So you’ve just decided to move to a new state...

 

Congratulations! Moving to a new place, whether it’s for work, retirement, or any other reason, is a very exciting time. There are new places to explore, foods to try, and friends to make. The excitement and newness that comes with moving to a new state is something to really cherish! With that being said, sometimes moving to a new state presents several hoops that you need to jump through, and they can really get stressful. (Don’t let this post scare you, though. We write these posts to help you to take the stress out of all things related to moving and buying and owning a home!) This post is going to unpack several of the things that you need to do when moving to a new state that way you know exactly what you’re up against. This post will be broken up into several categories of things you are going to need to take care of as you settle into your new location. While some of these are more obvious than others, this post will act as a checklist to make sure that you don’t miss a beat when you make the move to your new home in a new state.

 

Car

 

 

If you have a car, it will probably be the biggest source of stress that you have when moving to a new state…other than packing and unpacking, of course! When you move across state lines, the new state will require you to retitle and reregister your car within a certain timeframe. You can find specific details for each state on their department of transportation’s website, but generally you have a 30 day window to complete the paperwork and appointments. First and foremost, though, you will need to get new car insurance. Your policy varies depending on the state that you live in, and you will need to get a new policy in your new state before you can begin the process of retitling and reregistering your car.

 

In addition to your new proof of insurance, generally you will need to get your car inspected in the new state, present your title and various forms of identification at the DMV, and pay a fee once you get to the office. The fees vary greatly depending on the state, but this process will usually cost a few hundred dollars per vehicle.

 

At the office, you will have to surrender your current vehicle title. This might feel strange, especially considering that the title to your vehicle is the only document that proves your ownership of the car, but it is a standard process. The DMV will mail it off to the state’s department of transportation to verify it and then create a new title for you from your new state. This new title will become your new ownership document, and the value of your car will not be affected.

 

While you’re in the office, once they collect your payment, title, and verify your identity, they will issue you new license plates and a new registration card. This registration will replace the one from your previous state and is valid immediately once you receive it. If you forget to bring a screwdriver with you, don’t worry! You can drive home on your old plates, but you should change them as soon as possible.

 

Driver’s License

 

 

While you’re in the DMV, you can also get your new driver’s license! Not only do you need to go through the process of transitioning your car over to your new state, but you also need to go through the process of transitioning yourself over to your new state! As a new resident, you will be required to get a new driver’s license (or state identification if you don’t drive) within that same timeframe. Again, each state has its own rules and regulations, but usually if you already have a driver’s license from your own state you will not need to retake a driving test. You will simply provide your information, surrender your current driver’s license, show a couple of documents to prove your new address, and pass a quick vision test. After that, they will either hand you a new license immediately or they will give you a temporary one while they mail the official one to you. Just like the process of registering your car, there will be a fee attached to getting your new license, and this can be as low as $20 to as high as $100 depending on where you are moving!

 

Address

 

If you are reading this post, you probably already have a new place to live. Congratulations! Finding the perfect new home is one of the hardest parts of moving, and that is why realtors like us exist. We work every day to help people like you to find their perfect new home! If you haven’t found your new home yet, that should be priority number one. Be sure to find a good and trustworthy realtor to help you out with that part (which could be us if you are moving to South Carolina!) Because really, if you haven’t found the place you plan on living yet, the rest of this post is pretty irrelevant to you.

 

Once you’ve found your new home and started to move in, you will need to take a few steps that way the right people know where you now live. Firstly, you should go online to usps.com and file a change of address. This way the postal service knows where your new home is and can make sure you don’t miss any mail coming your way! Then you should also notify any credit card companies that you use, banks, insurance providers, and any company that sends you something in the mail on a recurring basis. Changing your billing address with banks and credit card companies is very important, and having the right address on file with insurance providers is important to avoid headaches in the future. Especially since insurers often offer different rates and packages to customers in different states, updating this information is crucial. You don’t want to get stuck with a hospital bill because the insurance company thought you were out of network!

 

Voter’s Registration

 

One of the greatest parts about living in the United States is the power its citizens have to vote. While not everyone is a citizen with voting privileges, those who do have the privilege should make sure they register to vote in their new state and community. This is a very important civic duty, and it affects local positions like your mayor and school board, statewide positions like your governor and state congress, and federal positions all the way up to the presidency. Even if you are not sure if you plan on voting, it is still a good idea to register anyway, just in case. Vote.org is a great way to do this, and as their website says, it only takes two minutes, and it is free!

 

Utilities

 

Your new house may seem like a dream come true, but without electricity, water, and internet it might not live up to that expectation! When you move into a new home, whether that is in a new state or not, you will need to make sure that all of the utilities get set up. Firstly, it is important to know that different areas have different utilities providers. By that I mean that the company you are currently paying for electricity is probably not the same one as the state next door! While there are some types of utilities that are pretty standard nationwide, like how there are only a few major internet providers in the country, other utilities like electricity and water vary greatly depending on the region. Typically, you don’t have much of a choice regarding which providers you use, so selecting the right provider really isn’t any concern. More so, you want to talk to any providers that you do have control over – like internet, for example – to make sure that the service is active when you move in or shortly thereafter.

