Looking to buy a car out of state. How do I drive it back home without issues?

[redbanditZ28]

I am looking to buy this 2007 Audi A4 with 42000 miles on it in up state NY and I have never bought from a private dealer before. So far she has shown me close up pictures and told me it was garage kept and well maintained. It looks that way in the photos. But could you guys give me some pointers when buying a user car out of state? I had some questions too.

1. If I decide to buy the car, how can I legally drive it back to NJ without the risk of breaking the law without the car being insured and without NJ license plates? I don't have anyone that can tow it either. I am used to a dealership taking care of this stuff.

2. What kind of documents besides the Title of the car do I need to get from her? Also, do I need the title to be notorized or just signed by her?

3. In terms of checking the car over and test driving it, what are some things I should really look out for? I'm not a mechanic so if you have ideas for novices like myself, I am all ears.

4. What is the cost to register the car in NJ with out of state taxes buying it from NY?

It's a sweet looking car from the pics, but I am still skeptical until I see it.


Also, do you guys like that LED row lighting that goes across the headlights of the newer Audis? I know I am dealing with the American muscle car crowd here and I am a proud owner of my Camaro, but I've really come around to liking that headlight look on the Audis.

[redbanditZ28]

Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Especially the part about how to drive the car back to NJ without it being insured and having no NJ license plates.

Thanks.

[NastyEllEssWon]

i slap on a set of dummy tags, grab my insurance, keep the signed title with me and have someone follow me home. ive driven all the way from CT like this. never had a problem before....but i never got pulled over doing it :wink:

[thunder]

i slap on a set of dummy tags, grab my insurance, keep the signed title with me and have someone follow me home. ive driven all the way from CT like this. never had a problem before....but i never got pulled over doing it :wink:

ya same thing i do. just be careful on the drive home. You could also ask her to come to you and drop of the car

[Firebird92]

I am looking to buy this 2007 Audi A4 with 42000 miles on it in up state NY and I have never bought from a private dealer before. So far she has shown me close up pictures and told me it was garage kept and well maintained. It looks that way in the photos. But could you guys give me some pointers when buying a user car out of state? I had some questions too.

1. If I decide to buy the car, how can I legally drive it back to NJ without the risk of breaking the law without the car being insured and without NJ license plates? I don't have anyone that can tow it either. I am used to a dealership taking care of this stuff.

2. What kind of documents besides the Title of the car do I need to get from her? Also, do I need the title to be notorized or just signed by her?

3. In terms of checking the car over and test driving it, what are some things I should really look out for? I'm not a mechanic so if you have ideas for novices like myself, I am all ears.

4. What is the cost to register the car in NJ with out of state taxes buying it from NY?

It's a sweet looking car from the pics, but I am still skeptical until I see it.


Also, do you guys like that LED row lighting that goes across the headlights of the newer Audis? I know I am dealing with the American muscle car crowd here and I am a proud owner of my Camaro, but I've really come around to liking that headlight look on the Audis.

well i drove a car form PA to NJ with no plates the thing is to just blend in with the traffic, or if you have a friend with a Audi just like that one ask him to come along with his plates, reg and insurance. try to keep on the highways too and in the middle lane.

I know the if its a 2.0 turbo it eats oil for no reason idk why or how but it does my friend had one that would suck a quart every 2000-4000 miles or so. dealership didn't know why. i think its the turbo but just ask if it burns oil. besides that check over everything push every button and just have a really good look over it.

[madness410]

1. If I decide to buy the car, how can I legally drive it back to NJ without the risk of breaking the law without the car being insured and without NJ license plates? I don't have anyone that can tow it either. I am used to a dealership taking care of this stuff.

driving a car without insurance is illegal. i guess first decide if you really want to buy it...if you do, ask the woman if she could keep the insurance on it for 8 hours or however you need to get home, and ask to mail her the plates back, and take care of everything in jersey once its back home.

idk why everyone is giving you advice on how to break the law, just because they got away with it doesnt mean everyone else will be as lucky lol.

[NastyEllEssWon]

thats why you keep your insurance card with you and call them to add the vehicle to the policy before you drive it back...ive heard of applying for transit tags, never known anyone to actually do it. everyone i know either trailers it or slaps tags and has someone follow :nod:

[V]

OK, heres what you do..

first, call you insurance and add the car to your policy, have them fax you a binder and/or temp proof of insurance. Even if you end up NOT buying the car, you can call back later that day and remove it off your policy, may only cost you a few bucks if anything. The type and amount of coverage is up to you.

