California to Nevada domicile checklist

Updated October 21, 2026. Not tax or legal advice.

Moving your domicile from California to Nevada takes 12 steps. Nevada gives new residents 30 days to get a Nevada driver license and register their vehicles. The rest is about cutting the California ties the FTB weighs.

California has no day-count rule; it weighs your ties and presumes residency after nine months in the state. Read how the FTB decides.

Official records

1. Register your car in Nevada 30 days after you move
   New residents must register their vehicles within 30 days. Nevada treats you as a resident if, for example, your legal residence is in Nevada or you live and work there.
   Keep: Nevada registration. Source: Nevada DMV: Vehicle Registration (new residents)
2. Get a Nevada driver license 30 days after you move
   New residents must get a Nevada driver license within 30 days. The FTB looks at which state issued your license.
   Keep: Photo of the Nevada license. Source: Nevada DMV: Vehicle Registration (new residents) · FTB Publication 1031: Guidelines for Determining Resident Status (2025)
3. Register to vote in Nevada No fixed deadline
   The FTB looks at the state where you are registered to vote. Register in Nevada and cancel your California registration.
   Keep: Nevada voter registration. Source: FTB Publication 1031: Guidelines for Determining Resident Status (2025)
4. Move professional licenses No fixed deadline
   The state that holds your professional licenses is one of the FTB's listed factors.
   Keep: New state license. Source: FTB Publication 1031: Guidelines for Determining Resident Status (2025)

Home and ties

5. End your California homeowners' exemption No fixed deadline
   If your California home is no longer your principal residence, you must tell the county assessor. December 10 is the last day to end the exemption without penalty.
   Keep: Letter or form sent to the assessor; Assessor's confirmation. Source: CA Board of Equalization: Homeowners' Exemption
6. Decide what to do with your California home No fixed deadline
   The FTB looks at where your principal residence is and where you own real property. Keeping a California home is allowed, but it is a strong tie.
   Keep: Sale contract, lease, or proof of how the home is used. Source: FTB Publication 1031: Guidelines for Determining Resident Status (2025)
7. Move bank accounts, doctors and professional services No fixed deadline
   The FTB looks at where your bank accounts, medical providers and professional services are, and where your financial transactions start.
   Keep: Statements with the new address; Records from new doctors. Source: FTB Publication 1031: Guidelines for Determining Resident Status (2025) · CA Office of Tax Appeals: Appeal of Padron (residency factors)
8. Move or end California memberships and social ties No fixed deadline
   Memberships in organizations and social ties are part of the FTB's review.
   Keep: Letters ending or changing memberships. Source: FTB Publication 1031: Guidelines for Determining Resident Status (2025) · CA Office of Tax Appeals: Appeal of Padron (residency factors)

Time

9. Record where you are every day Every day
   The FTB compares the time you spend in California with time elsewhere. More than nine months in California in a year creates a presumption that you are a resident. You carry the burden of showing the FTB is wrong.
   Keep: Daily location log; Card and phone records; Travel records. Source: FTB Publication 1031: Guidelines for Determining Resident Status (2025) · CA Office of Tax Appeals: Appeal of Padron (residency factors)

Family

10. Move your spouse and children No fixed deadline
    Where your spouse or registered domestic partner and children live is one of the FTB's listed factors.
    Keep: New school enrollment; Spouse's address records. Source: FTB Publication 1031: Guidelines for Determining Resident Status (2025)

Work and business

11. Move your work and business ties No fixed deadline
    Employment and business interests in California count toward residency. Work you do in California after you move is still California-source income.
    Keep: Employment letter showing work location; Business records. Source: CA Office of Tax Appeals: Appeal of Padron (residency factors) · FTB: Part-year resident and nonresident

Tax filings

12. File California Form 540NR for the year you move With your California return for the move year
    Part-year residents file Form 540NR. California taxes all your income while you are a resident, and only California-source income after you leave.
    Keep: Filed 540NR. Source: FTB: Part-year resident and nonresident