# As a U.S. expatriate, what state am I a citizen of (if any)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 1, 2003, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-u-s-expatriate-what-state-am-i-a-citizen-of-if-any/198975 "2003-09-01T15:59:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-u-s-expatriate-what-state-am-i-a-citizen-of-if-any/198975/21 "2003-09-03T04:05:32Z")
Oh, thanks, Cliffy! ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-u-s-expatriate-what-state-am-i-a-citizen-of-if-any/198975/22 "2003-09-03T11:59:43Z")
Colabri, you can also take steps to prove that you are a citizen of a paticular state. Eg. get a legal drivers license, register to vote, file tax returns, etc. This is especially key for establishing residency for in-State tuition purposes. For example, to qualify as a resident for the University of California. ---
**Author:** ![No\_Me\_Ayudes\_Compadre](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/no_me_ayudes_compadre/32/5224_2.png) [@No\_Me\_Ayudes\_Compadre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_Me_Ayudes_Compadre)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-u-s-expatriate-what-state-am-i-a-citizen-of-if-any/198975/23 "2003-09-03T14:39:11Z")
I am not a lawyer or accountant, but base the following on qualified professional advice given to me, and to some extent my own, reasonably informed interpretation of the relevant provisions. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought, blah blah blah. My last U.S. residence was in Illinois. I still maintain ties to Illinois, including keeping a current driver’s license and having an abode available to me, and therefore I consider myself to be a legal permanent resident of the state. But since I’m not actually, physically residing in the state, I consider myself not to be a resident for tax purposes in Illinois. Under Illinois tax law, a resident is (among other definitions) a person who is domiciled in the state but is absent for a temporary or transitory purpose during the taxable year. I have been in Mexico continuously since 1997 except for brief visits outside of Mexico. I own a home in Mexico and not in Illinois, and for all U.S. purposes I am a Mexican tax resident with a tax home outside the U.S. In a typical year I’m in Illinois for 2 or 3 weeks total, in the context of family vacation. Also, I do not exercise any employment in Illinois, although I do derive certain professional fees from an Illinois source, in an independent activity carried on in Mexico. So, my absence is not temporary or transitory, and I deem myself not to be a resident of Illinois and file no IL tax return. That said, I consider myself to be a legal resident of Illinois, arguably having a “true, fixed and permanent” home available to me, with which my Illinois bank accounts and other personal matters are associated. My immigration status in Mexico is business visitor, notwithstanding the fact that I’ve been here for seven years on this stay… I don’t have or seek a permanent resident status in Mexico. I have an Illinois driver’s license, for which I evidently qualify by having a previous DL. No facility staff has ever asked how long I’ve been in Illinois, or whether I am physically residing in Illinois. I suppose there’s a circular argument in that you qualify for a DL by being a resident, and partly qualify as a resident by evidencing the place of residence with a DL. I voluntarily surrendered my voter registration in 1997 because I was getting persistent jury calls without being physically present in the state. If I decided to reregister, I expect I could easily do so using my valid DL and proof of address. Unless and until the resident definition under the IL Income Tax Act generally covers all persons with an IL driver’s license or claiming a permanent home in the state without regard to actualy physical presence, or until the DL renewal requirements call for resident tax status, I believe that I can be both a resident and nonresident of the state, as described above. But back to the OP: For DC purposes, resident is defined in relevant part as an individual domiciled within the District at any time during the taxable year, with the caveat that such individual’s absence from the District for temporary or transitory purposes shall not be regarded as changing his domicile or place of abode. See DC ST § 47-1801.04 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA OFFICIAL CODE 2001 EDITION DIVISION VIII. GENERAL LAWS. TITLE 47. TAXATION, LICENSING, PERMITS, ASSESSMENTS, AND FEES. CHAPTER 18. INCOME AND FRANCHISE TAXES. SUBCHAPTER I. REPEAL OF PRIOR INCOME TAX LAW AND APPLICABILITY OF SUBCHAPTER; GENERAL DEFINITIONS. § 47-1801.04. There may be applicable administrative regulations, which I couldn’t find in a cursory search. If in a fit of dementia you chose to follow my interpretation, you might reasonably argue that your