Registering Your Car While Travel Nursing – Part Two
December 30, 2022
*last updated December 2022*
Before getting into this resource, make sure you checked out Part One of Registering Your Car While Travel Nursing! I give my simple answer there to the question of “do I ever need to register my car where I’m working as a travel nurse?” and now in this post I’ll get into the complicated, but more comprehensive answer. This is specifically related to travel nurses as non-resident temporary workers; I’m not covering the laws/exemptions for military or students. Here are the summarized relevant state by state laws concerning non-resident vehicle registration as they apply to travel nurses!
disclosure
I am in no way guaranteeing that this is totally comprehensive and I recommend you double check my work to make sure it is up to date before relying on it. The best course of action would be to contact the state DMV or county auditor of wherever you’re moving and listen to what state/town officials tell you. However, this can provide you with some resources state-by-state so you’re not totally surprised or unprepared. I will hyperlink my source to each state name below so, again, check there to make sure this information is still up to date.
I’ve done my best to summarize my findings, but honestly even the state government websites are quite unclear about the rules most of the time so it’s a little tough. It’s also worth noting that many states require a state license to register your car there so that may be required as well. If you are from a state that doesn’t require car insurance (AKA New Hampshire – Live Free or Die), be aware that most states do require insurance meaning that would be a requirement as well.
***Most states talk about how you need to register your car if you accept “gainful employment” in the state as this would make you a resident. I wonder if this may not apply to travel nurses who are *technically* employed by their travel nursing agency…not the hospital and therefore not the state within which they’re working. Travel nurses are contracted workers. If you chose to not adhere to the state laws below, I wonder if you could argue that if it became an issue.
laws by state
- States beginning with letters A-F
- States beginning with letters G-L
- States beginning with M
- States beginning with N
- States beginning with letters O-S
- States beginning with letters T-W
ALABAMA – You have 30 days to register your car. You may be able to apply for a 20 day temporary tag.
ALASKA – If staying in state for more than 60 days you have to register your car or if working in Alaska you must apply for registration within ten days of entering the state or taking a job within the state.
ARIZONA – You are required to register if you remain in Arizona for a total of seven months plus during a calendar year. At that point you’re considered a “resident” regardless of your permanent residence. Technically, their website says you’re also a resident if you simply work in Arizona, so in that case you may be able to apply for a 90-day registration for a discounted rate ($15).
ARKANSAS – You have 30 days to register if a resident, non-residents may be in state for up to six months without having to register, after that you’re considered a resident (based on 2019 Arkansas Code)
CALIFORNIA – If you are “gainfully employed” within the state you have 20 days from the point that employment is accepted or residence is established.
COLORADO – You are a resident if gainfully employed in the state or if you reside in state for more than 90 days. You have 30 days to transfer your license and 90 to register your vehicle.
CONNECTICUT – You have 90 days from establishing residency which requires establishing a permanent residence and being in state for 183+ days during the calendar year.
DELAWARE – It sounds like if you are a “nonresident” there is no requirement for you to register. You are a resident if you spend 183+ days in state and maintain a “place of abode.”
District of Columbia – You have to register after 60 continuous days of being in DC, but you can apply for an exemption or reciprocity.
FLORIDA – You have 10 days from establishing residency which includes starting work in the state or living in the state for more than six consecutive months.
GEORGIA – Non-residents may operate their vehicle in state for 30 days then you must get a Georgia license & register your car.
HAWAII – You can operate your vehicle without re-registering it if you obtain an Out-of-State-Vehicle permit and a Hawaii safety check inspection. I checked this with a couple different counties and it seems to be consistent, but Hawaii doesn’t have a statewide DMV so you may need to further check your individual county.
IDAHO – If you will be living in Idaho for more than 90 days (continually), you have to register your car – but this only applies if you don’t have a primary residence elsewhere. So it sounds like you shouldn’t have to register your car in Idaho as long as you aren’t spending the majority of the year there.
ILLINOIS – You have 30 days to apply for an Illinois title and registration, but you can apply for a “reciprocity permit.“
INDIANA – You have 60 days from establishing residency in the state to register your car, but you are not an Indiana resident if you live in the state for less than 183 days (and possibly even if you do, but maintain a residence in another state). Your home state may have to offer reciprocity with Indiana if you wish to avoid registering after the given 183 days.
IOWA – If your employment in Iowa is temporary (not exceeding 90 days) you shouldn’t have to register, otherwise you have 30 days from establishing residency. However, you have to intend to remain in the state permanently or indefinitely to count as a resident.
KANSAS – Kansas gives 90 days from establishing residence or domicile to register your car. This would include renting a place of residence for more than 90 days and/or accepting employment.
KENTUCKY – You have 15 days to apply to register your car. You may be able to apply for a 60 day temporary registration, there also may exist some reciprocity agreements with other states, though I could find no details on which states.
LOUISIANA – You have 30 days to register your car.
MAINE – Once you establish residency, you have 30 days to register your car. You are considered a “statutory resident” if you spend more than 183 days in Maine during the tax year and maintained a permanent place of abode.
MARYLAND – You must register your car in Maryland if the car will be kept in state for more than 60 days, but you can apply for a non-resident permit to extend the 60 day limit (up to one year) as a temporary employee.
