Registering Your Vehicles Out-Of-State (Hays: rental car, sales, apartment)

[AnywhereElse]

I just learned from the county and the state that they do not enforce any laws against people who do not register their vehicles in Kansas. Our neighbor has 4 vehicles registered in SD, so he doesn't have to pay our registration and personal property taxes. I checked with both the county and the state, and they say unless you are stopped by the police, there would be no enforcement. Another neighbor has their SUV licensed in AZ.

Know that in other states where we lived, you didn't have to be stopped by the police for enforcement, and were fined if you were found cheating.

So, if you were wondering why your personal property taxes were high on your vehicles, and I suspect other personal property, it is because the state is lax, and figures as long as they get the money, they just don't care.

Anyone considering moving to Kansas should think again, because unless you are willing to break the rules, you'll end up on "the short end of the stick", and I have found this in more than enforcement on vehicle registration. I guess it is just a "thing" here.

[Okey Dokie]

There are legitimate reasons for driving a vehicle with out of state plates. Being in the military or driving a employer owned vehicle come to mind. A snowbird might declare themselves a resident of Florida, register his vehicles there, and as long as he spends more than 1/2 the year there, it’s legal. Of course, I have no idea what your neighbors’ situation is.

I have a friend who always claims half the vehicles in Johnson County have dealer tags. Surely he jests. I think.

[mshultz]

The rental car I had in 2012 in Hays had Missouri plates. Hays is a long way from Missouri.


You see a lot of semi trailers in Ohio with Maine plates. That's because Ohio and Maine have a reciprocity agreement for trucks, and Maine plates are cheaper.


When I got my first job in 1979, and was sent to Ann Arbor, I immediately got a Michigan driver's license, along with plates. After I came back to Ohio, I again got Ohio plates and license. I'm not going to disregard the rules just to save a few bucks.

[Seguinite]

Originally Posted by mshultz

The rental car I had in 2012 in Hays had Missouri plates. Hays is a long way from Missouri.


You see a lot of semi trailers in Ohio with Maine plates. That's because Ohio and Maine have a reciprocity agreement for trucks, and Maine plates are cheaper.


When I got my first job in 1979, and was sent to Ann Arbor, I immediately got a Michigan driver's license, along with plates. After I came back to Ohio, I again got Ohio plates and license. I'm not going to disregard the rules just to save a few bucks.

Rental cars move all around the country. Might be licensed anywhere.

As to the OP... It's not really true that 'they don't enforce it' if they enforce it if you get stopped for something. They count on folks being honest and doing what they're supposed to do (transfer the plates/license, etc), but there's really no way for them to know you actually do it. I expect there's some additional fine for not doing within whatever prescribed time frame you're supposed to do it in when you do get caught.

[AnywhereElse]

Originally Posted by Okey Dokie

There are legitimate reasons for driving a vehicle with out of state plates. Being in the military or driving a employer owned vehicle come to mind. A snowbird might declare themselves a resident of Florida, register his vehicles there, and as long as he spends more than 1/2 the year there, it’s legal. Of course, I have no idea what your neighbors’ situation is.

I have a friend who always claims half the vehicles in Johnson County have dealer tags. Surely he jests. I think.

Neighbor is not in the military, and in KS, that only exempts 2 vehicles, and we are talking about 4 vehicles tagged out-of-state in a state without personal property tax. Neighbor is not a snowbird, is working and has owned a home here for some time. He also does home improvements without getting a permit in order to avoid his taxes going up - so, honesty is not in play here.

Another neighbor has a vehicle with an AZ tag, and that car is here year round. I suppose there are many others which is probably the reason KS has such a high property tax surpassing many other states on vehicles. We lived in a small town near the MO border at one time, and more than a few were running on MO tags.

We have seen cheaters before, and when they cheat everyone else pays more. In other states where we lived, the requirement to register was usually 30 days, here it is 60 days. Once one gets out of the military and is living and working in KS, they fall under that rule.

Depending on people to be honest these days, those days have passed. Our Senator, in an email yesterday, told me that there is a law on the books, and it is supposed to be enforced by the Department of Revenue.
The operative words here are "supposed to be enforced".

[sluggermatt15]

Originally Posted by mshultz

The rental car I had in 2012 in Hays had Missouri plates. Hays is a long way from Missouri.


You see a lot of semi trailers in Ohio with Maine plates. That's because Ohio and Maine have a reciprocity agreement for trucks, and Maine plates are cheaper.


