More basic q's

U can buy and reg a car with a stateside licence. You are supposed to get a VI licence after 6 months.
On STX Mail Boxes Etc. 340-719-5131

Aren't you on St. Thomas? If so, Red Hook Mail Services would work & Bombi's right, you don't need a VI license at first.

Actually, it's 90 days for trading in your license. But if you return to the continental U.S. anytime before the 90 days is up, it starts over when you return.

In any case, you do NOT need a USVI license to register a vehicle in your name here.

Regarding #2, please remind us what island/area you are moving to.

Thanks for the replies! Certainly not having to get a new license right away simplifies things a bit 🙂 I'd rather get my own car asap and ditch the rental.

I was looking for a mail place on STT. I think after talking to a couple I will go with Red Hook Mail Services - they seem to be the most responsive on the phone, FWIW.

Red Hook Mail Services is very good - responsive on phone and in person. Great customer service.

Pamela

I'd like the answer to #2 for STX !
Do the post offices not have PO Boxes - or is it difficult to get one?

I know people who have lived there for 10+ years and only go back to the mainland for a month or two a year and have never gotten a USVI license.

I checked at USPS online, and it looks like on STT virtually all reasonably priced mailboxes at post offices are sold out. What remains are large sizes that cost upwards of $50 a month.

CAtoSTX - the POs do have PO boxes, and it's often difficult to get one (more demand than supply on STT and STJ -- don't know if it's the same on STX; anyone?). There is usually a waiting list to get a box. The other reason the private mail services do so well is that lines at the PO are often long, and if you get a package, you will have to wait in that line to get your package. Many people feel it's worth $15/month (or whatever) to have someone else deal with those headaches.

Go to the post Office you are interested in having a box at and ask about renting a PO box - it is very different here - doing something in person is preferred to doing it online - even with a government entity.

Thanks for the tip exit - I'm realizing that more and more each day.

I was hoping to set up a Mail box in STX in advance of our move because we are going to be "homeless" for a few weeks and we need to forward our mail somewhere.

Before we arrived we arranged a short term rental. The owner gave us her post office box address and we mailed 15 BOXES of stuff to ourselves before we left Kentucky. They delivered to her PO Box and we just went to the PO and picked up our stuff as it came.

We had not trouble getting a USPS PO Box ( $39 a year, Kingshill STX) but you have to do this in person. It also probably didn't hurt that our landlord took us to the post office (as well as the bank and motor vehicles) and introduced us around.

MailBoxes, Etc. is now Mail Boxes & More, but the number is still the same...340-719-5131.

CAtoSTX,

Since you don't know where you will be renting yet, I would suggest sending whatever is necessary (only) to Mail Boxes. You simply address it to yourself @ 6002 Diamond Ruby, Suite 3, Christiansted, VI 00820. Please call them to verify that address! You do not need to set up a box with them. They charge $5.00 per item, if you don't have a box, so if you just have a few things to send in advance, it's a good plan. If you have LOTS, you might want to get a box there, at least short term, if they will do that. I found their monthly/yearly rate to be high.

There are mailboxes available at Sunny Isle and Kingshill. Most of the time Richmond has a waiting list or only the large boxes. I don't know about other areas. It will just depend on where you live and work as to where you want your PO Box.

It's much better to have a mail service hold packages for you than to hope that the post office would do the same -- your boxes might arrive well before you do, and the PO might return to sender after an arbitrary length of time if you don't pick them up. The mail services usually hold them for 3 weeks and will probably attempt to contact you before doing return to sender.

I am in high HOPES of not having to ship anything out to myself (I want to come with Luggage and that's it!)
but the PO Box would really be for Forwarding mail.
I will look into the Mail Boxes place. Thanks for the advice.