Modern Vespa

Could someone explain a little more how registering a vehicle works in the US.

If I buy a new vehicle I run it on temp tags until my registration comes through and then I take it to the DMV to get a plate ?

But how does the process work if I buy a bike ( through a dealer or private sale ) that already has a plate, does the process start again or do I register the vehicle to me with the existing plate ?

Discuss.

Bill x

Very few states have plates that stay with the vehicle, California is one that plates stays with the vehicle.
Most states you don't have to wait the 30 days, you can go to DMV the day you buy it and hand over the title or certificate of origin and pay some money and they give you tags.

in MA plate stays with the owner after sale of bike...owner cancels registration and insurance and the plate is turned into the rmv or destroyed...you get your own plate when you buy a used bike...most people will get a temp plate or truck the bike home...if you have another bike you can transfer another plate to the new bike but this is only useful if you are taking the other bike off the road

Title and registration varies by state. In Minnesota the plate and the annual registration tag stays with the vehicle (car or motorcycle), at least until the next "new plate" cycle comes along. About every seven years you have to get a new plate. All motorcycle registration tags are renewed in February; cars in random months.

I bought a used motorcycle from a private party. It came with a "Veterans" plate (unfortunately it wouldn't have been good for free registration for me). When I asked the DVS about it, they sent me a new regular plate. Motorcycle registration is only $16 annually, anyway.

And a Title for a motor vehicle is not the same as registration. Title is a one-time payment and papers to transfer ownership. Registration is annual, to allow you to drive the vehicle on the road.

Correction: My plate wasn't a "Veterans" plate, which may have been free for veterans. It was a "Support Our Troops" type, that costs a bit extra to get. Anyway, it would have stayed with the bike unless I asked to change it.

Rules and procedures vary substantially from State to State. Even within a State. In Oregon most plates stay with a vehicle when it is sold, but vanity plates, veteran's plates, and most other specialty plates stay with the owner. An owner can also request the transfer of a conventional plate. Each State recognizes the licensing and registration process of other states (so long as we are talking short periods of time - all States require reregistration of vehicles after their presence in another state for a specified period of time, such as 6 months). Probably more straight forward if you pick a state (the State of intended vehicle purchase, for example) and research their procedures.

The decision I have to make is do I buy a bike say in the East and run it to the West and registering it in the meantime when I'm barely going to be there no more than two weeks ?

Could I hand the bike over to a new owner/dealer without it being registered to me as I'll be somewhat transient ?

As all I'll be doing is riding I'm trying to quantify if it's worth bothering getting it made official so to speak.

Would a new buyer take ownership of a bike that hasn't been registered ?

Enough questions.

Bill x

You could do any of those -- but you'd be in plenty hot water if you get caught!

Thank you for the warning.

I don't want to lose a days riding getting it registered when I'll be back on a plane within a few days.

Bugger.

Bill x

Another thing to keep in mind is that some states, Ohio, for instance, require the title transfer be notarized. So if you buy an Ohio bike and plan on skipping title, which is what they call it when someone who is not a dealer is the intermediary between the person who sold it and the person who next gets it titled, you are going to have a hard time titling it. And if you go to a state that doesn't require a notarized transfer, they will still require that the Ohio title be notarized.

Also taxes and fees vary by a lot between states. Here in SC, it's 5% of the sales price, up to $300, and in Florida it costs a fortune to title a used bike.
Also, if you buy a used bike in the East, and it's not CARB approved, and it has less thank 7500 miles when it gets to CA, it might not be registerable in CA by a new CA resident.

Ideally, you would make friends with someone with a Dealer's license in the state you want to end up in. They can do a lot that the general public can't.

That is so incredibly helpful.

Thank you all of you for your insights.

I think I'm going to have to stroke my beard a little bit more.

Thanks again all.

Bill x

But wait, there's more....

Some states don't require insurance on motorcycles. FL is one of them.
Some states will allow you to ride with a temporary tag for a certain time. In SC it's 45 days.

It seems like the easiest way to to get a bike and ride it is to check with a company where you live as to how to get temporary liability insurance for whatever you buy, buy something from a private party and put a temp tag on it, then ride across the US. As long as you have a bill of sale, driver's license, proof of insurance (even if it's from the UK) and something on the back where the license place would go, you should be fine. If you notarize the bill of sale, it would be better, but that's not really necessary.

