Question on CO DL/Residency (for sale, lease, car registration)

[krispyco]

I am finishing grad school in the Midwest and moving to Colorado to join family and begin my professional career. Some of the jobs I have been finding require a CO driver's license and/or CO residency. I will be moving out there in the Spring, but will be living with family until I have found solid employment and am ready to get my own place. So, I won't have proof of rent payment or a lease, let alone local pay stubs. I will be helping with bills and they are willing to have me officially take over payment of utils/phone, etc. if that helps.

I found the following with respect to CO DL's in an earlier thread:

* Drivers must obtain a Colorado license if they have resided in the state for 90 consecutive days and do not qualify for an exemption (e.g., military or student). In other words, if you are unemployed and have been crashing on the couch at a friend's house for more three months, you are considered a Colorado resident, even if you never bothered to rent a place of your own.

My question's are:

How does one establish 90 days consecutive residency without rent/lease/home ownership/pay stubs?

Does the ability to have a bill in my name for consecutive months help in some way, and is this a catch-22 in that to get an acceptable bill type in my name require proof of residency I won't have?

Worst case scenario I will have to either immediately take any job I can get or sign a short-term lease on a cheap place to help get the ball rolling.

Thank you for any advice.

[tfox]

I think the post you're referring to simply means that you're required to get a DL after being here 90 days, not that you have to prove that you have been here 90 days to get one. I'm quite certain that you can get a DL immediately after arrival, though you will need to have an address for them to mail it to you. Your parents' address will do fine.

When you move from your parents', you may have to update your address at the driver's license office, though many people who move frequently never bother to do so.

[Dogmama50]

You don't need a pay stub or lease for proof of residency. Though your family could draw up a "lease" and then you could use that to show your address. You will probably have bank statements, a cell phone bill, student loans statements, car insurance bills that will have your new address.

[krispyco]

Thanks tfox, I just assumed there must be some proof of residency required. I guess not. I'll probably go to the local DMV on my next visit (during the holidays) and apply for the CO DL. I'd be driving with it for a few months back in the Midwest before my final move, but it makes one less thing to do once I arrive for good.

Appreciate the help.

[vegaspilgrim]

No proof of address is required-- at least it wasn't when I re-became a CO resident earlier this year.

[Snikt]

Ditto, I got my DL on like day 3

By the way the car registration fees here are stupid expensive. I just paid like 500$ to register my car

[phetaroi]

I just moved here in June, and 5 weeks later bought a townhouse...so after about 35 days I got my driver license. No questions asked.

BTW, don't go to the state office, go to the county office. That's what I was advised to do, and I was in and out of the COS office near the airport in...literally...7 minutes.

[tfox]

Originally Posted by Snikt

Ditto, I got my DL on like day 3

By the way the car registration fees here are stupid expensive. I just paid like 500$ to register my car

Indeed, they are high, and they are especially punishing for newer models. It's important to note that your city, county, and state of current residence is what they pay attention to, not where you bought the vehicle, even if you bought it out of state or in another county, or from a private party. You will pay the tax man from the state, city, and county for registration, and when you first register they will hit you again for sales tax if you acquired the vehicle recently.

[Snikt]

Originally Posted by tfox

Indeed, they are high, and they are especially punishing for newer models. It's important to note that your city, county, and state of current residence is what they pay attention to, not where you bought the vehicle, even if you bought it out of state or in another county, or from a private party. You will pay the tax man from the state, city, and county for registration, and when you first register they will hit you again for sales tax if you acquired the vehicle recently.

Arapahoe County here, it's still crazy. If I bought a Ferrari or something the registration would prolly be like 10,000$?

Is it still expensive every other year also?

In FL at least I don't ever remember spending more than 100-200$ initial registration and like 50$ for each year after