMV will also accept a 1099, or W-2 with your name and SSN on it. These don't have to be recent, or the original copy.  They will not accept tax returns.

 

(One problem is most of the more recent 1099's and W-2's I can find online would only list the last four of the SSN,   XXX-XX-FOUR.

The DMV would not accept those.   I looked back in my email account and found an old W-2, or a picture of one.  They were happy with that.)

 

You also need a copy of your contract with the post office box company,   I'm not pushing the local company, yourbestaddress.com, but they were fairly easy to work with.  I was there when they opened up to get the copy of the contract, sign some papers for the account I set up online earlier, which included authorisation for them to accept packages, etc.  They will forward or scan mail, forward packages, etc.

 

I have a CDL and MTC endorsement, that was easy to transfer over, I only had to do the eye test.      I think the license cost was like $33.

 

AAA is a mile away from the DMV office I used.    I picked up a new IDP.

 

I drove up to Sioux Falls, next I head to Chicago to sell my old car, and get on a plane to thailand in a few days.

The hotel I stayed at in Sioux falls was  $70, but a one minute walk to the DMV.   Nicer stuff close, also.

 

 

For your 'residency' you need to show a receipt from a hotel or campground for one night, PREVIOUS to you showing up to the DMV.

One of the problems i had was the hotel receipt was imprinted with my mailing address in my previous state, due to me being in the rewards program.

I had to go back to the hotel after I changed the mailing address in the rewards account, and have them reprint it, showing the south dakota mailing address.   The DMV clerk also told me not having your address on the hotel receipt is OK, but an out of state one is a no go.

 

SO, anyone interested in doing this, I think the best set up is to arrive in the afternoon, get your address,  hit the hotel, and be at the DMV when they open at 0700.   I think if you have your stuff together, you can be done by 0800.

I screwed up, first attempt 0700.  The place was empty, could have been in/out i maybe 30 minutes if had everything correct,  

When I returned a few hours later, the place was more crowded, but probably would have been done in an hour.

On my third, and successful visit, around lunchtime, the place was packed, no empty seats.  I waited over an hour, maybe spent ten minutes with the DMV clerk who did everything from checking the paperwork to handing me my new license.   Total maybe one and a half hours, during peak times.

 

Next stop was AAA, ten minutes later had a new IDP.

 

This worked out for me.   I have no family or close friends back in my home state that I could use for a home address.    That state somewhat verifies you are using a legit residential address for your drivers license.

The bonus is South Dakota has no state income tax.

 

There is a comparable address 'service' in Rapid City, but it's a bit more remote.....and if you had to fly in, the ticket prices are higher than Sioux Falls, and less flights.   (at one point kayak was showing decent ticket prices from the local airport in Sioux Falls, to Minneapolis, then Japan or China, then BKK.   Then they vanished.)  I still think Sioux Falls is a bit further from the edge of the world than Rapid City!

 

 

What would you say was the ethnicity or racial makeup of the larger crowd that had filled the Sioux Falls (population 181,883) DMV up by mid-day?

Surely that isn't one of those higher security "Real ID" licenses though is it?

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It is a 'real id'.


The one I exchanged from a different state was not, and marked ' not for federal identification.'





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What would you say was the ethnicity or racial makeup of the larger crowd that had filled the Sioux Falls (population 181,883) DMV up by mid-day?

Mostly white. a few possibly native American. A handful of African from somewhere. Some African American. Maybe 20 percent Hispanic. I did see some Ethiopian restaurants, one Filipino grocery.

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7 minutes ago, NokNokJoke said:

It is a 'real id'.


The one I exchanged from a different state was not, and marked ' not for federal identification.'





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Amazing!

I thought the rules were federally regulated.

I've looked at those for an old state of mine and it would be almost IMPOSSIBLE for a long term expat to qualify. 

11 minutes ago, NokNokJoke said:

It is a 'real id'.


The one I exchanged from a different state was not, and marked ' not for federal identification.'





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I am very surprised that is a proper Real ID.  Florida required me to bring two bills or statements less than 30 days old with my address on it.  And proof of ID and proof of citizenship.  I guess SD is a bit easier

In related news...

