Will it be legal for me to move to another state at my age?

[MissVampyxo]

So I'm 17 and my parents have told me that after graduation, this June that I can visit to Florida where my SO is for about a month or so to see if I like it there. So that's what I'm doing ( And I'm also EXTREMELY nervous and in need of advice if you have any! ) But I was just wondering if this will be considered illegal since if I DO decide to move down there - and when I go to change my address and apply as a resident if I could get in trouble? I've asked before on Yahoo answers and people said it's fine and not illegal. I just don't really even know where to look and see if this is allowed or not. I plan on visiting for a month or so and if I decide I like it there and could handle moving there I will come back to Ohio and start setting everything up for me to move there. I do plan on going to college down there but was going to wait a year to become a resident so I don't have to pay out-of-state. And of course by then I'd be 18, which I can't even go to their college until I'm 18 anyways.

So do you have any advice, and also do you know if this is legal or not?
Thanks!

[blankita719]

I don't know if it's illegal, but as a minor I'm sure you'd find it incredibly difficult to get anything done on your own and every agency you'd encounter would want your parent's authorization. If you wanted to get a FL driver's license, you can't until you are 18 unless you have parental permission. And you will need a Florida ID if you want to prove residency here. When do you turn 18? Wouldn't it be better and easier if you waited until then?

[Sora1101]

It's not illegal to move anywhere within the US, but it will be extremely difficult because everything you'd need to be able to live comfortably pretty much requires you to be 18, drivers licence change, renting an apartment, getting a credit card for emergencies, opening a bank account if you don't already have one etc. I'd be better if you just waited until you were 18 to move.

[lucybelle]

Ditto to the two above me.

You wouldn't be able to get anything done. No lease, no driver's license, no loans, no bank accounts...

[MissVampyxo]

I don't really need any of that though. I already have my drivers license and have had them for about 2+ years now. I'll be living with him, I won't really need a credit card or loans or a bank account. Will I be able to do the Declaration of Domicile? That's the main thing I'm worried about. I won't really be driving at first anyways until I bring my car down to Florida which won't be for a few months afterwards. I won't turn 18 until the beginning of next year. I was hoping to be able to start my residency and then after a year of living there also be able to pay in state tuition. Which waiting for a year - I'd be 18 so I'd be able to go into his college, which requires me to be 18.

[CynicalQuixotic]

I won't really need a credit card or loans or a bank account.

How are you going to access your money if you don't have a bank account? Also, I think a Florida state driver's license can be used a proof of residency, which is why others mentioned it.

[MissVampyxo]

How are you going to access your money if you don't have a bank account? Also, I think a Florida state driver's license can be used a proof of residency, which is why others mentioned it.

I use a prepaid credit card already and that's what I will be using. I just can't find anywhere on any Florida websites that I HAVE To be 18 to transfer my license.

[floridaellen]

I would suggest opening a bank account in a bank that has locations in both your home state and Florida. For example, my bank is Wells Fargo. That way no matter which state I'm in I can get to my money. Other than that, I don't anticipate an issue with your age.

One issue you may have is the fact that even if you don't live with your parents, Florida state schools will classify you as a dependent student until you are one of these things...
1. 24 years old
2. Married
3. Have a dependent child
4. A graduate student
5. Provide at least 51% of your own support (This unfortunately is very hard to prove... Your parents cannot claim you as a dependent on their tax return, which will be checked, and you must show your paystubs and other documents which they then compare to your estimate cost of living). "Monetary gifts, personal loans, or financial support in the form of room & board or other expenses from the student's parents, other relatives, a significant other, or friends demonstrates that the student lacks independence and is financially dependent upon others. In such cases, the student is NOT considered independent." From my college's website.
As long as you are a dependent student, you will be classifed as a resident for whichever state your parents live in. For example, my parents are married but are residents of different states (Florida and New Jersey). Therefore, I can recieve in state tuition in either Florida or New Jersey since I am a dependent student, even though I technically have not lived in Florida for a year and should still be considered a NJ resident.

[blankita719]

Again, you will have to be able to provide proof of residency. Without a Florida driver's license, how else would you prove this? I get it, you don't like what we are saying but honestly, floridaellen brings up additional excellent points as far as even getting into a Florida school.

[Trethsparr]

I use a prepaid credit card already and that's what I will be using. I just can't find anywhere on any Florida websites that I HAVE To be 18 to transfer my license.

Can you do a straight license transfer from state to state like that? When I've moved states (in my case, Washington to California), I still had to apply for a license like I did before when I first earned my license in Washington. In my case, since I already had a license from Washington, I only had to take and pass the written test to receive my license in California. However, to get my license back again in Washington, I would have to take the written and the driving test again, even though I already had a license, so obviously laws differ from state to state.

