I'm planning on buying an Evo8 from a private seller and I've got a few questions.

Where in the process do I buy insurance, tags, and vehicle tax?

Does the tag stay on the car and I just get my own tag?

I guess my question is what do I need to do/what needs to be done to the car to make it legal to drive?

 

check your dmv website. atleast in nj we need a bill of sale/title to register. NC might be diff.

 

lol, well they are right, it depends on your states laws....for instance here in jersey.

step 1. you can either buy the car, or get the insurance first
just need the vin/make / model price blah blah blah.

after getting ins. and buyin the car, take the title to dmv signed by the seller of coarse and price you paid for car along with your insurance card to obtain the plates and registration.

smack that baby on the car and start ridin dirty, depending on if a sticker is already on the car or not, they still give u 14 days to get it re inspected if u want...good luck

 

Thank you both for the information, kudos for both of you!!!

 

If you aren't from NC then take your military ID to the DMV and get a temp tag and register it in the state you are from. I know for me (Army in VA) it is cheaper to register my cars in TN (home of record). Than it is to register them in VA. Tax kills me! LOL Also there is no emmisions or inspection requirements where I am from in TN!

Josh



P.S. So I guess the deal was a good one?

 

What if I'm buying out of town (not out of state)? Do I do all of this in that town I'm buying in or drive the car to my town and do it here? How long does all of this take?

 

Well my home of record is NC but by state of residence is TN (Seymour).

 

You should register the vehicle with the DMV in your state. Most likely they will give you new plates and tags, and charge you for the registration. I am not sure of emissions regulations overthere, but in CA they will charge extra for vehicles that were purchased out of state because of the emissions regulations overhere. In CA you have 5 days from purchase date to register the vehicle, check your local laws on this.

Then contact an auto insurance broker. You may want to do this first as the DMV may require proof of insurance at time of registration, which is the case in CA.

 

just went through this process 2months ago when i bought used 03 evo, this applies to California and all state insurance:

private seller with title in hand: pay the seller, sign title, call insurance company to give them car info (vin, mileage, etc.), bring title to DMV to pay registration+tax (based on purchase price of car) and show proof of smog certificate (must be within 90 days of last smog), put new tags if applicable then fax all info to insurance company THE END

private seller with remaining amount on loan: agree with purchase price of car, bring alldocuments to your bank/credit union of choice, sign new loan amount for new owner, bank will pay difference to seller and also to DMV (registration+tax), drive off with the car and wait for new registration, tags from DMV, call insurance company of choice immediately

 

Buy the car and drive it home. If you finance it, you'll need that paperwork, proof of insurance, and a bill of sale to register it. If you had a previous plate on another car and aren't using the plate, transfer the tag, if not you'll need a new one. You'll pay tax on the purchase price at the dmv. Its fairly easy, but every state has their quirks. As for driving the car home, just have all the paperwork and head home with no plates. DO NOT put a plate on the car unless it is the plate given to you from dmv for that car. Cops get uptight about that stuff and will pull out of the car at gun point thinking you stole the evo Mainly because if they run the plate it will say whatever car its registered to like a blue corvette LOL.... Hope this helps a little.

 

So, what your saying is...I wait for the registration and tags to come to me, I don't do anything at all. That bank takes car of that for me? I understand you said that this applies to California, I'm just saying. Also, is the difference already calculated into the price of the car?

Thanks for all of your replies everybody.

 

Here is your dilemna, you live in NC, your home of record is NC, but your state of residence as shown on your LES is TN? If I am understanding this correctly then you would want to register it in TN for several reasons. 1. Depending on what county/ city you register in you have no emmisions! big plus! 2. TN only requires rear tags. 3. Registration in TN is usually only $54 (I know for Montgomery county for sure). I know that NC was charging me almost $200 a year for my registration on a 1998 Cavalier back in the day (2000)! Here is the problems you may face: Unless the tax rate for NC is more than the tax rate for TN you will have to pay the difference when you register it. (Ask me how I know!) Also you will actually have to go to TN the first time you register it. If you tell them you are in the military they should let you put an out of state address on the registration, if not then you would have to have an in TN address to mail it to. I would register it in TN. I bought my EVO brand new in VA back in 05 and as soon as I got back to TN I registered it there. I just drove on Temp tags until I got back to TN. Hope this helps out a little.

Josh