 

https://thethaiger.com/news/national/serbian-government-grants-citizenship-to-thailands-former-pm-yingluck

1 minute ago, gk10002000 said:

I am very surprised that is a proper Real ID.  Florida required me to bring two bills or statements less than 30 days old with my address on it.  And proof of ID and proof of citizenship.  I guess SD is a bit easier

Apparently but if the REAL ID program is really meant to impose strict FEDERAL standards on all states and all people getting that, something sounds really fishy. Sorry. I don't like all those rules either, don't get me wrong. Things can be very difficult for expats. 

South Dakota has some provisions for travelers, full time rv'ers, etc. I was primarily interested in keeping us drivers license active, including my cdl, in case I want to come back, and.... shudder...... work.

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South Dakota has some provisions for travelers, full time rv'ers, etc. I was primarily interested in keeping us drivers license active, including my cdl, in case I want to come back, and.... shudder...... work.

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Of course. I understand. But in most other states much much harder. Shhh!

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36 minutes ago, NokNokJoke said:

South Dakota has some provisions for travelers, full time rv'ers, etc. I was primarily interested in keeping us drivers license active, including my cdl, in case I want to come back, and.... shudder...... work.

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Are there any South Dakota state income tax requirements? In other words, if you establish residency there, do you also have to pay state income tax?

 

*edit, just read you stated SD has no state income tax. Will verify this and if so, this sounds great for a US presence. Thanks for this.

Thanks. This is a great info filled post, and going to save this info for later.

Did you receive an actual card DL or a temporary paper until the card is mailed?  Just asking because I'll move in with my sister in Rapid City in January to establish residency, get DL, and then fly out to Thailand in Feb.

Actual drivers license

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3 hours ago, keemapoot said:

Are there any South Dakota state income tax requirements? In other words, if you establish residency there, do you also have to pay state income tax?

 

*edit, just read you stated SD has no state income tax. Will verify this and if so, this sounds great for a US presence. Thanks for this.

"Seven states have no state income tax at all: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming.

Thanks for the info, it will be helpful on the off chance I'm in S Dakota and need a driving license. The chances of that are , however, lower than winning Powerball.

Thank you for your important contribution to this thread!

Thanks for the info, it will be helpful on the off chance I'm in S Dakota and need a driving license. The chances of that are , however, lower than winning Powerball.

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17 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Apparently but if the REAL ID program is really meant to impose strict FEDERAL standards on all states and all people getting that, something sounds really fishy. Sorry. I don't like all those rules either, don't get me wrong. Things can be very difficult for expats. 

 

A passport card is RealID-compliant. $30 for ten years, so $3/year. I'll stipulate that a passport card is in no way a substitute for a passport.

 

A Global Entry card is RealID-compliant. $100 for five years, but includes TSA Pre, and GE, obviously.

 

My state issues DL's in both RealID, and non-RealID formats. RealID format, in my state, requires more/additional 'residence/citizen' proof.

 

As of Oct. 1, 2020, as things stand now, if using a state DL to fly domestically it must be RealID-compliant. Obviously a passport is RealID-compliant, as are certain other available IDs.

 

Documentation required before issuing a license or ID card (Wiki)
Before a card can be issued, the applicant must provide the following documentation:

A photo ID, or a non-photo ID that includes full legal name and birthdate
Documentation of birthdate
Documentation of legal status and Social Security number
Documentation showing name and principal residence address
 

 

 

 

On 8/13/2019 at 9:40 AM, NokNokJoke said:

you can only renew it in South Dakota, and again with a one day 'residency'.

 

So you cannot renew online? You have to physically visit SD to renew?

 

Any cons? Some states draw on the DL data base for jury duty summonses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Voter registration is optional, and on the same application form but in a separate area. I was told not to enter anything, but go to a separate office to register.
You do have to show up in SD for one day to renew the license. Maybe in 5 years I'll be back in the USA or not worried about a us license?



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My state would also not not give me a real Id license. I had been using a PO box for years, then they required a physical residential address they could verify online. They rejected UPS store addresses. I finally ended up using the office address of the company I worked for at the time, which was in a mixed use area. Later they closed that office....I kept using the address...but had a PO box on file for mail. The new tenants probably never got any mail for me.....but I don't like doing shady stuff. I did pay state taxes there although not lived there for years.

