TalkBaja.com » Baja Mexico Forums » Baja Border Crossing

Yesterday I received an email from friends who live in Baja with SD plates and a Calif DL who were just told by CBP they had 30 days to either get Calif plates, a SD DL or lose their SENTRI. It would appear that Sentri is extending its reach and many Baja expats are going to be having troubles. Maybe this would be a good time think about importing your vehicle if it qualifies...

.

Maybe it is time to get a SD drivers license and transfer your residence to SD.

That is a good option Terry but a lot of folks who have SD plates seem unwilling to make the trip back, especially this time of year. They tell me that they feel they are losing the financial advantage of not having to register in California. I suppose for those on a tight budget that may make the difference. Simply by having a PO box in South Dakota can you establish residence?

Originally Posted by BajaGringo

That is a good option Terry but a lot of folks who have SD plates seem unwilling to make the trip back, especially this time of year. They tell me that they feel they are losing the financial advantage of not having to register in California. I suppose for those on a tight budget that may make the difference. Simply by having a PO box in South Dakota can you establish residence?

Registering your vehicle in So Dakota vs. Calif. saves you a lot of money however is totally illegal and is done by Calif residents to avoid higher yearly fees and thus hurts Calif. even more. I have no sympathy for those who try to skirt the law.

Personally I prefer to just import a vehicle down here or buy one here with Baja plates.

There are several services that assist Snowbirds to get a SD drivers license, register/title vehicles and register to vote. These services also provide a residence address that satisfies the legal requirements.

If you do the legal residence change, there is no law about having a mail (only) address (or PO Box) in California

There are similar services in Texas and Florida. The advantage is lower vehicle registration fees and a lower or no personal income tax liability....thus stretching the retirees limited income.

I support California when I buy gasoline to drive on their roads, and when I pay taxes on items that I buy when I shop or stay in motels.

Originally Posted by BajaGringo

That is a good option Terry but a lot of folks who have SD plates seem unwilling to make the trip back, especially this time of year. They tell me that they feel they are losing the financial advantage of not having to register in California. I suppose for those on a tight budget that may make the difference. Simply by having a PO box in South Dakota can you establish residence?

Originally Posted by Teniente

There are several services that assist Snowbirds to get a SD drivers license, register/title vehicles and register to vote. These services also provide a residence address that satisfies the legal requirements.

If you do the legal residence change, there is no law about having a mail (only) address (or PO Box) in California

There are similar services in Texas and Florida. The advantage is lower vehicle registration fees and a lower or no personal income tax liability....thus stretching the retirees limited income.

I support California when I buy gasoline to drive on their roads, and when I pay taxes on items that I buy when I shop or stay in motels.

DMV specificly states no PO boxes can be used to register your vehicle or renew registration or have a Calif. drivers license using a PO box or commercial PO box service and they now require a physical residence to have you in their system, obviously so they can go get you if need be.

Commercial PO box service centers in Calif. have you fill out a USPS form and check your ID and send this form to the post office to have only mail with your name on it sent to the PO box. All other mail will be returned and will not show up at your PO box.

When redirecting your mail to a PO box the USPS knows it is a commercial PO box and I suspect Calif. DMV does also. The USPS sends you a letter stating this.

To get a PO box at a local post office you also need a physical address in California or another state where they can forward your mail to you if it is not in your city.

Believe me it is not as easy as it sounds to register a vehicle in California now and maintain a Calif. drivers license without having someone let you use their address while living in Mexico.

Alan.....You can maintain South Dakota residency with a SD drivers license and registration and a SD address and also have a PO Box or PMB in California for your regular mail .

If you are going to get a SD vehicle registration, become a "snowbird" resident, which is completely legal

The physical address requirement was instituted by the states and also the USPS (if you have a PO box or a PMB) at the "request" of Homeland Security.

We get our Nevada vehicle registrations and DL renewals at our PMB in San Diego without a problem.

Originally Posted by MexicaliAlan

DMV specificly states no PO boxes can be used to register your vehicle or renew registration or have a Calif. drivers license using a PO box or commercial PO box service and they now require a physical residence to have you in their system, obviously so they can go get you if need be.

Commercial PO box service centers in Calif. have you fill out a USPS form and check your ID and send this form to the post office to have only mail with your name on it sent to the PO box. All other mail will be returned and will not show up at your PO box.

When redirecting your mail to a PO box the USPS knows it is a commercial PO box and I suspect Calif. DMV does also. The USPS sends you a letter stating this.

To get a PO box at a local post office you also need a physical address in California or another state where they can forward your mail to you if it is not in your city.

Believe me it is not as easy as it sounds to register a vehicle in California now and maintain a Calif. drivers license without having someone let you use their address while living in Mexico.

Originally Posted by Teniente

Alan.....You can maintain South Dakota residency with a SD drivers license and registration and a SD address and also have a PO Box or PMB in California for your regular mail .

If you are going to get a SD vehicle registration, become a "snowbird" resident, which is completely legal

The physical address requirement was instituted by the states and also the USPS (if you have a PO box or a PMB) at the "request" of Homeland Security.

We get our Nevada vehicle registrations and DL renewals at our PMB in San Diego without a problem.

I know that other states do not require physical addresses but now Calif. DMV does. It appears that the USPS now requires commercial PO box centers to register clients with the USPS form you sign and they send in. Aren´t all DMV records in all states available to law enforcement agencies now?

Yes, ALL states now require a physical address for a driver's license, not just California.....it's a DHS requirement, same with the USPS and PMB's (commercial box rental businesses).

And alll states DMV records are and have been available to law enforcement for about 20-25 years.

Originally Posted by MexicaliAlan

I know that other states do not require physical addresses but now Calif. DMV does. It appears that the USPS now requires commercial PO box centers to register clients with the USPS form you sign and they send in. Aren´t all DMV records in all states available to law enforcement agencies now?

Originally Posted by Teniente

Yes, ALL states now require a physical address for a driver's license, not just California.....it's a DHS requirement, same with the USPS and PMB's (commercial box rental businesses).

Terry - I agree that there currently exist "legal" ways to get around this but we are witnessing DHS and the federal govt. in general, slowly draw tighter on the lasso around us. There is little chance in my mind that they will allow for this loophole to endure much longer.

I truly wish that I was wrong on this...

Say you pay $4000 for a used vehicle in Ca. and want to import it to Baja. Any idea what this would cost?

A figure I have heard tossed around a lot is 10%

YMMV

Originally Posted by BajaGringo

Personally I prefer to just import a vehicle down here or buy one here with Baja plates.

Can you get a Sentri pass if your car has Mexican plates? Both our cars have Sonoran plates, and we have dl's to match.

Originally Posted by Terrigreen

Can you get a Sentri pass if your car has Mexican plates? Both our cars have Sonoran plates, and we have dl's to match.

Yes

I have a Ca. D.L. and my car is registered in Ca. with my Ensenada Adress.
the renewal notice comes to my house in punta banda and I pay the fee online and they send the renewal sticker to my house. It usually takes about 2 mos for the mail to arrive from Sacramento but it always appears.