License problems for a College Student

[blakecr]

I live in Texas.

I am a college student from Louisiana. I still have a LA license and plates. I was pulled over for not wearing a seatbelt (something I always do, just have a habit of taking it off right before I get home). He asked me how long I had been living in Texas and I told him close to a year. He informed me that I had 30 days to have my car registered in Texas.

I was under the impression that I could wait until my license expired. My insurance says that since I am a student that I don't have to have my license changed over. Is this correct?

 

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

My response:

You have to ask yourself, "Who makes the laws; my insurance company or the State ?"

Now you've got the answer.

IAAL

 

[blakecr]

I understand that, but I didn't tell the police officer that I was a student.

It just doesn't really seem to make sense to make me change my license whenever I go back to LA for the summer break and then change it back when I come back to school in the fall.

 

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

My response:

It doesn't matter to the State whether or not you're a student, and only in Texas for 9 months out of 12.

What matters is that you informed the officer of your "Texas address" - - that you have been at that address for more than 30 days.

The State, whether Texas or Louisianna, couldn't care less whether you're in their State for more than 30 days with a "foreign" license. What matters to each State is where you claim your "residence" or "domicile" is located.

So, even when you go back to Louisianna, and you're stopped by an officer on your 87th day, you won't get a ticket for failing to change your license, because your current "residence" is in Texas.

How do you think people go on vacation and tour the country in their Winnebago ? Do you think that they obtain a license from every State they go through ? Of course not. As long as their license shows their State of Domicile, that license is good in any State of the Union and, it doesn't matter that they've been on vacation, and touring, for the past 8 months.

Louisianna may be your "home State", and where your family is located, but because you're in school in Texas, it's no longer your "State of Domicile" or "State of Residence" - - Texas is.

Good luck amigo.

IAAL