Moving to Reno from Louisiana

Louisiana movers go from a hurricane-aware, below-sea-level climate to a high desert at 4,500 feet, a change that affects what you pack as much as what you pay in tax. This page covers the Louisiana rules first and Nevada's second.

Louisiana's registration and license rules

Louisiana Revised Statute 47:513.2 requires a new resident to apply for registration for each vehicle, and the Office of Motor Vehicles says a license must be transferred from the previous state within 30 days of establishing domicile. Those rules apply to people arriving. When leaving, cancel your Louisiana registration only after the Nevada one is in place and keep a copy of your title.

Ask your parish assessor how a sale or move affects your property tax bill for the year.

A flat 3 percent and a 5 percent sales tax

Louisiana's flat income tax of 3 percent applies to taxable periods beginning on or after January 1, 2025, and the state sales tax is 5 percent, though parishes add their own. Nevada has no state income tax on wages. The tax saving is smaller than for a move from the Northeast, so housing is a better test; the Census figures in our cost-of-living compare tool show both metros.

Expect a part-year Louisiana return in the year of the move.

How the move is handled

You book the move with O'Brien's, and we coordinate it from your Louisiana home through the Bekins network. For a sense of the drive west, see the Houston to Reno route page, which prints the drive, the passes and the numbers at both ends. Our Sparks crews deliver and unpack. Your written estimate sets the delivery window.

Humidity damage matters for a Louisiana move. Ask the estimator how furniture, books and photographs should be wrapped, and read the how to pack for a move guide.

Nevada requirements

Get a Nevada license and register vehicles within 30 days of becoming a resident. No state income tax is taken from wages. The moving to Reno guide gives the rest of the arrival steps.

Adjusting to a dry climate

Reno is dry and sunny with cold nights. Louisiana households often need new thinking about winter coats, firewood and snow; the best-time-to-move guide describes Northern Nevada by month. Wooden pieces that grew up in humid air may shrink slightly in dry air, a normal change that the crew can help you prepare for.