Anyone from California buy an out-of-state car and drive back to California?

[Rusty.Piranha]

What are the registration steps needed to buy an out of state car and drive it back to California?

-Do I need to get temp plates?
-Could I drive on prior owners plates?
-Do I need to fully register car in CA before buying and driving back?
-Could I be an OG and drive back without plates?

Any tips/experience would be awesome, Thanks!

[MR E30 325is]

A guy from LA bought a 90 325i from me a few months ago.

He went OG and drove it from AZ to LA without plates.

[Rusty.Piranha]

^ What a Legend! Any word about getting sniped by cops?

[ArdaMK2]

I just registered a car from Nevada to CA. Drove on no plates, but i think you should be ok with prior owners plates. Went to DMV to pay the taxes on the car. They gave me a 2 month operating permit to get a vin verification and smog check.

[Rusty.Piranha]

^ Any issues from cops with no plates? how much were your taxes on car?

[Das Delfin]

Check the laws of the state you're buying the car from. Lots of states require removal of the plates when the car is sold and what you have to do is specific to state you're buying the car from.

You typically won't drive on someone else's plates in a state that requires turning them in because the previous owner can get fucked if you don't send them back and they can't turn them in.

Once the car is in CA just go to the dmv and get new plates/reg. If you need time to pass smog you can get a 2 month sticker to put on your windshield.

[berndt]

Did this a few months ago. Drove from Texas to CA with TX temp plates. They were only valid in TX and for 72 hours. Ended up driving for a month without valid plates as I waited for title. I had bill of sale and insurance, so no prob.


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[ArdaMK2]

^ Any issues from cops with no plates? how much were your taxes on car?

Not one of them even batted an eye. I put down i got the car for $300, paid $160 in taxes.

[Rusty.Piranha]

Not one of them even batted an eye. I put down i got the car for $300, paid $160 in taxes.

Awesome! What did you pay to register car in CA?

[Ba_reefer]

Out of state

Just picked up an e30 from portland and drove on Oregon olates

[BlackbirdM3]

I bought my M3 in Canada, drove 1000 miles with no plates and no one seemed to notice. I don't remember what I paid in taxes, but since the car was first sold in CA I had no problem with the local DMV when it came to registering the car. The issue came when the paperwork got to Sacramento. The people in Sac couldn't get it through their heads that the car was a US spec, California emissions legal car because it was first sold down in LA. They kept insisting that it was a Canadian car even though it was clearly sold in LA and they could see that. It took my getting pulled over 5.5 months later for not having any plates that they finally pulled their collective heads out of their asses and sent me my plates. (I had the temp paper in the rear window where it belonged, but it was about to run out. Everything was done right on my end, but the DMV was dragging their heels.)

Will

[Rusty.Piranha]

Just picked up an e30 from portland and drove on Oregon olates

Was the owner ok with you taking his Oregon plates? I'm flying up there in a couple weeks to buy an e30 and curious.

[Zeemz]

In VA you can go to the DMV or online and all you need is a VIN and they give you a temp tag for 3 days, but it is only good in VA. So if I bought it in NY I would have to get one from each state I drove through technically. https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/vehicles/#temp_permit.asp

I would probably just get one from the state I lived in and then if I got pulled I bet a cop would be fine if you had a trip permit from CA and the bill of sale and insurance.

[e30fix]

all you really need is the title of the car. I bought my IX in Arizona and drove it back without plates. I bought it with a bill of sale and the Arizona title. i had no issues registering the car at all. Without the title though it would be nearly impossible to get it registered in CA.

[McGyver]

all you really need is the title of the car. I bought my IX in Arizona and drove it back without plates. I bought it with a bill of sale and the Arizona title. i had no issues registering the car at all. Without the title though it would be nearly impossible to get it registered in CA.

What does it take to register it in CA?

I have a '91 coupe and an '89 cabrio that are still registered as VA cars, but I need to register in CA as soon as I get my CA license. My coupe passes smog fine, but I'm struggling with my cabrio.

Do they need to see/inspect the car? Would I get the 2 months to have my car fixed/smoged?