License question

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I am such an idiot - I just realized this is the best place to get this question answered. :imbar

OK - so I'll be moving to Texas when I finish with COT in November. My current North Carolina license expires in three years; my tour in Texas is apparently going to be for four. My home of record is in Pennsylvania, but I will still own property in NC though I will no longer be an NC resident (my cars will be registered in Texas and PA has no income tax for active duty if you're not stationed in PA, and since there's no AF base in PA, I won't be - ever).

What do I do about my license when it expires?

I know the AF doesn't care what state I'm licensed in, as long as I have a current and unencumbered license in one of the fifty states. My guess is NC won't touch me because I won't be an NC resident anymore, but technically, I won't be a Texas resident either. And PA isn't a compact state, and I really won't be living there, so I doubt they'd hook me up either. If TX will license me, lovely - I'll renew there, but I'm a little confused by the whole thing. And I have a feeling I'm overanalyzing.

HELP!!!

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Specializes in EMT, ER, Homehealth, OR.

renew your NC license. I got my NC license when I moved there and after 2 years moved back to NY. Every 3 years I renew my NC license so it will not be an issue for you. Just make sure that you give them a change of address. Also, I thought Texas is also a state without income tax. If they do not have it, it will be easier for you to change to a Texas resident then a PA one. Just becasue a state does not have a base does not mean you will not be stationed there. As times change and the services do things together their is a possibility to being stationed at one of their facilities.

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renew your NC license. I got my NC license when I moved there and after 2 years moved back to NY. Every 3 years I renew my NC license so it will not be an issue for you. Just make sure that you give them a change of address. Also, I thought Texas is also a state without income tax. If they do not have it, it will be easier for you to change to a Texas resident then a PA one. Just becasue a state does not have a base does not mean you will not be stationed there. As times change and the services do things together their is a possibility to being stationed at one of their facilities.

There are NO military bases in Pennsylvania anymore - well, other than JRB NAS Willow Grove which is closing next year. Olmsted AFB (I think that was up by Middletown) has been closed since about the Nixon administration and I don't think it was ever open in my lifetime. The Navy base/shipyard at Philadelphia closed the year I graduated from college (that's how I can remember it was 1995!) and is now a civilian facility with the only military ships there either in mothballs or headed to scrap. Don't even know if there are still mothballed ones there; I drove past over the weekend but I couldn't see much for all the civilian stuff that's there now.

My home of record has always been Pennsylvania (my father's family is from Philly)- and since I don't yet have an address in Texas, I can't use it as my HOR. My current HOR is Upper Darby, PA, and will probably stay that way until I get a TX address - but changing your HOR is a major nightmare (which is stupid b/c what if the address is no longer valid; my guess is it has more to do with DFAS than the service itself). It can be done, but it's like pulling eye teeth. Establishing residency is simple for active duty military - you give them a permanent, verifiable address at contracting and voila - you're a resident of that state as soon as you go active duty. I can tag cars in any state I want (and will definitely be retagging everything in TX to avoid personal property tax here in NC) and I'll even get a TX driver's license (you can't have a three way split - car tagged in one state with a DL from a second state and insurance in a 3rd - two of them HAVE to be in the same place; I used to have an Oklahoma license with my car tagged and insured in NC), but none of that has any bearing on my HOR.

(I know about the vehicle thing because I was an AF cop.)

According to what I read on the NCBON website, it looked as though I couldn't renew my license here if my primary residence wasn't in NC. I'll own rental property here, but I'll have no residential connection with NC whatsoever as of 0001 hours on 19 October. If I can leave my license here it will make my life SOOOOO much easier.

(On another unrelated note, as a military member, you really aren't technically a resident of anywhere, which is why it's called a "Home of Record" even though it sort of makes you a resident of that state - you can literally pick any state in the Union as long as you have a valid brick and mortar address. They cracked down on this about fifteen years ago because it seemed like half the military got PO boxes in Texas and claimed TX as the HOR - now it must be a verifiable residential structure. Currently in Congress, there is a bill pending approval that would extend the home of record of the active duty member to the spouse as well - because right now, military spouses have to become legal residents of every state they move to - which is a PITA if you've ever had to put up with it.)