Second, prior to going up there, locate a NY DMV location in that area. Once you purchase the car, take the title and proof of insurance to that dmv location and apply for a temp in-transit registration. This will allow you 15-30 days to drive the vehicle Legally to your home state of residence. Once there, you just apply for NJ registration as you would normally.

Yes its a little complicated with finding and going to a dmv, but its the only way really.

Second option which isn't possible for most, is to find someone who has "Dealer plates" issued to them. Dealer plates cover whichever vehicle they are on since an insurance policy is attached to the plate number and not the exact vehicle. However , at least in NJ, the person to whom the plates are issued must be the driver of the vehicle with the plates on it.


I sold a truck to a guy in FL, he flew up here and paid for it and took the title to the local DMV, he got temp tags and drove the truck back to FL. I inspected the paperwork before he left to make sure it was all legit due to the fact it was our old landscaping truck with our name in big letters on the side.

[JL8Jeff]

You may want to check with NJ DMV to see about temp in transit tags. The main thing is contacting your insurance company to get coverage right away. Just keep some form of insurance card with you to show your company and have the contact info even if it isn't the card for the vehicle you're buying. Is it a dealer or private owner that has the car? A dealer should be able to provide you with temporary tags.

[r0nin89]

Dealer plates are the easiest way. Do you know someone with a shop or sales lot? Its really not a big deal and common place. You dont need insurance, reg, or even a front plate. You have the person add the VIN# to the insurance (which your really dont even need to do) and your good to go. Bolt that plate on and your insured.

As far as only the policy holder can drive the cars thats no true. If that were true then dealers wouldnt put used/new car plates on cars for test drives. Besides where I work is a used dealer and both of my bosses use dealer plates for their DDs. We use them for the tow rigs that everyone drives and the honda parts getter that we all drive.

The one stipulation I'm aware of is your suppose to be 25.

[FoodStampsz]

Second option which isn't possible for most, is to find someone who has "Dealer plates" issued to them. Dealer plates cover whichever vehicle they are on since an insurance policy is attached to the plate number and not the exact vehicle. However , at least in NJ, the person to whom the plates are issued must be the driver of the vehicle with the plates on it.



My services can be bribed :)

[jts98z28]

i wouldnt recommend putting other tags on it for the ride home....already got that ticket in my 88 camaro

[V]

As far as only the policy holder can drive the cars thats no true. If that were true then dealers wouldnt put used/new car plates on cars for test drives. Besides where I work is a used dealer and both of my bosses use dealer plates for their DDs. We use them for the tow rigs that everyone drives and the honda parts getter that we all drive..

let me rephrase that.. Dealer plates new or used, are not authorized to be used on vehicles not owned by the "dealer" and not to be driven by someone who is not on the "dealers" payroll at least as a full time employee. Test drives are done with a salesman.

therefore a person can't borrow a "dealer" plate, put it on their personal car and drive it.
regardless what you or others may have done with dealer plates, there are restrictions.

[r0nin89]

let me rephrase that.. Dealer plates new or used, are not authorized to be used on vehicles not owned by the "dealer" and not to be driven by someone who is not on the "dealers" payroll at least as a full time employee. Test drives are done with a salesman.

therefore a person can't borrow a "dealer" plate, put it on their personal car and drive it.
regardless what you or others may have done with dealer plates, there are restrictions.

I can tell you for a 100% fact that if the VIN is given to the insurance company and you have the title in hand that vehicle is legal to drive. Therefor purchasing the car, having the title, and using the plate to drive it back is perfectly legal.

And as far as the test drives go either thats not true or dealers really dont care because lester glenn gave me and my gf a plate and said ok have fun.

[redbanditZ28]

Thanks for the responses. First, I'll try and ask her if she can keep the insurance on it for a few hours more til I get home with it and allow me to mail back the plates when I am in NJ. If that doesn't work, I guess I'll get temporary driving tags from the NJ DMV.

I hope the out of state tax to register it in NJ isn't going to be ridiculous. I'll watch out for the oil consumption thing as well as I've read reviews about that. But it wouldn't be a change from my Hyundai that eats oil as well.

[r0nin89]

Thanks for the responses. First, I'll try and ask her if she can keep the insurance on it for a few hours more til I get home with it and allow me to mail back the plates when I am in NJ. If that doesn't work, I guess I'll get temporary driving tags from the NJ DMV.

I hope the out of state tax to register it in NJ isn't going to be ridiculous. I'll watch out for the oil consumption thing as well as I've read reviews about that. But it wouldn't be a change from my Hyundai that eats oil as well.