One law you should be aware of in the US is that when a police officer turns on his blue lights, he's challenging you to a race, and if you win, he won't give you a ticket.

Most states that I know about don't let you get a temporary registration when buying from a private owner. That's only something a dealer gives you.

And don't even think about riding something unregistered or grab a plate from something else, even if that other bike's reg is good. ( Kinda like what we used to do when we bought something. Just throw a plate on it and ride it home) Lots of places the police cars have automatic license plate readers that read out front and also to both sides. It's checking everything it sees into the computer without any officer input. So, even if the cop is mindlessly driving down the street or highway, just thinking about his next day off and going fishing, or looking for that donut shop, or thinking about what his wife is buying on her shopping day with the girls, the reader is working. It will spit out an audible and visible alert to snap that cop back to reality. Kinda seems an unfair advantage, don't it?

Except if you race an LEO and lose - you will get a great big ticket and maybe even some jail time if you are lucky!

Yes, it's like in the UK that when ever you see a Policeman it's a tradition to knock a his helmet off.

It's the Law for both of you to hold your chest and laugh along with him if you are successful.

True.

Bill x

Ride a 50cc scoot and no one will bother you

Dogs will chase you.

They will find me, and they will kill me.

Bill x

New Jersey does. What states do you know about that don't?

What I mean is, the private seller can't issue you a temp reg but a dealer can. On a private sale, the buyer needs to go to DMV. New Jersey does not have any temporary registration choice for private sales.

This is how it is in GA as well. Dealers are required to submit title transfer docs to the state after the sale and have the ability to provide temporary operating plates to the consumer ("temp tags" as they are casually referred to) which expire after 45 days. This allows the consumer to legally drive while title paperwork is being submitted/processed. In a private sale, the onus is on the purchaser to submit the title transfer docs to the tag office within 7 days of the sale. While it is legal to drive during that period, you're asking to get pulled over as you will be riding with no plates.

Whichever state you buy the vehicle in, simple thing to do is, get the vehicles title transferred to you, the previous owner will sign it over, make sure the VIN number matches on the title to that on the vehicle.
Once you get that, drop it off at a shop that does inspections and go to the
local DMV, you can download and fill and print out most of the forms ahead of time, most states will give you the plate and the registration sticker for it.
Go back to where the vehicle is being inspected, install the plate and the inspection sticker and off you go.
Waiting to have the next owner do it means you are riding without plates and generally you will get pulled over and get into trouble.
If you are buying it in NYC, I can help you get these things taken care.
But under no circumstances would I recommend riding without plates.

Ontario process sounds the same. I always have trouble at the above step because I don't have a trailer or pickup truck to drop off the bike. It usually means I need to go to the DMV twice:

1) to get a temporary plate / permit. It's good for 10 days and lets you drive without a registered safety inspection (you still need to have insurance in place)

2) (with safety inspection in hand), go to DMV again to get full plate and registration sticker

A thought and rambling from down-under...

I may well have missed the part where you say what you are thinking of riding, however... what if someone on the west coast could buy a bike from an east coast seller and arrange for you to ride it to them on the west coast? You'd be the delivery rider. Would that solve problems or just create others that are more insurmountable?

Once on the west coast they sell it on, unless they decide to keep it...

As I say... ramblings from down-under on a 30°C day...

How long will you be in the States? There are companies that rent bikes. Eagle Rider is one of the bigger ones. They have Harleys, BMW, Ducati, and Triumph on their website. Rates aren't cheap, but the hassle is much less.

That is certainly true about rates anyway. So true, that anyone who wants a bike for a month would be better off buying one and reselling it.

It's probably going to be a couple of weeks around late June early July with a view to starting on the East and finishing in the West using Denver as a stop off.

I did look into Eagle Rider but a one way rental was working out around $3500 plus once they hit you with the one way fee and the extras.

This is what steered me into thinking about buying something rather than renting.

I could probably buy and re-sell something for less but I'm thinking that attempting to register something for such a short period could be a waste of time and effort if I'm going to dump it soon after.

What I end up riding ( bike or scooter ) will probably depend on what becomes available at the time as I don't really have a preference.

