• Residence - your physical address
• Domicile - your legal address
• Mailing address - the address where you receive mail

For those who live in conventional homes and apartments, these three are usually all the same, though some people have their mail delivered to a PO Box or elsewhere.

For nomads, things are more complex. Society is set up for conventional living situations, so a little extra work is required for those who wish to live on the road.

Your legal residence (aka physical address) is the place you would call home if you lived there full time. It is important that all your contacts know that you do not receive mail at this address¹⁾; you receive mail at your mailing address below. Choose carefully: your legal residence will appear on your drivers license and other formal documents. And the county or city of your legal residence can have emissions testing and mail order sales tax implications.

Your domicile is the state where the legal residence is²⁾. Your domicile will be:

• where your drivers and concealed carry licenses are issued
• where you can be registered to vote
• where your vehicles are titled
• where you pay state income tax, if applicable
• used to calculate base sales tax for online or mail order transactions, if applicable

Domicile is a combination of two factors namely, residence and intent to remain… An individual may have several residences whereas; s/he will have only one domicile. Domicile is more used in reference to personal rights, duties and obligations[ii].³⁾

Note: the county of your residence can affect vehicle inspections, what you pay for registration, auto and health insurance, etc.

• Alaska - None
• Arizona - 4.54% max⁴⁾
• Florida - None

• Technomadia's take on domiciling in South Dakota, then later in Florida.
• Kirk's take on domicile

Your mailing address is the place your mail should be sent. This is usually a mail forwarding service for most nomads, but may also be the home of a trusted relative or friend who does not expect to move for a long time.

Approaching these choices methodically will keep mistakes and distress to a minimum. If your sticks-and-bricks address was acceptable from a domicile/residence point of view it is probably best to keep them. You already have official ID, etc. Mail forwarding can be anywhere.

1. Pick your domicile state first. Common criteria: income tax, health insurance, auto registration costs, auto insurance costs, auto inspection requirements, sales tax, absentee voting.
2. Then pick your legal residence. Commmon criteria: local sales tax⁵⁾, emissions testing in particular metro areas.
3. Then pick a mail forwarder. Common criteria: same state as domicile, pricing, reputation, etc.

See also: suggested timeline for hitting the road