 

A note on internet: some areas are equipped for several different internet providers, and others are only able to offer one company. If your area only offers one company – like Verizon, for example – you are kind of stuck with them. (Don’t worry – Verizon is great in most places!) However, if you do have the option to choose, I recommend doing some research to see which provider has the best ratings in your area. Some networks have better coverages in different places, and if you have the power to choose, you want to make sure you pick the best one. The prices are usually the same between each company, so it really just boils down to which one is the most reliable!

 

Other Permits and Licenses

 

When you move to a new state, you have a fresh slate in a lot of ways. In some ways this is great – you can drop any baggage you had in your previous state, and you can move on from anything that is holding you back to your previous home. In other ways, though, it can be a bit tiring, as you need to change many little details that you previously never had to think about. For example, any licenses that you had in your previous state are likely not valid in your new state. Some examples could be professional licenses and certifications, and recreational licenses like for hunting or boating. Whatever the case may be, you should just think about what licenses, permits, and certifications you currently hold and double check their validity in your new state before trying to use them. This can save some headaches and fines in the end!

 

Insurance

 

Insurance, insurance, insurance. I already mentioned it before but making sure you switch over any insurance policies that you have is a great idea. Some insurances – like life insurance – won’t make you buy a new product or pay a new rate but should be notified at least about your new address. Other insurance policies that you already have - like medical insurance and car insurance – will probably make you pay a different rate or switch onto a different plan. This is because different places have different product offerings and pricing levels and moving to a new area might qualify your or disqualify you for certain coverages or rates. Additionally, like I mentioned earlier, if you don’t get a new car insurance policy in your new state, you will not be able to register your car in your new state, either.

 

Something that is very important, in addition to the types of insurance policies I mentioned above, is that you insure any new property you have in your new state, and you insure your new home. Whether you need homeowners’ insurance or renter’s insurance, insuring your home is not only a good idea, but usually it is a legal requirement. Most apartment complexes require a minimum amount of coverage in order to let you lease, and even if they don’t, having a policy to cover any damage to your new home or the property within it is something that doesn’t cost you a lot of money now and could save you a lot of money in the future.

 

School Records

 

If you don’t have any school aged children and don’t plan on having any soon, you can skip right over this section. However, if you are moving to a new state with children that are still in school, another thing you will need to do is get their educational records transferred from their previous school to their new school. This process is typically not very difficult, as it is just a matter of reaching out to the previous school, providing information of the new school, and requesting that they send them to the new school at their earliest convenience.

 

While this is not a difficult task to accomplish, it can be a time-sensitive one. Some school districts are somewhat stingy about allowing children to enroll in school before they have received their official records. If you want to avoid a situation where your child needs to start the school year late as a result of lag time between the schools handling documentation, we recommend reaching out to both schools to facilitate the transfer weeks or months before the school year is slated to begin.

 

Getting Involved

 

 

Last but not least, we recommend doing as much as you can to get involved in your local community early. Not only is community involvement good for the collective society as a whole, but it is also one of the best ways for you to meet like-minded individuals in your new state. Participating in organizations that you care about – whether at your children’s schools, your church, or through some other means – creates a lot of good in your community while immediately putting you in contact with people nearby who care about the same things.

 

Making connections and friends in your new state is extremely valuable, as moving to a new area is stressful and often tiring. Finding people with whom you can relax and explore the area is one of the best things you can do when you move to a new state, and getting involved in various parts of your community is the best way to do that.

 

 

Thank you for reading our post about how to move to another state! We really enjoyed putting this one together for you. As realtors, we work day in and day out with people like you that are moving to a new state or area, and we understand how taxing or stressful it can be sometimes. Don’t worry, though. It will all be worth it in the end, and the initial hoops that you need to jump through are tiny in comparison to the great memories you are about to make in your new home!

 

If you visit Myrtle Beach or any other place in South Carolina and fall in love, reach out to us for help. We at The Boyd Team are always here to help you figure out whether Myrtle Beach is your next home or not, and we are committed to helping you find the right property for your needs and dreams. Any question that you have about moving to the area and finding your dream home by the beach is our pleasure to answer. Feel free to send us an email at eddie@boydteam.com or text or call us at (843) 222-8566, and we will get back to you as soon as we can. Being true natives of the Grand Strand and Horry County and with over 25 years of experience in the local real estate market, whether buying or selling, we can help you make your dreams a reality.  

No One Knows The Grand Strand Better! Trust, Knowledge, Experience, Professionalism, You Can Count On!

Written by Greg