Registering car in another county (Star: insurance, house, inspectors)

[jcstille]

I am curious if anyone has gone down the route of registering your car in a different county than wake. I own a second home (not a rental) in eastern nc without emission testing and I was wondering about registering there for annual inspection. Is this allowed?

[twingles]

Since you need a license and insurance to register your car, I'd expect you'd need the addresses on those things to match.

If you're going to tell your insurer your vehicle is principally garaged at house #2, better make sure you don't have a bunch of losses near house #1.

[Corgi Dad]

I can't comment on the emissions testing issue, but my guess about registering in another county would probably require declaring house #2 as your permanent residence.

[carlito2002wgn]

I wanted to do the same thing when I lived in PA. Lived in Delaware country and then Chester county, but wanted to register in Lancaster country to avoid emissions testing. It was a no fly. Too difficult and too illegal if I wanted to "get one by" the state.

I will say that I went catless (deleted 3, 1 pre turbo and two after) since 2002 through 2018. I did this in PA and then here in NC with three different cars (basically all the same vehicle). I never had a problem passing, and only would have if any of the inspectors had performed a thorough visual inspection. I guess if the car passes smog, then they don't look too hard.

[Starglow]

Originally Posted by jcstille

I am curious if anyone has gone down the route of registering your car in a different county than wake. I own a second home (not a rental) in eastern nc without emission testing and I was wondering about registering there for annual inspection. Is this allowed?

Once your car is twenty years old it only requires safety inspection and no emissions check. Most emissions issues aren't that difficult to repair to warrant jumping through hoops to register the car in a different county.

[codygreen]

Originally Posted by Starglow

Most emissions issues aren't that difficult to repair to warrant jumping through hoops to register the car in a different county.

Not true.

Emissions equipment can be extremely expensive.
It is also highly sensitive and can be affected by countless systems in the car operating below peak efficiency. Proper diagnosis can take many labor hours and cost a fortune.

If your engine is worn and operating inefficiently, nothing short of a complete overhaul will correct the problem long term.

[Starglow]

Originally Posted by codygreen

Not true.

Emissions equipment can be extremely expensive.
It is also highly sensitive and can be affected by countless systems in the car operating below peak efficiency. Proper diagnosis can take many labor hours and cost a fortune.

If your engine is worn and operating inefficiently, nothing short of a complete overhaul will correct the problem long term.

Once you've spent $200 at a qualified repair shop attempting to fix the problem then you can apply for a waiver of emissions inspection. Done and done.

[davidnyc]

Originally Posted by jcstille

I am curious if anyone has gone down the route of registering your car in a different county than wake. I own a second home (not a rental) in eastern nc without emission testing and I was wondering about registering there for annual inspection. Is this allowed?

I believe it is allowed, but a gray area depending on the primary location of the car, which I assume will be your primary residence. I have a performance car that will probably be in a similar situation, but, the registering in a secondary home thing in your mind and my mind is about emissions, but in other's people's mind are you trying to avoid taxes? Are you trying to commit insurance fraud? I know you are not, but by registering in the second home, you are essentially committing fraud, if not primarily keeping the car at the second home. Will you get caught? Who knows. And if you get caught is it a big deal? I am not sure. Nonetheless, I have thought of the same thing and instead of doing the second home thing, I may just sell the car and start a new. I am not sure yet, what I will do.

[twingles]

Originally Posted by davidnyc

I believe it is allowed, but a gray area depending on the primary location of the car, which I assume will be your primary residence. I have a performance car that will probably be in a similar situation, but, the registering in a secondary home thing in your mind and my mind is about emissions, but in other's people's mind are you trying to avoid taxes? Are you trying to commit insurance fraud? I know you are not, but by registering in the second home, you are essentially committing fraud, if not primarily keeping the car at the second home. Will you get caught? Who knows. And if you get caught is it a big deal? I am not sure. Nonetheless, I have thought of the same thing and instead of doing the second home thing, I may just sell the car and start a new. I am not sure yet, what I will do.

Well if it were fraud (which it's not) it would be a HUGE deal.

It IS misrepresentation and it is grounds for cancellation. Having your insurance cancelled is never a good thing when you go shopping again.