extended stay in Panama and lack of exercise of a DC employment supports your contention that you’re not a resident of DC for tax purposes. As regards your driver’s license, since your prior registration lapsed I imagine you would need to obtain a new one. That would require proof of current residency, which you might have in your current voter ID card. However, it seems from your post that you do not have a permanent abode available to you. Unlike Illinois, DC has special provisions for “temporary absentee” driver’s licenses, which you might be required to obtain and might work against you in your construction of an ongoing absence for tax purposes. Since it also seems that your only connection to NY is receipt of deposits, it’s unlikely that you’d qualify for a NY driver’s license. ---
**Author:** ![nicky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f0a364/32.png) [@nicky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nicky)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-u-s-expatriate-what-state-am-i-a-citizen-of-if-any/198975/24 "2003-09-03T15:45:22Z")
Ive got a similiar question. Ive got dual US-UK citizenship but am resident in the UK. I dont think I qualify as a resident of any US state (I lived In Florida for a few months on and off as a child and for about 6 months over 10 years ago) Would my Presidential vote go to Florida or an expat “pool”? Last time I was in Florida I got a Florida driving licence. Ive lost it. If I ever go back there to live, can I just get a new licence issued or will I have to retake the driving test? ---
**Author:** ![No\_Me\_Ayudes\_Compadre](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/no_me_ayudes_compadre/32/5224_2.png) [@No\_Me\_Ayudes\_Compadre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_Me_Ayudes_Compadre)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-u-s-expatriate-what-state-am-i-a-citizen-of-if-any/198975/25 "2003-09-03T16:02:07Z")
I don’t think that there’s a catch-all “Americans Abroad” voter class. The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act says that a U.S. citizen may register to vote in the last U.S. state where they resided prior to leaving the country, regardless of the time passed since such exit or the lack of intent to return. You might be restricted to federal elections only, though. Voting in federal elections under that state’s elections registrar does not automatically subject you to taxation in that state. All the info you need on Florida DLs: [http://www.hsmv.state.fl.us/ddl/faqkeys.html](http://www.hsmv.state.fl.us/ddl/faqkeys.html) ---
**Author:** ![cj\_finn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@cj\_finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cj_finn)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-u-s-expatriate-what-state-am-i-a-citizen-of-if-any/198975/26 "2003-09-03T16:14:30Z")
To give you a concrete example of where you are considered to be domiciled, when I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador I was required to file federal taxes on my income. All $1200 of it. The federal forms were a pain and since I “knew” that I’d not have to pay any state tax, I simply didn’t file in Wisconsin, the state I had left upon entering the Corps. A few months later, the friendly Wisconsin IRS sent me a letter saying I owed something like $3000 in taxes and penalties, based on the estimated earnings of an engineer in the state. So I filed the silly form and got a refund of about $30. Regardless of where you intend to land upon returning to the US, or if you don’t intend to return at all, the last state (or territory or district) in which you lived will still consider you to be a resident for voting and tax purposes. You will have to change your domicile as described by cliffy to get it modified and those rules differ from locale to locale. good luck. cj ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-u-s-expatriate-what-state-am-i-a-citizen-of-if-any/198975/27 "2003-09-03T17:03:08Z")
FYI: [http://dmv.washingtondc.gov/main.shtm](http://dmv.washingtondc.gov/main.shtm) Department of Motor Vehicles 301 C Street NW Washington, DC 20001\_\_ (202) 727-5000 I’d spend the time and money on a call, if I were you. Meanwhile: [http://dmv.washingtondc.gov/serv/dlicense/renewal.shtm](http://dmv.washingtondc.gov/serv/dlicense/renewal.shtm) > [@](#): > > License Renewal > > The DMV makes driver’s license renewal convenient by offering renewal services at DMV service locations and online.\_ If your DC driver’s license has been expired for more than three months, \*\*you must first pass a knowledge test and a road test. \*\* > [@](#): > > Renew your Driver’s License In Person > > You must present the following original documents to renew your driver’s license in person at any DMV service location.