I picked up a brand new Mercury Cougar company car in Illinois at the dealership in 1978 and the only plate on it was a cardboard plate with the dealers name and slogan. They said they would send me the plates in the mail. I drove all the way back to Pennsylvania with no problems until I got into a small town and a Barney Fife hick cop put the lights on me. You would have thought I had murdered the Pope by the grilling they were giving me, and the only way I was left go was I mentioned my Wife worked at that small town hospital and the cop knew her. I didn't move that car from home until the plates came in the mail. Pa has NO sense of humor when it comes to these things. Don Oh, and you DO NOT want to stick a plate from another car on there if it isn't registered to that car, or you might be making license plates. Cops now have those electronic things that scan plates at a fast rate and you might be arrested for vehicle tampering or some other charge.
I believe you can get a transport permit from the Secretary of State here in Michigan. They will want to see your insurance and they will want to know the exact route you plan on traveling.
Ok in Michigan when you buy a car that is going out of the state you will have to go to the sec. of state office and let them you will titled in your home state they will issue a temp plate. I forget how much the fee is. If not coming during the week see if the PO will let you run thier plate and send it back to them when you get home.
Either get a transport plate or trailer it. Wrong plate and the cop will think the vehicle is stolen and will (rightly) act accordingly. 10 years ago I ran into this in Wisconsin. State patrol pulled me over and his first question was what make of vehicle is this? I told him and he said how do I know that. I pointed to the emblem in the steering wheel. I nicely asked why the question of make. He stated that he had run my plate because I was driving a little fast, and because I didn't have a tailgate on my truck he couldn't tell the make. They obviously were paying attention that day. Transport plates can sometimes be a pain to get, because you sometimes need appointments at small town DOT offices. I went through this in Ohio a few years back, I wanted to get the vehicle over a weekend, and it was just plain impossible to make it happen. deal fell through, so I didn't ever get the plate.
Here in VA you can get a trip permit for 3 days for a few bucks. That's how I drove my Olds down from Maryland.
I would use the non traditional Fed ex and have the seller send the info to you overnight before you go get the car and get tags for it , the states you mentioned I call the car nazi states . they want everything perfect . specially Conneticut , side pipes are illegal there now really people ....
You need plates, especially if crossing state lines, your state dmv will provide you one. I used to buy cars and drive them home on the bill of sale within my own state, if i'd been in a wreck I would have been f'd. I started talking to my insurace agent, he'd issue me one day coverage binder but needed the vin. I'd buy a car then drive to a kinkos and call him, he'd fax the insurance binder (we're talking 1990's, pre cel phone days). Now they could just email it to you and bring it up on your phone.
Several years ago I got busted for flat towing my race car home from Lime Rock. The cop took me and my buddy's to their station and put us in a holding cell. I had showed them a clear title and collectors insurance on the car. They took me to court where the Judge and I had quite a long talk. After explaining that I couldn't put plates on the car in New Jersey the Judge waived the fines, charged me court fees and let us go. We had a police escort to the state line. SO DON'T TAKE ANY CHANCES IN CONN !
I agree with Big Al. Why not get a set of Temps which will make you legit. Why take the chance of having your ride imponded. Better yet maybe you have a friend with a Dealer or Trans plate that will let you borrow it for a couple of days
PA has a temporary tranport plate for what you want to do. White cardboard. Gives you 30 days to get it out of state. I think it is $10. Way cheaper than a fine. You go to a notary to get the PA guys name off the title and assigned to you. Notary should charge about $4.00 for each stamp needed and about $25. $40 for doing the paper work. Eveybody is legal for less than $100. You pay sales tax or other transfer fees in your state.
Different bit of advice here. If any part of your travel route includes I-80 make double sure that all your paperwork is on the up and up. And that all your lights are working. State police in every state from NY to CA have made I-80 a special enforcement zone for the summer, and PA is especially nuts about the road. Any excuse is enough for a stop, especially changing lanes without signalling or non-working stop/brake lights. Check with AAA, they'll give you the straight dope for what you'll need, and provide it for you.
If you are real drunk when you get stopped it will greatly reduce the chances of getting a ticket for no plate. Go for it!
If you are buying the car for certain, why not pay the guy for the car, have him send you the title so you can go to YOUR DMV for title and tag, then take the tag with you. Bolt it on your new car and go. Fifty states, fifty different registration laws. BUT, the suggestion of taking tags off another vehicle, or running with no tag at all, is just plain stupid these days, especially. Every State Patrol, plus many, many local and county LE-types, have plate readers that can be a long way away and still read your plate...or lack thereof. BTW, not all states issue temp tags. In Oklahoma, for example, the plates stay with the vehicle, like in California, Texas, and others. If you buy a car with expired plates and drive it, you are screwed. Oklahoma does NOT issue paper tags on private sales, just dealer sales.
I bought a truck in Missouri and another in Iowa and flat towed both with no plates,I was told by the seller of the truck in Missouri the cops would tollerate no tags before they would with one that did not belong to the vehicle. Was passed by many police on both trips and not hassled.
The only way I would (and have) run a non-legal plate would be one that's not on file with the DMV, also knowing that the VIN is also not on file. Get the temp permit.
Running plates registered to another car will get you in serious trouble in South Carolina,,your better without them. HRP[/QUOTE] X2 a ticket without plates and a court date with wrong attracted. I am a car guy so I will let people who are honest pass when transporting a car but as soon as somthing is strange O start digging for more. Just do what your supposed to.