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Specializes in ICU- adults, Flight RN peds/neo.

I had a similar situation.

Lived and licensed in Oregon, moving to Tx for Active duty. I applied and got a Tx license, THEN when we moved here, I sent them a "change of residential status--primary state form" (on the BON website. You can't have NC and Tx as your "primary state license, but you don't need to, because both are compact).

Now, I will have multistate status (compact) and I am claiming Tx as my "home of record" so I don't pay state taxes. Since we own NO property anywhere........we should be good to go.

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Specializes in EMT, ER, Homehealth, OR.
there are no military bases in pennsylvania anymore - well, other than jrb nas willow grove which is closing next year. olmsted afb (i think that was up by middletown) has been closed since about the nixon administration and i don't think it was ever open in my lifetime. the navy base/shipyard at philadelphia closed the year i graduated from college (that's how i can remember it was 1995!) and is now a civilian facility with the only military ships there either in mothballs or headed to scrap. don't even know if there are still mothballed ones there; i drove past over the weekend but i couldn't see much for all the civilian stuff that's there now.

there is still military interest there in pittsburgh there is a af reserve base plus there is etc. so there is always a slight chance of being stationed in pa

my home of record has always been pennsylvania (my father's family is from philly)- and since i don't yet have an address in texas, i can't use it as my hor. my current hor is upper darby, pa, and will probably stay that way until i get a tx address - but changing your hor is a major nightmare (which is stupid b/c what if the address is no longer valid; my guess is it has more to do with dfas than the service itself). it can be done, but it's like pulling eye teeth. establishing residency is simple for active duty military - you give them a permanent, verifiable address at contracting and voila - you're a resident of that state as soon as you go active duty. i can tag cars in any state i want (and will definitely be retagging everything in tx to avoid personal property tax here in nc) and i'll even get a tx driver's license (you can't have a three way split - car tagged in one state with a dl from a second state and insurance in a 3rd - two of them have to be in the same place; i used to have an oklahoma license with my car tagged and insured in nc), but none of that has any bearing on my hor.

(i know about the vehicle thing because i was an af cop.)

according to what i read on the ncbon website, it looked as though i couldn't renew my license here if my primary residence wasn't in nc. i'll own rental property here, but i'll have no residential connection with nc whatsoever as of 0001 hours on 19 october. if i can leave my license here it will make my life sooooo much easier.

i have not lived in nc since december 2000 & i still have a current nc license and will be renewing it in the spring. when you do not live in nc or a compact state the license is good only for the state of nc.

(on another unrelated note, as a military member, you really aren't technically a resident of anywhere, which is why it's called a "home of record" even though it sort of makes you a resident of that state - you can literally pick any state in the union as long as you have a valid brick and mortar address. they cracked down on this about fifteen years ago because it seemed like half the military got po boxes in texas and claimed tx as the hor - now it must be a verifiable residential structure. currently in congress, there is a bill pending approval that would extend the home of record of the active duty member to the spouse as well - because right now, military spouses have to become legal residents of every state they move to - which is a pita if you've ever had to put up with it.)

no matter what state you become a resident in your hor will never change it will always be the address from where you entered military service. your residence can change but not your hor. hope the bill passes because it is a pain for the spouses.

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I don't think owning property matters if you can prove it's not your primary residence (easy to do).

This is both confusing and ridiculous - when it comes time to renew, I'll call the NC BON and ask them; if not, I'll sort it in Texas. It does sound as though I'm worrying too much for no reason.

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Specializes in EMT, ER, Homehealth, OR.

Yes, but it is best to find out now then waiting to the last minute.

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As stated, your HOR is always the location that you entered military service... and is the location that is used to figure travel and moving expense limits when you separate from the service (unless they have changed that). When I was Enlisted, all I had to do to claim TX as my state of residence (I was stationed in Germany at the time) was notify finance office that I wanted to change it...did not even have a P.O. box at the time. Typically though, you can claim residency of any state if you register a vehicle there or have some other verification that you maintain a ligitimate residence there (such as utiliy bills or rental contract).

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That's good - I'll probably change it then just to make life so much easier, you know - keep everything in one place. I was always told it was a PITA so I'm glad to hear it's not.

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