Moving to the Bay - Car Registration (San Mateo: insurance, transfer)

[xiwong]

Hi everyone,

I'm moving to either San Mateo County or the City after I graduate this year to work! Here's an automotive/insurance/registration question regarding California (most similar thread ive found [url]http://www.city-data.com/forum/california/1931176-california-license-leased-car-parents-name.html[/url] ).

As I am working and won't be a student anymore in California, I am aware that of the 10 day DL change requirement after becoming a resident and 20 day requirement for vehicle registration. With this, I suspect that I will also need to obtain my own individual insurance policy.

Right now, I drive a vehicle financed under parent's name and on their insurance policy in NC. From what I've read so far, there does not seem to be a straight-forward way for me to register and insure the vehicle in CA as it cannot be transferred into my name (since the financial firm holds the title). Is this the case?

It seems like the only way to insure/register a vehicle already in our household is if my parents own it already. Then we could go about the gifting/title transfer process for NC and then I could re-register/insure it in California without issue.

What would be the recommended time for this to happen? As in should I do it while I'm still a NC resident (unsure if immediately transferring the title will require me to get individual insurance in NC, then drive to CA, then reinsure/reregister) or should I move to CA first, get a DL, then go through the transfer process (unsure if different when across state lines)?

Thanks for the help!