\_ We regret that we cannot accept photocopies or scanned documents. > > 1. Completed Driver’s License/Voter Registration Application > 2. Current Driver’s License > 3. Proof of Current Residency (if you wish to change your address information) > 4. Fees > [@](#): > > Proof of Current Residency > > Any one of the following documents will be accepted: > > - Complete utility bill showing applicant’s name at current address, issued within the last 60 days > - Original lease or rental agreement with the name of the applicant listed as the lessee or renter (may include handwritten leases if notarized by lessee or authorized representative from a leasing company) > \*\*\* Voter registration card or certified voter registration application \*\* > - Written statement from a person owning the residence or residing with the applicant at the stated residence and a complete utility bill of that person and a copy of this person’s valid DC driver’s license or non-driver’s identification card > - Deed, settlement agreement, or homestead exemption certificate > - Letter from halfway house or shelter specifying that the applicant resides at that location (on letterhead) > - If the applicant is 16 or 17 years of age, the required notarized parental consent form will be accepted if accompanied by proper proof of DC residency of the parent or legal guardian. > > We regret that we cannot accept the following documents as proof of residency: > > \_ > > - Copied or scanned documents > > - Credit card statements > > - Bank statements > > - Checkbooks > > - Inmate ID cards > > - Court dispositions > > - Cell phone or pager bills > > - Insurance policies > > - Mail > > - Handwritten payroll statements So you might be able to get away with just sending them your voter registration info … though it sounds like that doesn’t exist anymore for you (i.e., they just automatically accept your absentee ballot request each time without a new registration). Also note: [http://dmv.washingtondc.gov/serv/dlicense/getlicense.shtm](http://dmv.washingtondc.gov/serv/dlicense/getlicense.shtm) > [@](#): > > First Time Driver’s License > You may apply for a DC driver’s license if you are at least 16 years old and a resident of the District. A licensed driver who moves to the District from another jurisdiction has up to 30 days to convert an out-of-state license to a DC license. If you would like to obtain your DC driver’s license for the first time, you must present the following four original documents and fees at a DMV service location: > > 1. Completed Driver’s License/Voter Registration Application > 2. Proof of Name and Date of Birth > 3. Proof of Social Security Number > 4. Proof of Current Residency > 5. Fees Look at that Application PDF, though–even if you got by on proof of residency with your voter reg. somehow, you’ll likely have to lie and enter some current DC address there as your residence. Doesn’t look like there’s any legal way around living there/having someone whose house you can claim as a residence. And just IMO, I think with post-9/11 security surrounding terrorists’ easy access to state driver’s licenses, you might be in for some trouble. PS–why do you need a U.S. license at all? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-u-s-expatriate-what-state-am-i-a-citizen-of-if-any/198975/28 "2003-09-03T23:56:56Z")
Thanks for all the input so far. A lot of it has been very helpful, especially explaining the difference between domicile and residency, and that there may be different requirements for different kinds of residency. Some additional information: I was transferred to Panama by my organization in 1992 as an “official” move, that is, they paid for it. It was for a one-year job, but since then I have gotten grants and contracts to pay my salary for periods of one to several years. So my residence here is neither permanent nor does it have a definite term; it’s indefinite. If I move back, where I go to will depend on where I get a job. I have no particular likelihood of returning to D.C. (and if I do, it sounds like I’d better look into the possibility that they could consider me to owe back taxes.) If I have a “home” in the U.S. in the sense of a place that I “always return to” it’s New York, since my family (mother, brothers and sister) are there and I visit a couple of times a year. With reference to **El Mariachi Loco’s** post, I could _possibly_ claim a “permanent home” of sorts in the state, since when I am there I stay at my mother’s house. D.C. sends me my absentee ballot on the basis of my statement that I am a resident. They have never asked me to provide evidence that I still actually reside there. But it sounds like I actually probably do qualify as a resident for federal election purposes, but probably not for District elections or for getting (or renewing) a driver’s license. The reason I’d think about getting a U.S. license is that someone told me (and I don’t know if this is true or not) that once I return I could have insurance problems if I don’t have an established driving record on a U.S. license. That is, an insurance company will check to see if you have any violations on your license, and if you have no record at all (because of no license) they will give you a higher rate. (After 11 years of dealing with Panamanian traffic, I don’t know if I’m safer or more dangerous than the average American driver. Sometimes I think I may never be able to drive in the U.S. again because of the “offensive driving” techniques I’ve had to learn to survive here. 🙂 ) Besides that, they look at you real funny when you produce a Panamanian license as proof of ID. ---
