Moving from New York
About 482,000 people left New York for other states in 2023 and about 303,000 arrived, one of the largest net outflows in the country.
- Two pieces of the exit paperwork need care.
- The plates have to go back to the DMV before the insurance is cancelled, not after, and the tax year of a move turns on domicile rather than on your new address.
- This page covers every New York-origin route we track.
New York at a Glance
Taxes
Climate
Humid continental with cold winters and warm, humid summers.
Cost of Living
Why People Move from New York
The destinations are mostly nearby or Florida.
- In 2023 Florida took in about 71,100 New Yorkers, New Jersey about 55,900, Pennsylvania about 42,600, California about 35,100, Texas about 29,600, North Carolina about 29,200, and Connecticut about 28,200.
- New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut all sent tens of thousands back the other way in the same year, so those three read as metro-area churn rather than as exits.
The cost side is where most of the pressure comes from.
- In the MERIC first quarter 2026 series, the vintage behind the cost figures on our route pages, only Alaska, the District of Columbia, California, Massachusetts, and Hawaii come out more expensive than New York, and housing is the reason at an index of 172.3 against a national average of 100.
- The top income tax rate is 10.9 percent and the Tax Foundation puts the effective property tax rate on owner-occupied housing at 1.30 percent, 11th highest in the country.
- Very little of that follows you out; almost all of it stops the day your residency does, which is exactly why the residency question gets audited.
Popular Routes Moving from New York
Before You Leave New York
Surrender the plates before you cancel the insurance
You must surrender your plates and registration before you cancel the liability coverage. In the other order, the DMV records an insurance lapse, suspends your registration, and can suspend your license. Take the plates and a completed Form PD-7 to a DMV office. A county office charges $1 to process it. You can also mail them, in an envelope rather than a box, to the DMV at 6 Empire State Plaza, Room B240, Albany NY 12228. Remove the plate frames and fasteners first, because the DMV refuses plates that still have them. For a mailed surrender, the postmark date is the surrender date. The FS-6T receipt takes about 21 days to arrive.
Source: NY DMV, Surrender Your Vehicle Plates and RegistrationLeaving does not put the record out of reach
The DMV says it will act against your registration and license even after you move away. This can affect your ability to hold a license in your new state. If your insurer has reported a lapse, you can reduce or clear it. Mail proof of the out-of-state registration in your name to the Financial Security Bureau, New York State DMV, P.O. Box 2725 ESP, Albany NY 12220-0725. Include the out-of-state insurance if you have it. The proof must show the registrant name and address and the vehicle year, make, and VIN.
Source: NY DMV, Moving To or From New York StateFile Form IT-203 for the year you move
A part-year resident files Form IT-203, the nonresident and part-year resident return, not the resident IT-201. You must file it if your New York adjusted gross income in the federal amount column exceeds your standard deduction. This applies if you had any income during your resident period. It also applies if you had New York source income during your nonresident period. File it anyway to get a refund of tax withheld from your pay or to claim a refundable credit. Part-year residency in New York City or Yonkers adds its own filing obligations.
Source: NY Dept. of Taxation and Finance, part-year residentsYour domicile does not move just because you did
You can have only one domicile. The state holds that yours does not change until you show you abandoned the old one and established a new one elsewhere. You can also be a resident for tax purposes without being domiciled here. This applies if you keep a permanent place of abode here for substantially all of the year and spend 184 days or more in the state. Any part of a day counts as a day. A permanent place of abode is a residence suitable for year-round use that you maintain, whether or not you own it. It usually includes one your spouse owns or leases. So keeping your home here can keep you a New York resident.
Source: NY Dept. of Taxation and Finance, income tax definitionsRemote work for an employer here is still taxed here
If your primary office is in this state and you telecommute from outside it, those days count as days worked here. The exception is when your employer has set up a bona fide employer office at your remote location. The Tax Department says this rarely applies unless the employer specifically acted to set one up. Otherwise, you keep owing New York income tax on what you earn while telecommuting. Changing your address does not change this.
Source: NY Dept. of Taxation and Finance, telecommuting FAQYou may get part of the registration fee back
Surrendering plates can get you a refund of the registration fee or a credit toward registering another vehicle. It does not refund the plate fee, the title certificate fee, or any other tax you paid. Most passenger vehicles have a 2-year registration. Surrender within 60 days of issue, with the sticker unused, and you get the full fee back minus $1 for processing. Surrender during the first year and you get 50 percent back, minus $1. Surrender in the second year and you get nothing. Once the sticker is on the windshield, you cannot claim the full refund.
Source: NY DMV, Refunds and Transfer Credits for Surrendered PlatesNew York DMV & Registration
Surrender the plates and registration to the DMV before you cancel the liability coverage, using Form PD-7 at an office or by mail to 6 Empire State Plaza, Room B240, Albany NY 12228.
- Doing it in the other order records an insurance lapse, and the DMV will act on that even after you have left the state, which can block a license application where you are going.
- Remove the plate frames and fasteners first, because the DMV refuses plates that still have them attached.
- Your destination state sets its own deadline for registering and licensing there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to turn in my New York license plates when I move out of state?
Yes, if you are registering the vehicle elsewhere.
- Complete Form PD-7 and either bring the plates to a DMV office, where a county office charges $1 to process the surrender, or mail them in an envelope to the DMV at 6 Empire State Plaza, Room B240, Albany NY 12228.
- Do it before the insurance is cancelled.
- For a mailed surrender the postmark counts as the surrender date, and the FS-6T receipt takes about 21 days.
What tax form do I file for the year I leave New York?
Form IT-203, the nonresident and part-year resident return, instead of the resident IT-201.
- You have to file it if you had income during your resident period or New York source income during your nonresident period and your New York adjusted gross income in the federal amount column exceeds your standard deduction.
- File it anyway to claim a refund of tax withheld from your pay.
- New York City or Yonkers part-year residency carries extra filing obligations.
Can New York still tax me after I move away?
It can, in two situations.
- You only have one domicile, and the state holds that yours does not change until you can show you abandoned the old one and established a new one.
- You also count as a resident if you keep a permanent place of abode here for substantially all of the year and spend 184 days or more in the state, where any part of a day counts as a day.
- Separately, if your primary office is here and you telecommute from elsewhere, those days count as worked in New York unless your employer has established a bona fide employer office at your location.
Where do most people move to from New York?
Using Census ACS 2023 state-to-state flows: Florida (about 71,100), New Jersey (about 55,900), Pennsylvania (about 42,600), California (about 35,100), Texas (about 29,600), and North Carolina (about 29,200).
- The New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut corridors run heavily in both directions.
Do I get any of my registration fee back when I surrender plates?
Sometimes.
- For the 2-year registration most passenger vehicles carry, surrendering within 60 days of issue with the sticker still unused returns the full fee minus $1 for processing.
- Surrendering during the first year returns 50 percent of the fee minus $1, and surrendering in the second year returns nothing.
- The plate fee, title certificate fee, and any tax you paid are never refundable, and a sticker already applied to the windshield disqualifies you from the full refund.
What happens to my STAR benefit when I sell or move out?
Close the registration.
- STAR depends on the property being the primary residence of an eligible owner, and if you sell the property or no longer want the benefit you should close the registration in the Homeowner Benefit Portal rather than leaving it to lapse.
- The Tax Department reviews eligibility every year and issues the credit automatically while it thinks you still qualify.