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23 minutes ago, NokNokJoke said:

My state would also not not give me a real Id license. I had been using a PO box for years, then they required a physical residential address they could verify online. They rejected UPS store addresses. I finally ended up using the office address of the company I worked for at the time, which was in a mixed use area. Later they closed that office....I kept using the address...but had a PO box on file for mail. The new tenants probably never got any mail for me.....but I don't like doing shady stuff. I did pay state taxes there although not lived there for years.

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Kudos for finding a creative but dodgy solution!

I reckon most expats have had to play some games to deal with the anti-expat policies in the U.S.

Your state sounds normal for real I.D.

The real question is if there are any other states than South Dakota that seem to have slipped through the cracks of actually enforcing the STANDARD Real I.D. requirements.

Thanks to the OP for news of this discovery, as long as it lasts anyway. 

It's the full-time RVrs go to state. Much of the post is totally confusing to me.

 

I'd thought about SD just too snobish to move there.

 

Not especially welcoming of Asians or mixed marriages from my understanding.

 

SD will keep these laws in place as long as possible it's the mother's milk of the state. Full-time RV crowd feeds it.

6 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Kudos for finding a creative but dodgy solution!

I reckon most expats have had to play some games to deal with the anti-expat policies in the U.S.

Your state sounds normal for real I.D.

The real question is if there are any other states than South Dakota that seem to have slipped through the cracks of actually enforcing the STANDARD Real I.D. requirements.

Thanks to the OP for news of this discovery, as long as it lasts anyway. 

Texas and Nevada but not quite as easy. Nevada has no state tax.

Just now, Number 6 said:

It's the full-time RVrs go to state. Much of the post is totally confusing to me.

 

I'd thought about SD just too snobish to move there.

 

Not especially welcoming of Asians or mixed marriages from my understanding.

 

SD will keep these laws in place as long as possible it's the mother's milk of the state. Full-time RV crowd feeds it.

Makes sense but it might be interesting to hear how exactly they got to have an obvious EXCEPTION, indeed a really big one, as far as requirements for federal real I.D. 

Just now, Number 6 said:

Texas and Nevada but not quite as easy. Nevada has no state tax.

That's interesting. If anyone has done such a thing in those states, please post details. 

14 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

That's interesting. If anyone has done such a thing in those states, please post details. 

Just Google full-time RV and there will be mountains of information.

 

South Dakota, Florida, Texas, Nevada, Delaware. I think that's the list. Some other advantages in Delaware and Wyoming.

 

19 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Makes sense but it might be interesting to hear how exactly they got to have an obvious EXCEPTION, indeed a really big one, as far as requirements for federal real I.D. 

No exemption. I'm not certain but I'd think it boils down to states rights. They have so much revenue coming in from the RV crowd that the state is willing to be penalized however. Also possible your ID might not be accepted at airports but generally those people are as thick as a brick anyway.

3 minutes ago, Number 6 said:

No exemption. I'm not certain but I'd think it boils down to states rights. They have so much revenue coming in from the RV crowd that the state is willing to be penalized however. Also possible your ID might not be accepted at airports but generally those people are as thick as a brick anyway.

I'm sure you're wrong. Real I.D. is a FEDERAL standard. I'm also sure that if you do have a Real I.D. license there is no reason for anyone to see one from certain states as less legitimate. But sorry I can see the standards are significantly more lax in South Dakota. Maybe there was some kind of lobbying effort by the RV industry to get the feds to allow more lax rules in some states. But I don't see how a state could do that WITHOUT federal buy in. 

 

 

12 hours ago, NokNokJoke said:

My state would also not not give me a real Id license.

 

I could have qualified for a RealID-compliant DL, but this would have required an in-person visit to the RMV.

 

I was able to renew my DL, non-RealID-compliant, online. Easy choice, given I have a PP, PP Card and GE Card.

 

 

There have been a number of awesome threads here over the years on SD, and other "snow-bird slash RV" friendly states.

 

 

I think it is still pretty easy to get a Thai DL - at least it was for me - based on having a U.S. DL, and then you can use that Thai DL in the U.S. for rentals and driving.