**Author:** ![Reader99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df788c/32.png) [@Reader99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reader99)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-u-s-expatriate-what-state-am-i-a-citizen-of-if-any/198975/29 "2003-09-04T04:11:13Z")
This concept of state “citizenship” is more complex than I ever imagined. Without expressing an opinion that I am not qualified to hold, here for general comment are a couple of websites: This person/organization (which seems to be part of a general anti-government website) contends that under the original provisions of the U.S. Constitution, a person was primarily a citizen of a state, and that he was a citizen of the United States ONLY as a consequence of his state citizenship. The site further argues that the 14th amendment created a new U.S. citizenship that did not previously exist, and actually conflicts with the original intent of the Constitution. The writer also contends that state court decisions provide that a person may be a citizen of a state WITHOUT being a citizen of the United States. [http://www.dlois.com/realtruth/FreedomStuff/State%20Citizen%20or%20US%20Citizen.htm](http://www.dlois.com/realtruth/FreedomStuff/State%20Citizen%20or%20US%20Citizen.htm) This site offers itself as a primary source of information on state citizenship, with numerous links to other citations (far more than I have had time to read): [http://thestatecitizen.freeyellow.com/page2.htm](http://thestatecitizen.freeyellow.com/page2.htm) At first glance, there does not seem to be universal agreement on what constitutes citizenship of the U.S. or of any state, or how the rights and obligations of citizens may be precisely defined. (This all seems to go way beyond “residence” of any kind.) Could someone make some sense of this? Or are these just rantings of political extremists? As a practical matter, do these issues affect me when I renew my driver’s license or pay my taxes? (And I’m not even planning to move anywhere.) ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-u-s-expatriate-what-state-am-i-a-citizen-of-if-any/198975/30 "2003-09-04T15:48:47Z")
There’s nothing complex about it. The Constitution of the United States of America specifically states that a citizen of the United States is a citizen of the state in which he is resident. Ignore all the guesses posted above and concentrate on the facts. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-u-s-expatriate-what-state-am-i-a-citizen-of-if-any/198975/31 "2003-09-04T16:02:07Z")
[rather pointless nitpick] > [@](#): > > the friendly Wisconsin IRS It’s the DoR, Department of Revenue. Although it can be quite friendly! [/rather pointless nitpick] ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-u-s-expatriate-what-state-am-i-a-citizen-of-if-any/198975/32 "2003-09-04T21:21:14Z")
You don’t have to leave the country for this to be a problem. I grew up in Arkansas and have family there, but I have no intention of returning there to live or work in the forseeable future. After college, I moved to Colorado for one year through Americorps. Colorado law states (as I recall) that a person is a resident if they have a job in Colorado or live there more than 30 days. I definitely know that I had 30 days to register my car in Colorado and swap my Arkansas drivers licence for a CO one or be unable to drive. I also registered to vote there. When I got the CO liscence, I swore that I was a CO resident and that I did not claim residence in any other state (thereby giving up AR residence, right?). I **never** considered CO my “home,” however, and always intended to leave after a year. At the end of the year, I moved to DC, but without my car. I understand that DC allows one to maintain residence in another state indefinitely while living and working in DC. I am a graduate student here in DC, and will leave DC when I graduate, probably in January 2005. I ahve no idea where I will go from there, and don’t consider anywhere to be my “permanent residence.” I have a Colorado drivers liscence (which I recently lost–can I get a new one) and am registered to vote there, but have no address there at which I am even known. (New people live in the house I was in, who may or may not recognize my name.) I explicitly gave up residence in AR (I thought) and don’t reside (legally) in DC. Where am I? (Legally, that is.) ---
