If you spend some time in more than one state, how do you manage the cars? I have a driver’s license issued by state A and spend some time in state B. I keep a second car in state B. Where should I register the car? In state B, I would think. is that right?
Where is it cheaper to register and insure ?
I think it should be done where you have an address.
1 Like
I’d register the car where you are domiciled even if you keep it elsewhere. That is what our friends did who owned a condo in Florida but were domiciled in another state. They kept a car in Florida but it was tagged in Arkansas where their primary residence was.
I’d also probably ask your auto insurance agent if s/he has any opinion about it.
5 Likes
Will the car need a regular physical inspection/smog check? In the state where it is registered?
2 Likes
The poster has two addresses…it seems.
I think you need to register the car where your primary residence is. You can discuss this with your insurance company in terms of garaging it elsewhere. They will guide you.
Lots of snowbirds and others have more than one place where they garage a car.
4 Likes
When older son was in college, his car was registered in our state, as we owned the car, but the insurance was based on the state the car was in because it spent more than six months there. Agree that you need to check with your insurance company as well as the state to follow Their guidelines. We had to make special arrangements for the inspection because the car was not in our state. Our state vehicle registration/inspection division whatever it was called, helped us through that to get the inspection accepted and tag renewed.
3 Likes
@Iglooo do you have two addresses…Ala snowbird?
We have two addresses and two cars, each registered in the state where they reside. Before we built a garage at our cabin in Maine and were driving one car back and forth, the car was registered in the state of our primary home (AZ) where we spend seven months of the year.
Talk to your insurance company for clarification on your particular situation, but the general rule is that cars must be registered in the state where they reside permanently or most of the year.
Also, some insurance companies have programs for lowered rates during the time a car is not in use. For example, ours turns off collision insurance on the unused car and our annual rate on both cars reflects the “unused” discount on each.
5 Likes
We were told by state to register each car where it lives, which also means that is where each car is insured. We have a car that goes with us and that one is registered (full-time)in the state in which we are legal residents. We change the insurance to a limited policy (no collision), significant savings, if we plan not to drive a car for a few weeks or months.
1 Like
You probably should also check with the state…it is possible guidelines vary by state. I could swear my DD had to have a drivers license in her new state to get insurance and register her car.
But she didn’t have two states to deal with.
1 Like
Yes, it would. I am hoping the car should be registered where it stays. Otherwise, getting it inspected would be a nightmare. My two addresses are not within driving distance.
@thumper1 Yes, two addresses.
I like that.
2 Likes