MASSACHUSETTS – You must register your car once you become a resident, there is no grace period. You must be domiciled (permanent residence) in Massachusetts or spend more than 183 days within a tax year in the state to be considered a resident. However, it seems that using your vehicle in direct connection with your place of business in the state may require you to register it – it’s not completely clear.
MICHIGAN – You have to register your car if operating it for more than 90 days within the state.
MINNESOTA – You have 60 days to register your car, but this may be extended if there is reciprocity with your home state/the state your car is registered in. No such extension will be possible if you are employed in Minnesota (on the same job) for six or more months.
MISSISSIPPI – You have 30 days from establishing residency to register your car. Cars “domiciled” in Mississippi need to be titled & registered as well.
MISSOURI – You have 30 days from becoming a resident to title & register your vehicle.
MONTANA – Non-residents employed in Montana must register their car, but can apply for a temporary registration per calendar quarter.
NEBRASKA – You have 30 days from entering the state to register your car, unless your home state grants some kind of reciprocity. Currently, only North Carolina and Wyoming share reciprocity with Nebraska.
NEVADA – You have to register your car within 30 days of entering the state assuming you reside in Nevada and accept gainful employment there. Even as a non-resident you have a limit of 30 days per calendar year to operate your car within the state.
NEW HAMPSHIRE – A nonresident has no obligation to register their car in New Hampshire. If you establish domicile/residence you have 60 days from that point to register your car.
NEW JERSEY – You have 60 days to title & register your car (120 days during a “public health emergency”).
NEW MEXICO – You may operate your vehicle as a nonresident for up to 180 days, but if you’re gainfully employed within New Mexico for 30 days or more within a 60 day period (unless commuting from home state) you are considered a resident and must register immediately.
NEW YORK – You must register your car within 30 days of becoming a resident. You are presumed to be a resident if you live in New York for 90 days or more.
NORTH CAROLINA – You have 60 days from establishing permanent residency in North Carolina to register your car. It seems non-residents have to follow the same rules.
NORTH DAKOTA – You have to register your car when employment is accepted (or when residency is established, whichever comes first). They do offer a temporary registration for a minimum of six months.
OHIO – You are considered a resident of Ohio once you sign a lease or take a job within the state. Within 30 days of establishing residency you must register your car.
OKLAHOMA – If you are employed within the state you have 30 days from the date of employment to register the car. If you are commuting from an adjoining state you are exempt.
OREGON – If you stay in Oregon continuously for at least six months per year you are considered a resident. You are required to register your car if you use the vehicle for pay or profit within Oregon (presumably if you’re employed within the state), in which case you have 30 days to register your car. You may be exempt if you can prove your work and lease are temporary.
PENNSYLVANIA – You have 20 days from establishing residency to register your car. You are required to register your car if using it to get to a place of employment within the state.
RHODE ISLAND – Within 30 days of moving to Rhode Island you have to title & register your car, this includes non-residents who work in the state.
SOUTH CAROLINA – You have 45 days from moving to the state to register, and you may be able to get a 45 day temporary registration. Turns out we were supposed to register our car there…whoops!
SOUTH DAKOTA – If you’re residing in the state for more than 90 days you’re considered a resident and have to register your car. They also grant reciprocity so you won’t have to pay additional tax if your state already charged you 4% or more in tax.
TENNESSEE – You have 30 consecutive days in state to register your car. If your state offers reciprocity with Tennessee then you may be granted more time equivalent to however long your state (that your car is registered in) allows for nonresidents from Tennessee to have.
TEXAS – You have 30 days to register you car in Texas if you’re gainfully employed within the state, though you may be granted an exemption if there is reciprocity in your state. If you live in an adjoining state you are also exempt.
UTAH – In Utah you must register your car within 60 days if you live in the state for a total of six or more months (continuously or non-continuously), and/or if you work in Utah other than “seasonal work” and you don’t commute from out of state.
VERMONT – You have 60 days after establishing residency to Vermont to register your car. If you are a temporary worker, you may not be considered a resident.
VIRGINIA – You have 30 days from moving to the state to register your car, although if you are considered a non-resident you may go up to six months without registering. This may be extended if your home state offers reciprocity with Virginia.
WASHINGTON – Non-residents are not required to register their car unless they become Washington residents.
WEST VIRGINIA – You must register your car within 30 days of establishing residency in West Virginia; the same applies for if you work within the state. If your work is temporary in nature, you do not have to register your car, but you do have to apply for a special permit for your car that lasts for 60 days and can be renewed.
WISCONSIN – You do not have to register your car if your home state offers similar reciprocity with Wisconsin. Otherwise, you will be limited in accordance with how your state would limit a Wisconsin resident in a similar situation within your state additional to Wisconsin’s rules which mandate you to register your car within 30 days or less depending on the county.
WYOMING – Wyoming offers temporary permits for up to 120 days for out of state workers. After 120 days you are considered a resident. They offer reciprocity with Idaho, Illinois, Nebraska, and New Mexico meaning if your car is registered in one of those states you don’t need the temporary permit, unless you stay for more than 120 days.
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