Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am planning to buy a used car (most likely private seller and not dealership) from the south (Texas,Arizona, Cali, etc.) which has not seen the winter elements and drive back home to Chicago.
How should I go about driving it back home without plates, tollways, etc.? (Some tollroads don't even have a cash option.
Can I take my ipass transponder and use it even though the car won't have any plates?
I don't know if it's every state but the state you are buying it in will issue a temporary intransit tag that should be good for 30 days, it's one of those paper ones you put in the window. You'll need proof of insurance, the title etc.
Once you get it back to your state you'll do the title transfer there. Make sure you understand what it is you need to do the transfer. I bought a car in NY once with two people on the title and only one person had signed it because the other person was deceased. This is perfectly fine in New York but my state required both signatures. I got it sorted but I can tell you trying to obtain an official death certificate is no easy task.
Not every state Requires temp tags for private sales.
Seems like no 2 states can agree on how to handle things, and the LEO in each state will only go by "their" laws.
Save yourself the headache, spend the ~$500 and have it shipped to you. Or, look up the laws in each state you'll be passing through to see what they require and do what it takes to meet those laws. Or, just say "Fug it" and drive with no plates, skip the toll roads and take your chances. I've personally done this a few times, LEO's tend to be very understanding when you point out that you're simply in transit and have proof of purchase (title, bill of sale) and insurance.
Not every state Requires temp tags for private sales.
Seems like no 2 states can agree on how to handle things, and the LEO in each state will only go by "their" laws.
Save yourself the headache, spend the ~$500 and have it shipped to you. Or, look up the laws in each state you'll be passing through to see what they require and do what it takes to meet those laws. Or, just say "Fug it" and drive with no plates, skip the toll roads and take your chances. I've personally done this a few times, LEO's tend to be very understanding when you point out that you're simply in transit and have proof of purchase (title, bill of sale) and insurance.
I think this is what I might do. Just set the GPS to avoid tolls.
Do southern and southwestern states even have tollways?
I was out in AZ and Nevada a few times and we did a 4-5hr road trip once out there and never seen a tollroad.
I believe it's a midwestern thing anyways (IL, IN,OH, PA? Based on the few times I've driven out to OH and Niagara Falls.
I have purchased out of state vehicles a couple of times and just took the a tag off another vehicle from home with me. Just make sure you have insurance on the vehicle you just purchased. Had a tag stolen once and drove a couple days before getting a new tag. Had no problems whatsoever.
If you are driving normal, you probably won't have a problem at all. If you get in a wreck, you should have your insurance paper with you. If they ask you about the tag, tell them you just bought the vehicle.
Buy it in CA, but be sure the plates have current registration. In CA, the plates stay on the vehicle. With those plates, and the signed title and your insurance, you will be good for the drive home.
Do NOT buy from a dealer in CA. I have done that twice, and even though the dealers were aware that the vehicle was going to MT and would be titled and registered there, I still had to pay the CA sales tax and get a CA title.
Yeah, it is silly, but that is the way the system worked way back then.
If you buy in Arizona from a private owner, you'll want to transfer title at the dmv or a "3rd party dmv" - Arizona allows both the state and local governments to assess "secret" liens on vehicles - I.e., the seller owes the state money & there's a lien against the title that does not actually appear *on* the title, unlike any other state that I'm aware of. The good news is, you walk out of the dmv with a clear title in your name, so buying plates will be easy in your home state.
Temporary 30 day tags are $15 and can be purchased online or at those 3rd party dmv stations.
Between Phoenix and Chicago, the only tolls I hit are in Oklahoma taking I-40 , and those can be payed in cash.
I am planning to buy a used car (most likely private seller and not dealership) from the south (Texas,Arizona, Cali, etc.) which has not seen the winter elements and drive back home to Chicago.
Get insurance on vehicle first.
Every state is different. Many states have temporary plates.
If looking for a good car from South. Make sure car was garaged. The sun does extensive damage to both inside and outside. Arizona has many older used cars where the clear coat has worn off by too much exposure to sun light.
Ohio has the weirdest rules that I have found. The buyer even if out of state needs to get an Ohio title. Then once get to home state - got to get the home state title.
Those that suggest just drive the car with your current car plates are not helping you. If pulled over car could be impounded with good size fines and storage/towing fees. The authorities have no sympathy for those out of staters with no valid registration.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
