I’m From The Uk And Want To Buy And Drive A Car In The Us. How Do I Get The Paper Work Sorted Out?
I’m thinking log book, insurance, tax and breakdown cover. But if there is anything else I’ve missed let me know – cheers.
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October 4th, 2009 at 9:09 pm
Buying is easy. Registering — obtaining a number plate — is hard. In the US, registration (the number plate) is a state matter & registration follows the driver, not the vehicle. In order to register a vehicle you must have a US address in the state of registration and you must have proof of insurance — which is no small matter if you have no US driving record. Most insurance carriers will not insure you, but there are some who will; you’ll have to shop around. Typically you will have to take out 6 month or one year insurance & then “short rate” it when you sell the car. I have heard from people who have done this & my observations are: 1. They are often surprised at how expensive this course of action is & 2. I tend to think some of the agents who sell these insurance policies are simply lying, either to the customers or their insurance carriers, and are encouraging their customers to lie, thereby jeopardizing themselves. If you are only planning on 90 days or less, you may find it more reasonable to simply do a long term rental from one of the companies who do that, like Enterprise or Alamo. You’ll get a new or nearly new car; with no buying, selling, repairing, registration & insurance hassles.
edit: I just re-read your query & saw you want to drive a Tahoe! Good God, why? Are you hauling a boat? A family of seven? A 30 foot travel trailer? A stuffed Polar Bear? It will cost you a mint to rent or buy & especially to fuel. BTW California has its own emission control regime. Before you can sell a car in CA you must get special emission certification. Older “49 state” cars may not be able to meet CA certifications, creating added problems for you.
October 4th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
contact a dealer in the US – they will help you
October 5th, 2009 at 3:39 am
If you are buying a car in the US at a dealer, they will help you get get everything set.
Log book – sure, but this is optional
Insurance – You might have an idea of which company that you want. Check with the majors: Allstate, State Farm, Geico, Progressive
Tax – the sales tax is covered by the auto dealer. They will help you to get the License plate and registration.
breakdown cover – AAA is popular, but GM cars have the ON STAR system which is WAY COOL. (ask about it at Pontiac, GM, Chevy and Cadillac dealers)
Drivers license – your current license will work temporarilly, but you should get one for the state that you are living in.
To check the values of different cars, visit http://www.edmunds.com
October 5th, 2009 at 8:42 am
My ‘gut’ is this is not legal, but my ‘heart’ says “go for it!!!” Check http://www.autotrader.com for used vehicles, and kbb.com for car values. You realize that a Tahoe isn’t so thrifty with the petrol? In good running order, expect only 15 mpg with highway driving.
Be sure to bring proof of you current insurance cover, detailing any discounts for age, driving record, etc. Also bring your driving record as supplemental proof. These two bits of information could reduce your insurance by half.
Normally in the States, when you buy a car, the seller signs, dates, and hands over to you the title. With so much cheque fraud, it is reasonable and customary for the seller to (first) meet you at your bank and witness a bank check (aka cashiers cheque) drawn from your account. Believe it or not, cashier cheque thievery is getting so good (or bad?) that bank employees are not able to detect faked cheques, thus the need to meet the seller at your bank.
Once the money and title has been handed over, the vehicle is your responsibility. If you then cannot get insurance, that is your problem completely and not the sellers. So you should make an appointment with an insurance agent ahead of time. In fact, email an agent and describe what you want to do. They should be able to give you a preliminary price quote.
You will need to take the signed-over title to the nearest Motor Vehicles office. These are called slightly different names in different states; in many states, it is called DMV (Dept. of Motor Vehicles) for example. You’ll get to experience first-hand one of the least desireable duties amongst American vehicle owners–queueing at the DMV. Bring a good book. You need to apply for registration–become registered as the owner (new title) and primary driver of the vehicle (registration). Carry your vehicle registration form in the glove box at all times. Title should stay in a safe(r) place. Each form (title and registration) will likely cost about $15. They will require proof of insurance. The registration will include sticker(s) to fix to the license plate (metal number plate at front, back, or both–again, depending on the state). These stickers show month and year. ‘Registration’ has to be renewed every 1-2 years (depending on state), and new stickers fixed to the license plate.
You might also have to get a new license plate; again, it depends on the state in which you register the vehicle. They might let you register the former owner’s plates as your own; or the owner might want to keep them–it depends.
Plan to spend all day in DMV. If it takes less, then you’ve had a good day!
The only other formality that I can think of is vehicle inspection. Most states require an annual safety and emissions check-up. A sticker fixed to the inside of the windscreen should have a number corresponding to the month the vehicle must be inspected each year (a ’12′ would be Dec, for example). You must have current vehicle inspection sticker displayed at all times on the windscreen.
I don’t think you will be liable for local or state property tax on the vehicle. Since the vehicle will not be ‘garaged’ during your cross-country road trip. (‘Garaged’ is usually the term used to determine which local or state taxes apply).
October 5th, 2009 at 10:29 am
If you buy the car in the US and drive it there I don’t know what you mean ….You’re not bringing it to the UK??