Residency

wind

5-Year Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2011
Messages
37
Do cadets typically maintain residency in their home states? Is it even possible to use USAFA as your place of residence and to become a resident of CO?
 
Yes, and yes.

I changed to CO for convenience (and because I was going to need to find a lawyer to keep up with some of my old state's crazy laws.)

Be careful though. CO has some high taxes and fees. It is often worth it to keep your residency from your old state.
 
Yes, and yes.

I changed to CO for convenience (and because I was going to need to find a lawyer to keep up with some of my old state's crazy laws.)

Be careful though. CO has some high taxes and fees. It is often worth it to keep your residency from your old state.

I live in IL...so I think our taxes are higher, but I will look into it...

What exactly is the process for switching residency to Colorado?
 
How to change "legal residency" (domicile)

First, military personnel often may be better off not changing residency to the state in which they're stationed unless there are longer-range reasons for doing so, e.g., qualify for in-state tuition at some later point. They are exempt from property taxes and income taxes in the state in which they're stationed (but of course are liable for them to the state of legal residence (domicile). They can also use their home state's driver's license. Think of "legal residence" (or domicile) as state citizenship. Physical residence is wherever you happen to be living.

How to change: No big deal. All it takes is presence in the new state and intent to abandon the old state and become a resident of the new one. Establishing intent is where the problems usually arise. Both states will require that the intent be manifested through actions, usually called "significant contacts" in law. That's easy to do: get the new state's driver's license and vehicle tags; register to vote in the new state; pay income and property taxes to the new state; open a bank account in the new state; pay income and property taxes in up to the point of domicile change (this might, for some states, require you to file as a part-year resident in both states for the year of the change). There are no special forms to fill out, no notices to put in newspapers, etc.

Where LOTS of military people screw it up big time is saying that they "intended" to change domicile and trying to play both ends against the middle, i.e., not paying taxes to either state but then claiming in-state tuition where they think it's most attractive. Both states end up collecting, usually with **huge** interest and penalties.

Additional factoid: Legal residence and domicile are pretty interchangeable. "Home of record" is a bit of military jargon that is not synonymous with domicile (though it could be the same). HOR is where you entered the service from. Changing your legal residence doesn't change home of record. That's not a big deal because HOR is irrelevant as to the things that get impacted by legal residence.
 
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I kept my TX residency all four years and still do now while in CA. TX is one of the states people will try to get their residency in since there are no state income taxes and other fees (vehicle registration, titling, driver's license, etc.) are much cheaper than many places.
 
I kept my TX residency all four years and still do now while in CA. TX is one of the states people will try to get their residency in since there are no state income taxes and other fees (vehicle registration, titling, driver's license, etc.) are much cheaper than many places.

Hornet,

Did you bring a vehicle to the academy and did you keep the Texas license plate on the vehicle ?

Thanks.
 
Yes, I brought my TX registered vehicle to CO and kept it with its TX plates and paperwork. When I moved to CA I still kept it. AND, if I were to buy a new car anywhere, I can transfer my plates to the new car and title/register it in TX no matter my location. My room mate at USAFA bought his car in CO and registered it in SD. If you roam the cadet parking lots you will see every state represented in the plates!
 
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