Registering your car in D.C. (lease, car insurance, how much)
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Just moved here and in the process of registering my car. Actually is it even worthwhile if I work in VA and park in an underground garage?
Either way, I've been told it can be quite the process. Appears first you need a D.C. driver's license. Then you need to get your car inspection. You need proof of D.C. car insurance, proof of residence, and proof of car title (in your name).
Yea, but make sure your proof of residence qualifies under the requirements of the DC DMV. You'll also need some form of identification to prove who you are.
It can be annoying, and it can be relatively painless. It really depends on the day you go in and how much insanity is going on and who is on vacation and whether the guy in front of you has 1,000 parking tickets etc. I would avoid the end of the month (when many people go) and try for an early arrival.
If you live in DC, you need to register in DC. If you have the car registered in VA you have it insured in VA and when an accident happens and they show you actually live in DC then the insurance company can claim insurance fraud and possibly deny your claim (you are paying lower rates in VA, probably but actually living in DC).
We definitely have D.C. insurance and it wasn't that expensive (liability on two cars for $500 for 6 months).
My insurance card has my D.C. address so I'm not too worried about proof of residency. I've got my CT driver's license and a passport so proof of who I am shouldn't be too difficult.
My only concern is that my car may be in my dad's name (hand me down from him to my bro to me) so they may try to tax me if I transfer the car from him to me. I may try to do that in his home state when I go visit this weekend.
My only concern is that my car may be in my dad's name (hand me down from him to my bro to me) so they may try to tax me if I transfer the car from him to me. I may try to do that in his home state when I go visit this weekend.
Buy it from him for $1. That's what my parents did for my car to get around the taxes.
As for the registration process, it's not that bad. Take off a day and get down to the inspection station as early as you can manage (I got there around 8:30am on a Friday). Chances are there won't be many people there, so the inspection shouldn't take too long. Then drive around the block to the DMV at 95 M Street SW and take care of the rest. Make sure you have your title, proof of DC insurance, and proof of DC residency (I used a copy of my signed lease and also brought some paystubs and bills just in case). I didn't have any problems, except for the fact that I had to go back because I didn't have my title with me. Otherwise, it was all pretty painless.
You can make a one-time tax-free gift of a vehicle to a family member in DC. You will, however, need to obtain a vehicle gift form from the DMV. This is the only form that I was not able to locate online (nor, indeed, any mention that such a thing exists). If you buy it for $1, you may be taxed on the fair market value of the vehicle.
If you are bringing a car in from out-of-state (even a new car), it needs to be inspected. You do not have to have a DC driver's license in order to have the inspection performed.
Take the inspection, the gift form, the title, current ID, proof of insurance, and proof of residency (a lease or utility bill) to the DMV to get all of your necessary documentation (DC title, registration, residential parking permit, and driver's license). On a good day, you can be in and out in under two hours.
All of the details can be found at this website: District of Columbia: Department of Motor Vehicles: How Do I? (http://dmv.dc.gov/howdoi.shtm - broken link).
I'm going to have the transfer of the title from my dad to me when I go back to visit this weekend. Then I'll register the car with DC next week. Hopefully I can take care of all of the other things early next week when I still have alot of flexibility.
I think it's pretty much crap that DC can tax me on the market value of the vehicle but I've learned with D.C. that they'll try to get money anyway they can. That's another story.
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Thanks for the response