**Author:** ![KenGr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecc23a/32.png) [@KenGr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KenGr)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-u-s-expatriate-what-state-am-i-a-citizen-of-if-any/198975/33 "2003-09-05T00:54:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Monty \* > \*\*There’s nothing complex about it. The Constitution of the United States of America specifically states that a citizen of the United States is a citizen of the state in which he is resident. Ignore all the guesses posted above and concentrate on the facts. \*\* Fine. I think what we are all trying to say is, in light of that bold simple statement, where does that leave those of us who are legal residents of a foreign country. Again, I am a US citizen. I have a card in my wallet which says I am a fully legal registered resident of Korea. I am an expatriate and qualify for the US federal tax exclusion because I do not maintain my primary residence within the US. I own property in the US. My income is taxed by the state of Michigan. I vote only for Federal elections. What state am I a citizen (or resident) of? I think, legally, none. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-u-s-expatriate-what-state-am-i-a-citizen-of-if-any/198975/34 "2003-09-05T04:03:35Z")
Where does it leave you? It leaves you as legally a resident of the state in which you were legally resident upon your departure for parts out country. You can, if you so desire, vote in Michigan elections. Isn’t that what one of the links posted earlier said? As far as your Korean residency goes, that’s up to Korea to decide. ---
**Author:** ![KenGr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecc23a/32.png) [@KenGr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KenGr)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-u-s-expatriate-what-state-am-i-a-citizen-of-if-any/198975/35 "2003-09-05T11:12:51Z")
I only vote in the Presidential election because I only request that absentee ballot. I said I think I could vote local if I wanted to because I could find no way that Michigan would know that I am an expatriate (except the address on my tax return, but I use my US business address for that). ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-u-s-expatriate-what-state-am-i-a-citizen-of-if-any/198975/36 "2003-09-05T23:28:23Z")
**ruadh** and **j-beda** linked to the Federal Voting Assistance Program site earlier. For the record, here’s what they say specifically: > [@](#): > > OVERSEAS CITIZENS > > **If I do not maintain a legal residence in the U.S., what is my "legal state of residence?"** > Your “legal state of residence” for voting purposes is the state or territory where you last resided immediately prior to your departure from the United States. This right extends to overseas citizens even though they may not have property or other ties in their last state or territory of residence and their intent to return to that state or territory may be uncertain. When completing the residence section of the FPCA, be sure to enter the entire mailing address of your last residence, including street or rural route and number. This information is necessary to place you in the proper voting district, ward, precinct or parish. Family members of citizens residing overseas, who are U.S. citizens and who have never resided in the U.S., usually, if the state allows, claim one of their U.S. citizen parent’s legal state or territory of residence as their own. Check Chapter 3 of the Guide. > > **Will I be taxed by my last state or territory of residence if I vote absentee?** > Exercising your right to vote in elections for Federal offices only, does not affect the determination of residence or domicile for purposes of any tax imposed under Federal, state, or local law. Voting in an election for Federal office only, may not be used as the sole basis to determine residency for the purpose of imposing state and local taxes. If you claim a particular state or territory as your residence and have other ties with that state or territory in addition to voting, then you may be liable for state and local taxation, depending upon the laws of that particular state or territory. Consult the Guide or a legal advisor for information on probable tax obligations. This indicates to me that one has the right to vote not just for president, but for any federal office, including ones from a particular state such as U.S. Senator and U.S. Representative. (Of course, even in a presidential election one is actually voting for the electors from the state, rather than the candidate himself.) This implies to me that one must therefore be considered a citizen of the state of last residence. This is irrespective of whether