Moving from HOU to LA in 2 months (car registration, insurance)

[Carolineno]

Hi!
So I've been planning this move for over a year, but I still have a few questions for anyone else who has done the same thing.
My main question is, is it necessary to permanently change my residency? My income is mostly freelance, and they don't care where my state residency is. However, if I decide to get a permanent job out there, is it going to be necessary to be a bona fide CA resident?
I don't want to pay state taxes is the only thing. Plus I'd like to wait a year or so and get settled in and decide if I'm even going to stay.

Also, do I need to transfer my car registration to CA? It's paid off and in someone else's name. And how do I handle car insurance? I'm on a joint insurance plan with my family here in TX. When I move, can I stay on the same insurance plan or do I need to get a different one?

Please forgive my ignorance. I've never lived anywhere else before!

[californio sur]

Originally Posted by Carolineno

Hi!
So I've been planning this move for over a year, but I still have a few questions for anyone else who has done the same thing.
My main question is, is it necessary to permanently change my residency? My income is mostly freelance, and they don't care where my state residency is. However, if I decide to get a permanent job out there, is it going to be necessary to be a bona fide CA resident?
I don't want to pay state taxes is the only thing. Plus I'd like to wait a year or so and get settled in and decide if I'm even going to stay.

Also, do I need to transfer my car registration to CA? It's paid off and in someone else's name. And how do I handle car insurance? I'm on a joint insurance plan with my family here in TX. When I move, can I stay on the same insurance plan or do I need to get a different one?

Please forgive my ignorance. I've never lived anywhere else before!

If you don't want to pay California taxes stay in Texas. Otherwise you will be a leech on our state and you are not welcomed.

[ladoll]

When you move to another state to live and work, you need to take steps to become a legal resident of that state. You have 20 days to register your vehicle in California, ten days to get a California driver's license, and most of all, you pay our state taxes. If you don't like that, then stay in Texas.

[HarryKerry]

Agreed. You wouldn't even be sucessful at not registering you vehicle because the cops will notice you and they will stop you, as in they have seen you with out of state plates for months, so don't bother lying about it to the cops. AND if it appears to the officer that you have been egregious in your neglect to register the vehicle (months since you arrived), I think they can tow your car away and you have to find your own way home and pay to get your car out and pay the fines for not registering and it goes on and on and you DON'T want the CA DMV in your life. The DMV offices are a ZOO.

Please, just pay your taxes if you settle here. You will sleep better at night, and be aware that the very flawed state of California probably has punishments and fines for you to pay when the state of CA catches up to you, as they did someone in my family, who did not pay state taxes when they should have all along. It may take years, but they will garnish your wages and you are liable for BACK taxes and they will make life miserable for you.

Do the right things, and be clean with any government. I would never want to mess with Texas, so don't mess with California. The state is HARSH on folks who do as you think you might do.