Off Topic: Moving to CA??

[Nissan]

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I'm (kinda) preparing for the big move from the east coast all the way to CA, and I've had some questions coming up.

First: Is there any advantage to becoming a CA resident as soon as possible? I don't remember off hand, but I've read that within a year (or when I turn 24??) I have to get a CA driver's license... y'know, in addition to registering my car there. But should I do it as soon as I move? Or is there a benefit to maintaining my out-of-state-ness? Or was I just pulling that info out of thin air and making things up as I go?

Second: My verizon contract is almost up, and I was thinking of switching to AT&T so I could be on my dad's plan to save money. How does AT&T compare to Verizon in terms of coverage and call quality, specifically in SoCal? What about T-mobile or Sprint? I won't have a land line so my cell will be my primary.

I had more questions, but now I can't think of it because I'm hungry and fiending (jonesing XD?) for some BBQ..

 

[nyanko]

Forget what I said, you're moving to go to Western.

Residency doesn't matter for Western but if you get pulled over or something after having been there for awhile the cops might not be pleased that you don't have the proper address or state on your license/registration. Also for insurance purposes make sure your insurance policy is valid in CA.

 

[badcats]

Cell reception really depends on where you are. I am in the Pomona area a lot and my T-mobile works just fine but not great. Verizon is one that almost always has service down here. AT&T again has weird dead spots, as does Sprint. If you stay in the LA area, you should be fine. Also if you are looking cheap, I have no clue what the service is like, but Metro PCS is pretty inexpensive.

 

[StartingoverVet]

Residency is kind of a complicated issue legally.

Important points:
*You have to have residency somewhere if you are living in this country.
*If you don't have any other legitimate residency than it will have to be where you are living.
*Once you have moved to a new state of residency you have to transfer your license and car registrations in a stated amount of time depending on the state. In calif I believe it is 30 days. If you don't then you will be subject to large fines. (I screwed this up when I moved here and it cost me several hundred $ b/c the docs I used were old enough to prove i had screwed up)
* You have to pay taxes if you have any income in the state you are a resident of. Also you would be able to get any benefits as appropriate.

If you want to maintain your residency at your parents, you can do that. Age doesn't really matter. You can be a dependent at any age. It gets more serious if you are getting financial aid in which case you absolutely do not want to be living with/dependent on your parents.

If you don't want to maintain residency then you should transfer your stuff over as soon as possible so not to violate the regs.

No one really wants to pay taxes in Calif (they're high) but I doubt many of us will be making enough income while in school to matter.

As for cell reception, considering it is LA you would think it would be fine everywhere and for every company. Definitely not the case and the complaints are area specific and run through all the companies. I don't know anyone who is happy with their cell service. I have sprint and it is annoyingly inconsistent in the middle of L.A. Wish I had something better to say. Really is amazing that in a flat, huge city cell service is so bad, but no one wants cell towers near them anymore. End rant.

Sorry for the long response, once I get going I can't stop.

 

[quantized]

You left out our elections. We have the best elections! You've always wanted to vote for a porn star for governor, right?!

 

[StartingoverVet]

You left out our elections. We have the best elections! You've always wanted to vote for a porn star for governor, right?!

Sorry, that is most important. Especially this year as the marijuana legalization proposition will be on the ballot.

 

[Jill418]

Residency is kind of a complicated issue legally.

Important points:
*You have to have residency somewhere if you are living in this country.
*If you don't have any other legitimate residency than it will have to be where you are living.
*Once you have moved to a new state of residency you have to transfer your license and car registrations in a stated amount of time depending on the state. In calif I believe it is 30 days. If you don't then you will be subject to large fines. (I screwed this up when I moved here and it cost me several hundred $ b/c the docs I used were old enough to prove i had screwed up)
* You have to pay taxes if you have any income in the state you are a resident of. Also you would be able to get any benefits as appropriate.

If you want to maintain your residency at your parents, you can do that. Age doesn't really matter. You can be a dependent at any age. It gets more serious if you are getting financial aid in which case you absolutely do not want to be living with/dependent on your parents.

Sorry for the long response, once I get going I can't stop.

Hey there, I've lived in both LA and San Francisco but originally came from the east coast as well. Just wanted to note that in CA you have to transfer your license and car registration within 10 (TEN!) days of arrival. If they pull you over for any other reason (ie cracked windshield like they did me), they can give you a BIG ticket for not having CA plates/insurance/registration/license! My car was impounded, I was given a HUGE ticket and needed a court date in order to fix it (treated like a criminal even though all my info was up to date, just not CA). This was April of last year. Many hassles and $1000+ later, my car was released, and I got it changed to a fix-it ticket without having to go to court but, back then it was considered a "misdemeanor." The day I got the ticket it changed to a traffic violation (thank goodness for lucky timing!). But be prepared because the ticket can still be hefty! Just a warning, I'd hate for anyone to go through what I went through when I got to San Francisco. Even if you don't establish residency (there are more steps of "intent" to do so), change your license/insurance as soon as you get there. Best of luck!

 

[StartingoverVet]

To clarify: (from daviswiki) I definitely stated this incorrectly. :
If you are an out of state student attending college in California

• Age 22 or less - you can retain your driver's license and plates from home
  
• Age 23 and older you must obtain California Plates (Reference PDF Document, page 2, section 7005 - definition Non-Resident Student Exemption from Registration. You must surrender out of state plates unless you ask for Interstate Registration where you can keep your out of state plates especially if you are still a resident from outside California and return during breaks (Reference from PDF Document, page 17, section 7130)

20 days to register (from dmv)
Fees must be paid within 20 days of entry or residency to avoid penalties. Any vehicle owned by a California resident must be registered within 20 days of entry into California unless a special permit was obtained. Nonresidents whose vehicles are properly registered to them in their home state or jurisdiction may operate their vehicles in California until they:

• Accept gainful employment in California.
• Claim a homeowner's exemption in California.
• Rent or lease a residence in California.
• Intend to live or be located here on a permanent basis (for example, acquire a California driver license, acquire other licenses not ordinarily extended to a nonresident, registered to vote).
• Enroll in an institution of higher learning as a California resident or enroll their dependents in school (K-12).

10 days to get license (from DMV)
If you are a visitor in California over 18 and have a valid driver license from your home state or country, you may drive in this state without getting a California driver license as long as your home state license remains valid.

If you become a California resident, you must get a California driver license within 10 days. Residency is established by voting in a California election, paying resident tuition, filing for a homeowner’s property tax exemption, or any other privilege or benefit not ordinarily extended to nonresidents.

I am so happy I am leaving this state!