I also have that same question, What address can a homeless person use if they want to renew, or update their address on their driver license, or receive mail that only requires a physical address? I have read the answers on this forum, one person mentioned a UPS mailbox allows you to have a physical address, I ran across this website that mentions it also.Maybe write the box number in the apt. # space. Yahoo | Mail, Weather, Search, Politics, News, Finance, Sports & Videos I plan to see if that would be acceptable, and the other options as Which day shelters would agree with allowing you to use their address and what are the requirements to do so.
Well, where are you located? It all depends on the shelter. I’d be extremely surprised if any in my area would refuse to assist someone with something like that.
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I don’t think that would have helped Dai1951. His problem is not that Chinese authorities had troubles understanding the Florida license. His problem is that the Florida license is about to expire, and Florida authorities refuse to extend it on the grounds that Dai1951 isn’t resident in Florida any more.
My advice (I’m a lawyer but not your lawyer, etc) to Dai1951 is to argue to the Florida authorities that you still have a residence in Florida, even though you currently are in China. Going to another country on a short-term visa like yours (one year, with a maximum of 90 days per stay) is not enough to establish your intention to permanently reside there, so it doesn’t end your residence status in Florida. If you intend to come back to Florida afterwards, and can plausibly demonstrate this to the authorities, it should be sufficient to argue that you still reside there.
Of course, that won’t give you a Chinese license, which apparently is a requirement to drive in China since it seems China does not recognise foreign licenses, neither on a standalone basis nor with an international permit. That’s the situation under Chinese law, and you won’t be able to change that unless you take up residence in China, which you don’t seem to intend to. But at least it solves your problem of not having a Florida license either.
I’m not sure if this is true for everywhere but, the Salvation Army day shelter in Las Vegas will give you a homeless services picture ID. They also help you set up General Delivery with USPS and let you use their building address and phone number.
Being homeless and needing a drivers license doesn’t mean you own a car, maybe just got a job and need to be able to drive a company vehicle. Catholic Charities can also help with homeless needs. Yes sometimes you may need to be “creative” in the information you give out but I found that most of the time nobody ever checks anyway.
I was homeless for a while and it’s one hell of a place to get out of. Putting restrictions on getting simple things doesn’t help. I did learn a lot though, the homeless I’ve known are some of the kindest, most generous, and trustworthy people I have ever met.
Just wondering if a UPS mailbox which gives you a street address is acceptable as a REAL address in order to get a Michigan driver’s license. I live in my car which is registered in another state and I am moving to Michigan to establish residency. I will have to change the plates, insurance, and residency all to a valid Michigan address but I have no place to live yet. My license is good until 2015 in the other state so I have time to figure this out but I want to get it all done as soon as I can. Will the ups box and valid street address work or will the DMV reject it as a valid address. I am comfortable living in my vehicle and not really sure I could even afford a place as I am on disability. I’m sort of a RV type person and chose not to pay all the expenses associated with rent, power, etc. Any info for Michigan would help if you have experience in dealing with this situation. Thanks for your help.
PO boxes are not accepted, so I imagine that a UPS mailbox won’t work either.
Workers at the UPS office probably know the answer, or better yet call the SoS here at 888 767-6424.
ETA - or as** randompattern** suggests, call some of the shelters or Catholic Charities in the state to see if they will provide an address that would satisfy the state requirements.
I believe the law is that you need a physical address where you reside in order to obtain a driver’s license, among other things. I think this law is partly, if not totally, based on the fact that DMV records are used by law enforcement. They want to know where you live when they come looking for you. I’d bet that if you go to the DMV and talk to a “supervisor”, they will simply tell you that you can’t get a license without a physical address. No amount of hand waiving is going to change their mind or cause an exception.
