Buying a used car....in New Hampshire. Any tips or warnings?

[mp775]

If you are transferring the registration from another vehicle, there is a seven day grace period (extended to 21 days due to COVID) where you can use the plates before actually transferring the registration. Caveat is under the law, you are *supposed* to no longer own the first vehicle.

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by bizcuit

I did this in August. I was trading in my old car. They switched the plates and they were able to issue temporary registration at the dealership. The permanent registration was mailed to me about a week later. I was able to drive it off the lot and home that day.

The dealership does a regular weekly run to submit paperwork to MA. They also have a sister dealership in MA. The only reason I bought the car this way was because this dealership had the car, make, model, year and transmission that I wanted. I wasn't trying to get a better deal or dodge taxes.

Ain't no dodging automotive sales tax in MA, unless you evade title-transfer when purchasing.

I've know of a vehicle or two which has traded hands through non-dealers in which the title had been signed by a previous seller and the rest of the title left blank ... one needs a compliant seller to commit this conspiracy however . There are also off-road only vehicles (e.g., farm/ranch trucks, trailered track/auto-x cars, etc.) in which the buyer never transferred the title ... the signed title still sitting in the glovebox as a 'just in case'. It does happen, but at a very small scale.