"De-registering" a car?

[DanMan68]

My registration is coming due next week as well as my insurance, but I am going to have a employee lease program vehicle starting this week for the next year and a half (I work for Nissan so I am getting a 370Z :D). So I don't really want to have to pay for my e30 to just sit. It needs alot of work, so its not like I would really use it or need it as a second car. Likely I would start tearing into it for parts, do a autox machine / track car, or eventually sell it.

So my question is, do I need to do anything special to "De-register" it or anything? Or can I just not pay the registration and insurance until I am ready to put it back on the road. I feel like there must be some sort of process for this, but my google-fu has come up short.

[Dj Buttchug]

you must file non op. not sure of the state law in MI but most states require you to file non op or provide a statement explaining why the car is no longer being driven

[kts]

You'll need to look at your state DMV's website or call them. Most likely you can just let the registration expire and return the tags to them. As for insurance you can just not pay the bill. This is assuming that your E30 will be stored in a garage or on private property. If you're just going to park it on the street it will need to be registered/insured. If it will be in private property but not property that you/someone you know owns (like an Apartment complex parking lot) you may need to see what the Apartment complete management/property owner will do since some will be jerks and tow cars with no tags.

Since the E30 will be your second car you may want to look into a classic car insurance company like Hagerty or Grundy, they make it extremely affordable to insure a second car like an E30, and they do agreed value on the price of the car.

[Kershaw]

turn in the tags.

[DanMan68]

I would be able to store on private property, so that is no issue. I might look into just doing Hagerty though. I didn't think about that option. My intention was to just cheap out and not have to pay the $100 registration by taking it off the road, but it might be nice to still be able to drive it if needed.

[kts]

I'm pretty sure Hagerty will let you insure a car that is not registered or tagged. My friend did this with his 2002 that he runs in Lemons events that is trailered everywhere so it never touches a public road. He added it into his existing policy with Hagerty and I believe it cost him ~$40/yr with the car insured for $3k or so.

Look into historic/antique/street rod plates if they are offered in MI. In MD they are $51 ever 2 years vs the $128/2 yrs for regular registration.

[VinniE30]

When I moved from NJ to MD and brought my non-OP red e30 here I just cancelled the insurance and never renewed the registration or anything so I didin't unnecessarily spend money on a car I wasn't driving. I'm going to register in it MD and get insurance once it's complete and running... hope I don't have trouble with this since the NJ registation lapsed years ago.

[nando]

in WA, you do.. nothing. we only pay $40 once a year anyway. I like living in the wild west. :p

I got storage insurance for my car when it was at a bodyshop for about 3 months, it was inexpensive. Both my registration and license plates were expired, but WA doesn't care.

[travish325]

Same in IN, you just cancel insurance and dont pay registration, easy enough.

[slammin.e28]

In Virginia you just let it lapse then drop insurance. If you drop insurance first you get nasty letters from the DMV wanting the plates back. I have never turned in a set of plates. They are mine once I pay for them. Fuck the state.

If you're dropping registration with 6 months left, they'll reimburse you when you turn in the tags. After that, nothing.

[jlevie]

Check with the DMV to find out what the correct process is for a car that will be taken out of service and then re-registered later. If not done correctly you may have to pay registration for the time the car was out of service when re-registering the car.

[Vtec?lol]

Don't register it.
No need for haggerty or insurance as long as the property its on is fully insured.
Take a picture of it and contact your insurance to be sure it can cover a non-op or stored car.

[StereoInstaller1]

I just do not understand why you would not ask your MI DMV. Laws vary state by state and we just do not have that many MI residents here on R3V.

I do think it odd that in WA, if you wait to register the vehicle, it is $2 a day (up to $125) in late fees if you are transferring title, but if it is in your name already there is no cost to allowing it to lapse.

Insurance is another deal. Some companies charge you extra to renew your policy and in some cases, more than if you had just paid the whole time.

[slammin.e28]

I find it ridiculous that states charge you for time the car wasn't registered. I mean really? The car (shouldn't have been) wasn't using the roads that registration (tax) pays for.

I just can't get over that.

[dannyyisntt]

I live a town over from you, in bay city.

Just don't reregister it. For peace of mind you can have storage insurance put on it if you desire.