In Indiana to register a car that is from out of state the car has to have the vin visually inspected and if it is old enough that it has no vin that you can see thru the windshield it must be inspected by a law enforcement officer . so you couldn't pre-register the car and then pick it up if you're from Indiana. BTW it doesn't matter if you already own the car and it is in your name in a different state and has been for 15 yrs . Indiana still needs to be sure that you didn't steal it . Apparently they don't trust other states . I'm not bitter . Not at all....
When on vacation at Walt Disney World some 25+ years ago my wife had bought some Mickey Mouse license plates for my son's room , I screwed them to the wall in my sons bedroom when we got home from vacation. $hit my son moved out 5 years ago the plates are just screwed to the wall doing nothing I would be more than happy to let you borrow them to move your car atleast you will have somthing, I don't think you would have any issue using Mickey Mouse plates
It is just a great idea to have nothing about the car that is a red flag for the police. The more law abiding you appear the better. I have always been amazed when you read about people who are hauling lots of drugs in the car and they are stopped for speeding ! If I were a drug mule I would be driving like an old lady and making sure I used signals, that all my lights were working, etc. Don
You want to drive thru CT without a plate, no registration of any type and no insurance card specifically for that vehicle ! Let me make this as clear as I can, "Start KYing your brown eye cause your wallet isn't the only thing that could get hit hard". Never mind if you get caught, the 30 day suspension of your license for driving an Unregistered and Uninsured Motor Vehicle, the infraction costs and God for bid you have an accident of some type, the law suit you will have set yourself up for. AND THAT of course is if it makes it to the impound lot OR if it can be found the day you go to retrieve it. Flatbeds or paying someone for fuel is a whole lot cheaper in the long run. I will go so far as to say if you can't make it all the way due to costs, you can store it in my yard/garage for a week or two till you raise the money up to finish the hauling. I'm in Lisbon (South Eastern corner) CT near Route 169 and Route 138. Do you know someone with a truck and rent a tow dolly or trailer from U-Haul ?
In Illinois, the same day you buy a car from a private sale, is to display the title and bill of sale in the window... that's all the local cop asks around here
You can get a transport service to pick it up and deliver it, door to door, for about $1 per mile. That may sound expensive, but when you add up your costs for an air trip to CT, gas costs on the way back, motel costs (unless you think you can do it one day), and meal costs, you're probably not saving much, if anything, by going after it yourself. Plus it's a LOT less hassle.
Most states have some sort of temporary plate so you can transport vehicles like that. Usually they are called trip permits. Check with your state and see if they offer them and how they do them. I'd buy and take the permit with me even though there is an off chance I didn't make the deal on the car as it would be a lot less hassle to have it along than worry about hunting one down in a state you don't live in. If they are for a set date you can get it dated for the actual days you would be driving the car back. It looks like your state has a 30 or 60 day temporary permit or a 14 day in transit permit. I'd buy one of those and go.
I usually go to the local dmv and pick up a "transit plate". Fee is usually 10 bucks. Slap it on and you are ready to go. Haave driven from FL to Vt and soon from MO to VT with no issues. Typically is good for 30 days and is legal in all states.
When you get the title notorized, have the seller take you or show you where the registrars office is (where you buy plates) and get a temp tag.... Why risk getting your knew vehicle towed.... If you have proof of ins. In ohio no plates are in the same category as a parking ticket. Its not a moving violation.... At least not one I ever got.... I ran my P/U for 3 years with expired plates in the late 90's.... 2 years was the same fine as the plates. the third was a freebee..... It was the thing to do at work..... Kinda goofy I guess lookin back
Don't confuse the terminology here between "transport" plates and "in-transit" plates. Transporter plates are issued to someone who is in the business of transporting vehicles. For example I am a registered NY state wholesale motor vehicle dealer. I have two sets of transporter plates that I use taking vehicles to and from auctions or for any business related use. Background check and a sizeable bond is required. I carry garageman's liability insurance specific to each plate's registration. This covers me no matter what I attach the plate to. Transporter plates are not issued to the public for moving a vehicle. What you would need is a in- transit permit issued by the motor vehicle dept. You will need an insurance binder for the vehicle you will be driving. The permit you will need will be an interstate permit to allow you to travel across multiple states. There is also intrastate permits which are only moving a vehicle within the same state. Call the motor vehicle dept in the state you are purchasing and get the specifics before you go and you'll have no problems. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
1964countrysedan......WINNER! But seriously, Have already got a quote from a shipper to haul it on a flatbed for under $1700. Sounds reasonable for 750 miles. Thanks to everyone for comments. By the way, the vehicle is an off topic small Airstream MH.
I always call my insurance agent and tell him so there is a record of the vehicle. I carry an insurance card in my billfold that is current from one of my other vehicles so they know who they can call to know it's insured. My insurance covers a new purchase immediately. In Iowa if you have a bill of sale or the signed title, you can drive it home. If you want/need to drive it a longer period than just getting it home without the plate, get an "In Transit" sticker. If you put a plate off another car, you would be in big trouble. They run that plate and it doesn't match the vehicle and you are screwed. I've driven several cars with no plate to get home. Keep your paperwork and I've never had a problem anywhere. SPark
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