It's more about the experience.

Bill x

Maybe Pennsylvania would be a good state to buy in, they have 90 day temp tags and You can get one from DVM or a DMV Agent (Every town seems to have one.) on a used bike it looks like.

"Temporary plates are valid for 90 days and may be obtained from the DMV or from an authorized Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) agent.
Obtain proof of insurance. ...
Go to your local DMV office. ...
Complete the Application for Temporary Registration Plates (MV-351). ...
Prepare your payment. ...
Receive your plates."

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS791US792&ei=uTpQXKn0DKfH_QbQi57wCA&q=Pa.+temp+tags&oq=Pa.+temp+tags&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0i7i30l3j0i8i7i30j0i30l2j0i5i30j0i7i5i30j0i5i30j0i7i5i30.24537.26512..27117...0.0..0.49.96.2......0....1..gws-wiz.......0i71.jmYv9k56i70

fIRST: The inspection but nothing like what you have. They just need to compare the bill of sale and the VIN.

SECOND:You take an easy mc written test.

THIRD: They will check your sight

FOUR: The practice test

FIVE: Pay the taxes and fees

SIX: Take a pic (no problem here with yourself with that)

SEVEN: They will give you a piece of paper and tell you your DL will be in the mail in one or two weeks

I suggest you apply for a title. Kansas has electronic titles but just say that you intent to sell it in the near future)

EIGHT: Make one of your jokes smile and leave

He doesn't have to get a US Driver Licence, just register the bike. No written test, no eye test, no driving test, no pic.

He does, sir. If he wants to get out of Kansas.

Yeah I'm not aiming just to get a licence especially when I have no official address in the US.

I'm just trying to figure out wether it's worth the time and effort to register a bike when time is a factor and I'm only visiting.

It may be easier to pay someone to find a bike and register it for themselves and I'll insure it through them then advertise it post ride.

More beard stroking to be done.

Bill x

To clarify for others reading this. If he were to buy a bike in any U.S. state, he'd probably need a U.S. address and may need a U.S. license if the bike were to be titled and or registered in his name. (Post 9/11 regulations) Some states you can actually own a vehicle without having a driver's license but you need half a boatload of I.D.

As I'm sure Bill is aware, his U.K. DL along with the International Permit allows him to tour the U.S.

His initial post does not say that.

Not if he has an International drives license.

Address is easy, full time RV's use Mail services that will hold and forward their mail. No one would know it was his house.

Ah, but sometimes you need to open your eyes a bit more, grasshopper.
Look at his Iron Butts in his signature lines
.

I've actually got more Ironbutts than I can put on my profile.

2 failures 10 successes.

Bill x

That's a lot of butt!

The easiest way to approach this issue is to just to have someone you trust arrange to purchase a bike for you in the location where you want to start.

You can have them walk into a dealership where you have pre-arranged the purchase of the bike with the dealer. Send the full payment to the dealer who will only use the local person for the address, title, insurance, and taxes. Think of it like a gift purchase.

Every state should title and license the bike in both your names. The paperwork, depending on the state, can take a couple days to a few weeks. Arrange to start your trip AFTER all the paperwork has arrived for the bike. Once you arrive, have your contact take the bike off their insurance and move it to your international insurance. Really, the only reason you even need insurance is for your liability should you hit someone. Comprehensive insurance isn't necessary unless you want to get compensated should you wreck the bike. Any injuries you might incur if you have a crash will be covered by UK NHS.

Prior to departing on your trip. Prepare a bill of sale for the bike with your contact and have your contact sign the title when you arrive. When you get to your end destination, sell the bike.

On a driver's license, review this:

https://www.usa.gov/visitors-driving

An IDP is super easy to get and your UK DL is not a big issue for most places. If you show a passport, a valid UK license + the IDP, you are legal. Just observe the laws and you'll be good.

The only hitch here is finding someone you trust to set this up and being able to sell the bike when you leave. If you are willing to take a loss on your purchase, you can move the bike at most dealers. They will cut you a check on the spot. However, with a little arrangement, you may be able to pre-sell the bike.

I can assure you the cost of injury would not be covered by the NHS.

That's why we have Travel Insurance.

I know this for a fact.

Bill x