If you can transfer it like that, then that's cool. I was just curious.

[floridaellen]

Can you do a straight license transfer from state to state like that? When I've moved states (in my case, Washington to California), I still had to apply for a license like I did before when I first earned my license in Washington. In my case, since I already had a license from Washington, I only had to take and pass the written test to receive my license in California. However, to get my license back again in Washington, I would have to take the written and the driving test again, even though I already had a license, so obviously laws differ from state to state.

If you can transfer it like that, then that's cool. I was just curious.

I transfered my license from NJ to Florida in August and it was a straight transfer. I just handed them my NJ license and they gave me a FL one. I know it depends on the state though!

Also to prove residency for tuition purposes you'll need to provide some documents. Each university is different but mine requires three documents from this list:
- Florida driver's license
- Florida vehicle registration
- Florida voter's registration
- Declaration of Domicile
- Proof of purchase of a permanent home in Florida (While not enrolled in a public postsecondary institution in Florida)
- Florida occupation/professional license
- Florida incorporation or other evidence of legal residence in Florida (While not enrolled in a public postsecondary institution of Florida)
Since I am a dependent student and my father is a Florida resident, I had to prove he had his Florida driver's license, Florida vehicle registration, and proof of purchase of a permanent home in Florida. I also provided his voter's registration.

My local community college requires two of the following items to qualify for instate tuition....
- Florida Driver’s License or Florida ID
- Florida Vehicle Registration
- Florida Voter’s Registration

Obviously for both of the above schools you have to provide you were in Florida for at least 12 months prior to applying for residency.

If you are applying to a private school, which I'm assuming you're not since private schools do not have instate/out of state tuition normally, these points would obviously be invalid.


Just to clarify, I'm in no way trying to discourage you from moving to Florida - it's a great state with some pretty good schools and excellent weather! But this is information I think you should know before you move. I've met some people who did not know this information and ended up paying a lot more than they would have if they just waited a semester.

[Trethsparr]

I transfered my license from NJ to Florida in August and it was a straight transfer. I just handed them my NJ license and they gave me a FL one. I know it depends on the state though.

That's easy! Very cool. Thanks!

[floridaellen]

That's easy! Very cool. Thanks!

Your welcome! :]

[MissVampyxo]

Can you do a straight license transfer from state to state like that? When I've moved states (in my case, Washington to California), I still had to apply for a license like I did before when I first earned my license in Washington. In my case, since I already had a license from Washington, I only had to take and pass the written test to receive my license in California. However, to get my license back again in Washington, I would have to take the written and the driving test again, even though I already had a license, so obviously laws differ from state to state.

If you can transfer it like that, then that's cool. I was just curious.

That's what I've been trying to find out but nobody on here will actually help me find that information out. Instead they're all just telling me no and not providing proof nor help. But I guess I'll just have to wait till I'm there to find out. Though I am hoping that I can do that!

---------- Post added at 08:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:07 PM ----------

I transfered my license from NJ to Florida in August and it was a straight transfer. I just handed them my NJ license and they gave me a FL one. I know it depends on the state though!

Also to prove residency for tuition purposes you'll need to provide some documents. Each university is different but mine requires three documents from this list:
- Florida driver's license
- Florida vehicle registration
- Florida voter's registration
- Declaration of Domicile
- Proof of purchase of a permanent home in Florida (While not enrolled in a public postsecondary institution in Florida)
- Florida occupation/professional license
- Florida incorporation or other evidence of legal residence in Florida (While not enrolled in a public postsecondary institution of Florida)
Since I am a dependent student and my father is a Florida resident, I had to prove he had his Florida driver's license, Florida vehicle registration, and proof of purchase of a permanent home in Florida. I also provided his voter's registration.

My local community college requires two of the following items to qualify for instate tuition....
- Florida Driver’s License or Florida ID
- Florida Vehicle Registration
- Florida Voter’s Registration

Obviously for both of the above schools you have to provide you were in Florida for at least 12 months prior to applying for residency.

If you are applying to a private school, which I'm assuming you're not since private schools do not have instate/out of state tuition normally, these points would obviously be invalid.


Just to clarify, I'm in no way trying to discourage you from moving to Florida - it's a great state with some pretty good schools and excellent weather! But this is information I think you should know before you move. I've met some people who did not know this information and ended up paying a lot more than they would have if they just waited a semester.

Thank you SO much for this information!!!

[floridaellen]

Your welcome! If you need more specific information, you can ask me here or even PM me. I just did the move to the west coast of Florida, although without my SO. Florida is a pretty big state with a lot of schools so that can complicate things but that is the information that all public schools are supposed to follow.