When I got my first job in 1979, and was sent to Ann Arbor, I immediately got a Michigan driver's license, along with plates. After I came back to Ohio, I again got Ohio plates and license. I'm not going to disregard the rules just to save a few bucks.

You are right, best choice to make to register in the state of residence. You figure the state won't ever "check" to make sure new residents switch over. But at some point living in the new state, one is going to need valid identification. Presuming one will not have access to their previous address, it is only a matter of time before it is necessary to update address. It gets suspicious when you work in one state but still get your mail in the previous one (not assuming military, government, etc.).

[AnywhereElse]

Originally Posted by sluggermatt15

You are right, best choice to make to register in the state of residence. You figure the state won't ever "check" to make sure new residents switch over. But at some point living in the new state, one is going to need valid identification. Presuming one will not have access to their previous address, it is only a matter of time before it is necessary to update address. It gets suspicious when you work in one state but still get your mail in the previous one (not assuming military, government, etc.).

If you have family in another state, you can just use that address, which was most likely used years ago when the member entered the military as "home of record". South Dakota doesn't tax military retirement. There is no personal property tax, like on the person I am aware of who has 5 vehicles with South Dakota tags. KS has some of the highest sales and personal property tax. KS taxes everything!

I became aware of the benefits that people get from doing this having been a full-time RVer.

https://taxfoundation.org/state/sout...6.40%20percent.

"How does South Dakota’s tax code compare? South Dakota does not have an individual income tax. South Dakota also does not have a corporate income tax. South Dakota has a 4.50 percent state sales tax rate, a max local sales tax rate of 4.50 percent, and an average combined state and local sales tax rate of 6.40 percent. South Dakota’s tax system ranks 2nd overall on our 2022 State Business Tax Climate Index."

So, if someone is living in KS, claiming SD, it is more than a few bucks, it is several thousand bucks.

I can't say he is not paying income tax, but someone could look into it though.

I don't like cheaters. Karma usually comes along and bites them in the butt! It is always just a matter of time.

I still cannot believe that someone can get away with not paying the personal property taxes on the vehicles (5, so a few thousand), unless they stopped by the police. If you kept your DL the same state as your vehicle tags, that should still work out for the offender.

[sluggermatt15]

Originally Posted by AnywhereElse

If you have family in another state, you can just use that address, which was most likely used years ago when the member entered the military as "home of record". South Dakota doesn't tax military retirement. There is no personal property tax, like on the person I am aware of who has 5 vehicles with South Dakota tags. KS has some of the highest sales and personal property tax. KS taxes everything!

I became aware of the benefits that people get from doing this having been a full-time RVer.

https://taxfoundation.org/state/sout...6.40%20percent.

"How does South Dakota’s tax code compare? South Dakota does not have an individual income tax. South Dakota also does not have a corporate income tax. South Dakota has a 4.50 percent state sales tax rate, a max local sales tax rate of 4.50 percent, and an average combined state and local sales tax rate of 6.40 percent. South Dakota’s tax system ranks 2nd overall on our 2022 State Business Tax Climate Index."

So, if someone is living in KS, claiming SD, it is more than a few bucks, it is several thousand bucks.

I can't say he is not paying income tax, but someone could look into it though.

I don't like cheaters. Karma usually comes along and bites them in the butt! It is always just a matter of time.

I still cannot believe that someone can get away with not paying the personal property taxes on the vehicles (5, so a few thousand), unless they stopped by the police. If you kept your DL the same state as your vehicle tags, that should still work out for the offender.

I agree with you. That person(s) will have their day.

It does seem like KS is an expensive state! The property taxes (not personal) are in the Top 15-20. And you stated, personal property tax and a high sales tax. Ouch.

[cp1969]

I had a house in both Kansas and an apartment in Illinois 1989 thru 1992.



In 1989, the tax on our 1989 mini van was $650 per year and $12 for license plate. I could register it in Illinois for $50, total.


Kansas finally reduced that outlandish tax. But while I could, I took advantage of the opportunity and have no regrets about it.

[sluggermatt15]

Originally Posted by cp1969

I had a house in both Kansas and an apartment in Illinois 1989 thru 1992.



In 1989, the tax on our 1989 mini van was $650 per year and $12 for license plate. I could register it in Illinois for $50, total.


Kansas finally reduced that outlandish tax. But while I could, I took advantage of the opportunity and have no regrets about it.

Right. Well I am sure you had to declare one of those dorms a place of residence, which is where you would register your vehicle.