Ok thanks for the response. I will have to follow up with the DMV to see what I can do in my situation. Surely a person has the right to live in their vehicle if they chose. I basically was forced to after taking care of my aunt who recently died , leaving me nowhere to live. I found I can have enough money to eat and being wheelchair bound it seems like a great way to be able to have the money to repair my vehicle if it ever breaks down. I could never save enough any other way. I make too much in disability for food stamps and Section 8 housing by just a few dollars. I worked hard when I was young. But it is not enough money to live in a house, eat, and have a vehicle. I have no computer skills so I can’t compete with the young crowd to get a sit down job. I’m in my mid 50’s. Tried to find work but with no address I can’t get hired even as a door greeter at Costco or Walmart which part time may increase my income. Can’t earn too much or I’d be over the limit for disability and lose my Medicare. Tough spot to be in. My family doesn’t seem to care about my situation and offers no assistance. Always helped them but they are just not giving people. I don’t drink, smoke, or do drugs, just my prescriptions from my doctor. Used to drive commercially over the road for 10 years before my knees went out. I have no skills other than physical labor. I will also check the shelters to see if they will let me use their address. I’ve never been arrested so don’t know why law enforcement would ever need to look for me. I even can afford a smart cell phone. Have everything on line for billing so no one sends me anything in the mail. Thanks again for the info. I will look into it.
This.
The DMV rarely has to send license holders any paperwork and even when they do a license holder in most states can have their documents (titles,registrations,driving records,etc) mailed to a PO Box or mail stop as an alternate address.
Once you get your driver’s license, the concern about your address is pretty much over. The police might ticket you if your current address doesn’t match the address that you give them, but even those tickets are often dismissed if/when you get to court if you have no other violations
That’s crazy. What if you want a license just to be able to rent a car now and again? I’ve had a license since I was 16, but didn’t own a car until I was 25, and this is exactly what I did.
I already have insurance for my vehicle so that is not an issue. It’s cheap for minimal coverage and is paid every 6 months. So yes a homeless person can afford insurance cheaper than paying rent, power, water, etc. I’m basically forced to at least do this so I can have a place to live, be able to go to the doctor, and grocery store. I can cook in a crock pot which plugs in to power outlet, like a cigarette type. So, I can eat hot food. and being an old truck driver I learned how to store my food in a ambient temperature cooler. Gas is my biggest expense but still it is cheaper than paying for a place to live. It’s possible but the challenge is what keeps me going and allows me to put away enough for emergencies which always happen when you own a vehicle.
Keep in mind that Michigan is one of the few states that requires no-fault insurance (.pdf) which tends to be somewhat higher than most states. So your current insurance might not be legal here. You need to have either a valid MI license, or a vehicle registered here, to get insurance.
Yes I am aware of that. I currently live in a state with no fault insurance so although rates may change a little I will probably have little difference with my current policy. But thank you for your response. Currently $159.00 every 6 months with Geico and it’s no fault for medical.
Back to my original question. If I need a valid Michigan license, and It sounds like you are from Michigan, will a UPS valid street address PO box work as an address? Or do they not allow that. Or do they even check if I just give them that address at the DMV? My Passport could possibly be changed easier to show the UPS address and then maybe I would have an easier time of getting a Driver’s license, then registration, then insurance? or maybe Driver’s license, insurance, then registration. Not sure the best order. Please advise if you can. Thanks.
chiroptera answered this for you already, four days ago:
Your best bet is to just call the DMV and ask them. As mentioned previously in this thread, proof of residency for homeless people can typically be supplied by a shelter - even one you’re not staying at.
Thank you Munch, but I was thinking of just giving them the address as they give you when you open a ups box and not giving them the PO Box part. Maybe that would suffice. guess I will have to call DMV and get the correct order to proceed. Driver’s license, registration, and insurance or driver’s license, insurance, then registration. Thanks for all the input. I am sure it will work out. Have Michigan Birth certificate and passport just have to figure out the address part then everything should go smoothly.
Yes, I live in Michigan and yes, call the SoS (Secretary of State, here) and get a definitive answer. The number is in my post above.
$159 per six months even for basic bare-bones insurance with a perfect driving record in a desirable zip code sounds utterly out of bounds price-wise for MI PLPD insurance. As in crazy-cheap. Just make sure you are legal, OK?
Just to reiterate (and bear in mind Michigan has thehighest auto insurance in the country) - $169 every six months is insanely, impausibly low. If that’s legit, I want your agent’s name and number!
I have good credit and a stellar driving record and my MONTHLY premium for two vans is $139. And that is with diligently checking and fighting for low rates, although granted I’m probably being dinged for living in a somewhat high-crime zip code.
How did you get that rate without even having a MI address and drivers license? I think you are either mistaken, or bullshitting, to be honest.
In most states, driving is viewed as a ‘privilege, not a right’.
Also, property ownership is never a requirement for a driver’s license. Ask most high school children.