Oil consumption in a turbo motor can often times be attributed to jumping in, cold start, and smashing the gas. Thats terribly bad for them and causes them to burn oil as the turbos seal tolerances are in spec during extreme heat not dead cold.


As far as tax goes NY is a killer with taxes but I dont know how that would affect bringing a vehicle here. Typically its $60 for title transfer, $40 for reg, and a few bucks for plates plus tax in NJ.

Highway ****ing robbery.

[JL8Jeff]

The taxes are paid in NJ based on purchase price. NY has nothing to do with it. Title and registration are NJ dmv fees, they collect the taxes for division of taxation. As for her leaving insurance on it, you need to call your insurance company and give them the VIN and they will cover you immediately. Her insurance probably wouldn't cover you if something happened on the way home.

[Featherburner]

i slap on a set of dummy tags, grab my insurance, keep the signed title with me and have someone follow me home. ive driven all the way from CT like this. never had a problem before....but i never got pulled over doing it :wink:This is F'n stupid! Don't take this advice.

[1QWIKBIRD]

The other thing I would do is have the receipt notarized while you are up in NY. Go to her bank and they should do it for free. This way if NJ DMV has any questions about the agreed upon price at least you have the receipt notarized and they won't think its something you cobbled together to pay less tax. Probably not necessary, but can't hurt.

I've had to do that in the past both from a buyer's stand point and from a seller's standpoint.

[NastyEllEssWon]

This is F'n stupid! Don't take this advice.




how is it stupid...my tags are registered, the vehicle is insured and the title is in my hand. never once have i had a problem with doing it like this and i dont puchase my vehicles from within nj, so yeah.

[Featherburner]

how is it stupid...my tags are registered, the vehicle is insured and the title is in my hand. never once have i had a problem with doing it like this and i dont puchase my vehicles from within nj, so yeah.While in New Jersey a person convicted of displaying a fictitious number on their license plate, as prohibited by NJ law, shall be subject to a fine not exceeding $500.00 or imprisonment in the county jail for not more than 60 days.

[methdmx]

When I bought my car from MA, I had to have it covered under my insurance. Then the dealer just transferred my plates to it. Very illegal I now know, but I made it home without any issues. I paid about 17k for my car and had to pay almost 1300 to get it registered here in NJ. You don't pay the tax for the state you bought it from, when you bring it back here is when you pay it. Damn stupid expensive ass state...

[NJ Torque]

Purchase the car, overnight the title go to DMV like you normally would works too...

[greenformula92]

i know PA titles have to be noterized, not sure about NY....but thats on the seller not the buyer...best way to do it is to apply for a temp and drive it home

[Untamed]

As Paul said above, contact your insurance company. Add the car to the policy and have them fax temporary insurance card to you at a location designated by you (FedEx Kinkos, her office / home, etc.). Once you have the signed title and temp insurance card, drive to their local DMV for temp tags to drive the vehicle home.

Perfectly legit, but all above takes a few hours to accomplish. So you'll want to arrive sometime midmorning or earlier to complete the sale so you have time to get all the paperwork in place to drive the car home.

Don't half ass this, and don't find quick and dirty ways around it. Look at the car and decide if you want it. If so, call your insurance company right away - they may even be able to suggest where the can fax things to (maybe even the DMV location nearest the seller) so you can complete the paperwork legally.

[ryanfx]

I love how your request was to do this legally yet I see about 2 posts with actual legal methods.

P.S - If you're going to break the law, having no plates is FAR better than having fake plates.

[NastyEllEssWon]

i know PA titles have to be noterized, not sure about NY....but thats on the seller not the buyer...best way to do it is to apply for a temp and drive it home




thats only if theyre going to be re-registered in those states. nj doesnt require any notary.



as for the slap the tags n go, its not like im not registered or insured, it could be worse...but either way, do it how you will...ill do it how i do. :nod:

[Tru2Chevy]

I purchased a Jeep from NY about 3 years ago, but they weren't too far from home, so I just paid for it, got the keys and title, and went home and registered it at the DMV, then went back up to NY with a friend, slapped the new plates on it, and drove it home. No need to notarize the title.

Also, when it comes to insurance - at least with my company (High Point), my agent told me that they automatically cover any newly purchased vehicle for 3 days, even if I haven't said anything to them about it. I was actually pulled over when bringing it home from NY, and the officer didn't have a problem accepting the insurance card from my other vehicle (that my friend was driving) along with the paperwork showing that I had just purchased / registered the Jeep I was driving as proof of insurance on my Jeep.

- Justin