The way to avoid becoming a resident of California is to spend less than six months in the state during any calendar year. Right? A residence is a place of some permanency, while a domicile is a true, fixed permanent home to which an individual intends to return after an absence.A domicile is simply your main residence, where you live all or most of the time for tax and legal purposes. You can only have one domicile. If you are a resident of California, you remain a resident unless you leave permanently or for an indefinite period. Usually, you must establish a domicile or live in a state for 183 days or more to be considered a resident. Means living in a particular locality, but domicile means living in that locality with intent to make it a fixed and permanent home.