or not one pays state taxes or maintains any kind of residence in the state. However, it would seem that if you want to vote for state offices such as governer or state legislators, one _may_ also become liable for state taxes. Regarding **KenGr’s** last point, here is the application form for a [DC Absentee Ballot](http://www.dcboee.org/htmldocs/absenreq.htm). As you can see, it is extremely simple - you do not have to provide any evidence that you are actually a resident. I have always filled the application in using my last address, which is the address on my voter registration. I had never been entirely sure this was correct, but from the info on the FVAP site it appears to be the right thing to do, even though I have not lived there for 11 years. My conclusions from all this: 1. I am a citizen of the District of Columbia. Because of this, I have a right to vote for federal offices from the district, including for presidential electors and the non-voting District Representative in the House. 2. I am not a resident of DC. I cannot vote for DC local offices. I do not maintain a residence in DC, and do not pay local taxes. I am a legal resident of Panama. 3. In some states, and maybe DC, I might be able to qualify as a resident, depending on local laws, and thereby vote in local elections. However, this might make me liable for local taxes. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-u-s-expatriate-what-state-am-i-a-citizen-of-if-any/198975/37 "2003-09-05T23:31:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Colibri \* > \*\*2) I am not a resident of DC. I cannot vote for DC local offices. I do not maintain a residence in DC, and do not pay local taxes. I am a legal resident of Panama. > \*\* OK, I should have said I’m a resident of DC only for federal voting purposes, and not a resident in any other sense. ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-u-s-expatriate-what-state-am-i-a-citizen-of-if-any/198975/38 "2003-09-06T01:10:50Z")
Just to add another, most likely useless, fact into this thread, under [Article 2, section 4](http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?co=4) of the New York State Constitution: > [@](#): > > For the purpose of voting, no person shall be deemed to have > gained or lost a residence, by reason of his or her presence or absence, > while employed in the service of the United States; nor while engaged in > the navigation of the waters of this state, or of the United States, or > of the high seas; nor while a student of any seminary of learning; nor > while kept at any almshouse, or other asylum, or institution wholly or > partly supported at public expense or by charity; nor while confined in > any public prison. As you work for a U.S. Agency (which I’m guessing qualifies as the “service of the United States”), and if you did so when you moved out of New York , you may be eligible to vote as a New York resident. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-u-s-expatriate-what-state-am-i-a-citizen-of-if-any/198975/39 "2003-09-06T02:58:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Monty \* > \*\*There’s nothing complex about it. The Constitution of the United States of America specifically states that a citizen of the United States is a citizen of the state in which he is resident. Ignore all the guesses posted above and concentrate on the facts. \*\* I think the theory is simple but the practice is something different. When you start figuring in what elections you are allowed to vote and who you pay taxes to things become more difficult. My parents had some difficulty with this with Arizona. My parents are sunbirds who maintain a residence in Illinois and one in Arizona and rougly split their time 50-50 between the two states. Both of my parents continue to work…my mother as a consultant and my dad as an attorney (he took the bar exam in Arizona which automatically enrolled him in some "Young Attorneys association…my dad was in his 70’s so it was somewhat humorous). Arizona has unfavorable vehicle tax laws so my parents kept their cars in Arizona registered in Illinois that has much lower yearly vehicle tax. I forget the details but so many people were doing this Arizona somehow clamped down so now their cars are registered in Arizona even though my parents are ‘citizens’ of Illinois and have Illinois drivers licenses. Then you get into income taxes. My parents earn money in both states and their taxes are a nightmare to muddle through. In another example IIRC Illinois has some provision to collect income taxes from Indiana residents who work in Illinois. I’m not sure how that works either but the bottom line is that claiming citizenship of this or that state might be simple but managing the ins and outs can be something else entirely. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-u-s-expatriate-what-state-am-i-a-citizen-of-if-any/198975.md?page=1)