We signed up with escapees to get began with our nomad life, and all the pieces has gone fairly effectively. They’ve guides arrange, for all of the totally different states that assist you to declare domicile if you are residing on the highway, that information you thru all of the steps it is advisable to take to get all the pieces performed.
The toughest half was getting from New Jersey to the west facet of South Dakota and again within the period of time we had obtainable. Have been there different hiccups alongside the way in which? Positive there have been, however so far as the method to register, it was fairly painless.
Drivers License
One factor to bear in mind is that the South Dakota Drivers Licensing workplace (the first step) is closed on Mondays. Yeah… Who knew. We left Thursday evening to make it to Fast Metropolis for Sunday evening, in order that we may hit the bottom working very first thing Monday morning.
Okay, change of plans, Monday is now monument touring day. We went again residence (to the RV) and made some breakfast, bundled up good and heat as a result of its 20 levels out this morning, (We nailed it on the plan of by no means being chilly once more…) and headed in the direction of Mount Rushmore.


After we have been performed at Rushmore we headed over to Loopy Horse. And if these two stops are in your listing of issues to do when establishing your South Dakota domicile, I’d suggest taking pictures for doing them on a Friday. Friday after 4pm you’ll be able to take a journey as much as the highest of Loopy Horse and be nose to nose with him, in the course of the week that’s not an choice as it’s an lively work website.


After we have been performed trying out the museum and outlets at Loopy Horse, we determined to take a journey over to Custer State Park which is true up the highway, as a result of as , Loretta has an infatuation with Buffalo and a big herd calls Custer residence in the course of the winter.


Drive the wildlife loop if you happen to determine to make this cease, and sooner or later you WILL come throughout this large herd of fluffy cows. Simply keep in mind, NO PETTING THEM!
After we have been performed with our sight seeing day, we retired to the RV, made some dinner and determined to attempt once more Tuesday morning. The license workplace opens at 7:00 am so we deliberate on being there after they opened.
Drivers License, Spherical Two
All advised from parking the truck, to each strolling out with our South Dakota drivers licenses, we have been there for Perhaps 40 minutes. Be sure you have the paperwork listed within the Domicile Information, and you’ll be out and in.
One factor to bear in mind, that isn’t spelled out within the information, is that your Title must be on the receipt to your keep in South Dakota. If there’s two of you, each names should be on it. That was the one factor that held us up a little bit, BUT, not like New Jersey, the folks right here have been very pleasant and useful with serving to us work out get previous this sticking level since solely My Title was on the receipt.
Automobile Registration
Subsequent cease is over to the Tax Workplace to register the autos. We deliberate on being right here for hours, simply because we knew there can be T’s to cross and I’s to dot in triplicate since there are loans on 2 of the Truck and RV. Our sons automobile we personal outright, and that course of was solely about 10 minutes.
The Truck and RV did take a little bit bit longer, and required a little bit extra paperwork to be stuffed out, which we form of anticipated anyway. We ended up working with a lady named Erica and we actually can’t say sufficient about her and the way pleasant and useful she was all through all the course of.
She guided us by way of the paperwork we wanted on high of what we had introduced with us. She gave us her e-mail tackle so we may ship her a doc that we didn’t have with us. She put collectively a file with our paperwork, with a notice on what we nonetheless wanted, and what we have been ready on from the finance firms to maintain on her desk.
Erica has been a incredible breath of recent air from a authorities workplace. We simply acquired an e-mail yesterday, every week after we left South Dakota that the title for our truck had lastly are available from the finance firm, so they may course of the registration, and ship us our plates after we paid for the transaction over the telephone.
South Dakota Domicile IS That Simple
For those who comply with the information the method on the tax workplace does go pretty easily, and the workers there may be fairly useful. After we arrived there have been possibly 10 folks in line and it moved fairly rapidly. I’d say we have been out and in in about an hour and a half.
Talking to native lady in line, at this time was her third day attempting to get in to the workplace. She stated the final 2 instances she pulled into the parking zone, noticed the road to get to the counter, and pulled again out. It does sound like we acquired fortunate with the day we got here in, and that this variable would be the luck of the draw within the course of.
On the plus facet, when you get nearly all of your paperwork performed, South Dakota does allow you to end the method by way of e-mail and make cost over the telephone, which makes all the factor lots much less of a headache.
For those who occur to be headed east on the way in which residence, or west on the way in which out, I’d positively suggest the Iowa 80 truck cease for a great leg stretcher cease. It’s the worlds largest truck cease, and if there may be something you wanted for the journey that you simply forgot, they’ve it there.


All advised all the journey was 8 days. We left on a Thursday evening, and acquired again mid day the next Friday. The drive was the hardest half as we spent extra time on the highway in the course of the day than we usually like to simply to remain contained in the time constraints we had from our private life. And on the plus facet, I didn’t should combat a bear like I did in Yellowstone.
Now now we have our South Dakota drivers licenses, our automobile registrations are in course of, and our plates are being mailed to us as quickly as they arrive in. One step nearer…
The one factor left to do now’s hit the open highway.
Planning a visit to the Dakotas? Try our listing of Should Have Street Journey Apps.