I’m just asking this here, because the parents in the cafe have a wide base of knowledge, and I feel like someone has always gone before me and can save me time!
Ds is finishing grad school in CA and moving to TX in about a month. He needs a car. He has been weighing options on buying new v buying used and where to purchase. Originally, he planned to wait until he got to TX to purchase regardless. However, he has a few classmates who are moving to NYC and are selling their cars. One seems to be a nice deal with low miles for its age. He’s driving cross-country anyway - he’d planned to just rent a car - he’s going to some National Parks along the way.
I’ve done some googling on obtaining temporary tags in a private sale. He will do research as well, but I thought I’d ask here. He is a CA resident and has a CA driver’s license. He doesn’t want to register the car in CA. His classmate will sell it to him just a couple of days before he would start the drive to TX.
I found a link to obtaining several types of temporary tags in TX. But, he isn’t currently a TX resident. The type that is free and printable appears to apply to TX residents leaving the state to bring back a used vehicle from out of state??? Others look like you must go to the DMV to obtain them?? Which isn’t an option.
Anyway does anyone have any experience with this scenario?? Bonus points if the states are identical - ha ha!
There are ways to make TX your permanent place of residence without living there via mailing services. Full time RVers do it all the time for the tax savings.
I’d skip all that though and ink an arrangement where he “borrows” the car until he gets to TX and then buys it. I’d check with both insurance companies, but most will cover you if driving someone else’s car.
My son moved from Michigan to Texas. He bought the car in Michigan from a dealer and had permanent plates.
As I remember and it’s been a few years, it took awhile to go through the hoops to get the license changed in Texas. Car inspections being one.
This kid had the same car in Michigan, Texas, Indiana and Pennsylvania. He switched the plates and his drivers license in each state. It was a whole process every time.
He’s my rule follower. My daughter’s SO I think still has his car registered at his parent’s house.
The problem will be buying the car and getting insurance on that car. While getting it to its final destination. On what plates? And what insurance?
Can the car be registered at your home address? Insured and then overnight the plates to him? You won’t have to have the car to get plates, just a title. Unless your home requires an inspection.
A typical private party car sale in California has the non-personalized plates stay with the car, and the taxes paid on title transfer (buyer and seller should go to the DMV, or AAA if either has AAA, to complete and turn in the paperwork). Smog inspection is also required.
That’s the big issue, not the logistics of getting tags. The tax is 7.5% of the sale price. You pay that in CA, even if you purchased the vehicle out of state. It would be a shame to take that hit for tags that’ll only be useful for a matter of days.
If his trip will be less than 10 days, I’d just drive it with the tags it has and register it in TX once he’s landed.
Certainly have him check with his insurance company.
It depends on the state where you are moving from. California will not let go of its residents without endless proofs like records of your primary doctor and your visits, car registration, cell phone records, credit card statements etc etc to prove you are where you state you are, particularly its high income residents.
Am I reading that correctly? Because it says proof of sales tax, “paid,” in the list of things required the for registration and then says you have to pay the TX sales tax?
