From Colorado, bought car out of state, can't register it (Denver: home, find a job)

[gregu710ch]

Hi All, I live in Frederick, CO, but am currently working in South Carolina on contract. My old car died promptly after starting work here, which necessitated me buying a new car here. Now the fun part, I can't register the stupid thing, well I can, but it will be ridiculously difficult or expensive. SC doesn't want me to register it here since I'm only planning on being here 3 months, and so wants me to establish long-term residency before being able to register the car. And Colorado wants me to drive the car back to CO to do a VIN inspection before they will. If it were Georgia or North Carolina, that's fine, a couple hour drive. But from SC to CO is a 3 1/2 day drive each way, and oh, yeah, since I am contract, I don't get paid anything if I'm not in the plant working, so it's basically 7 days without earning anything. And neither state seems to want to budge. I've offered to take the car and the VIN verification form to a local Police Department here in SC to do that part, but NO, it has to be done where I reside. Any ideas?

[johnwmackay]

You'll find the CO VIN Verification Form here: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sit.../DR%202698.pdf

Under "Verified by" it allows you the check the box Other, with an asterisk to "Out of State Law Enforcement." So I'd have a SC deputy complete the form and register it by mail in CO.

[johnwmackay]

Let's try that link again: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sit.../DR%202698.pdf

[gregu710ch]

interesting, I'll call my local DMV office and be interested to hear them explain away how that form isn't relevant, or I don't understand its purpose or whatever! Should be entertaining....

[gregu710ch]

Well, as expected, no, I cannot use that form. They basically told me that I HAVE to do the VIN verification in my place of residence. They didn't explain why I couldn't do it out of state, only that I couldn't. Typical bureaucrat!

[johnwmackay]

I'm not sure you're doing this right. If the local DMV office you're talking about is in SC, that office has nothing to do with this. You should instead have the form completed by a SC deputy (again, not the SC DMV.) Don't mention to the deputy the problems you've had with the SC DMV, act like you've done this lots of times before, and highlight the reference to "Out of State Law Enforcement". If your first deputy says no, wait a few days and try another one in a different location. JM

[gregu710ch]

Hi John, no, my problem is with the Weld County Colorado DMV. And I just got word back from the Colorado DMV in Denver, that it is up to the discretion of the county clerks in that office as to what they accept, since Registration is a county function. Therefore, IF I catch one of them on a good day when she is feeling generous, then she will accept my out of state inspection. If it's any of the other 365 days of the year, forget it, it HAS to be in Weld County, CO. SC DMV has its own issues that I would have to contend with if I wanted to register it here. The first would be to require me to establish residency here, i.e. utilities services as well as a residence, and surrender my CO license. And then, in 3 months when I move back to CO after this contract is up, I would have to surrender my SC license to get a new CO license, and of course, pay the property tax on the new vehicle (which I would also have to do in SC, thereby meaning I would have to pay two times in a matter of a couple months!) But, the final word is that I will have to somehow, find a job back in CO, and go home and register the car there. Shouldn't be hard, last time it only took 2 years!

[johnwmackay]

I'm out of ideas, sorry. Gotta love the DMV, no matter what state you're in they make everything so difficult! JM