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Registration, banking and utilities in San Francisco

A Social Security number, a credit file started from zero, a California driver licence on a tight deadline, and high state income tax with no city income tax on top.

Get started in San Francisco

The thing people get wrongCalifornia expects new residents to convert to a state driver licence within days of establishing residency, and to re-register a vehicle within weeks. People treat both as optional for months and then discover the deadlines when something goes wrong.

Indicative figures

  • Social Security cardFreeAutomatic if you requested it with your visa; otherwise apply in person.
  • California licence for new residentsWithin 10 daysVehicle registration within 20 days.
  • San Francisco resident income taxNoneFederal and California state tax only.
  • Address change to USCISWithin 10 daysForm AR-11, online, for most non-citizens.

Checked . Ranges, not quotes โ€” your Insider confirms the current numbers in San Francisco before you commit to anything.

Social Security number and identification

The SSN is applied for in person at a Social Security Administration office, and it is what banks, landlords, insurers and employers index you by. Those not eligible for one but with US tax obligations apply for an ITIN from the IRS instead. Eligibility is a function of your immigration status and the rules change โ€” confirm with the agency rather than with a forum.

  • Some visa applications, immigrant visas in particular, let you request the card in advance; if you did, it is issued automatically and posted to you.
  • Otherwise apply at an SSA field office with passport, visa and I-94, ideally ten days or more after arrival.
  • The card is free and arrives by post; nothing else should be scheduled around an assumed date.
  • A California driver licence or state ID card from the DMV is the identification people expect day to day.

The DMV deadlines

California requires new residents to obtain a California driver licence within 10 days of establishing residency, and to register a vehicle brought into the state within 20 days. Both are DMV appointments, both are booked well ahead, and both need proof of identity, residency and legal presence. If you plan to drive at all, book the appointment before you need it.

  • A California licence is expected within 10 days of becoming a resident, and a vehicle brought in must be registered within 20.
  • Bring two proofs of California residency โ€” a lease and a utility bill work.
  • Ask for a REAL ID version if you intend to fly domestically on it.

Banking and credit

Opening an account needs a passport, a local address and usually an SSN or ITIN, though some banks will open first and add the number later. Building a credit file is the slower part: a secured card backed by your own deposit, paid in full monthly, is the standard route, and some issuers will consider an imported credit report from your previous country. Expect six to twelve months before the score is useful to a landlord.

Tax, and one thing that is cheaper than New York

You will face federal and California state income tax, and California's top rates are among the highest in the country. Unlike New York, San Francisco levies no city income tax on residents, so the comparison between the two cities is not as one-sided as headline rates suggest. Anyone self-employed and working in the city should check the city's separate business registration requirement, which catches freelancers who assume it applies only to companies.

  • Federal plus California state income tax; no San Francisco resident income tax.
  • Self-employed people working in the city are generally required to register the business with the city.
  • Get advice in your first year if you hold income or assets outside the US.

In order

  1. Apply for the SSN at an SSA office about ten days after arrival, unless you requested it with your visa; an ITIN if you are not eligible.
  2. Open a bank account and start a secured credit card the same month.
  3. Report your new address to USCIS within ten days of moving in.
  4. Book the DMV appointment for a California licence before the deadline, not after.
  5. Register a vehicle in California if you brought one in.
  6. Set up PG&E in your name using the move-in meter reading.
  7. If self-employed, check the city business registration requirement.
  8. Take advice on your first US tax year if you have foreign income.