Another fly and drive plate question

Ok, i'm flying out to NH a week from today to pick up another Miata. It's not registered or insured. I will add it to my insurance before picking it up, but it has no plates.

My state will not issue me a temp plate for an out of state vehicle.

I really have two options:

1) Drive back with BOS and Title, no plate
2) Just... chuck the plate from our other red miata on it

I don't like option 1 because that just screams of being pulled over every 20 minutes the entire way home and dealing with a cop or two that doesn't know the laws.

Option 2 is less likely to get me hassled, but IF i get hassled, has the potential to get me in some trouble if i run across a not-so-understanding cop.

Shipping the car is not an option.

I'm leaning towards option 2, i've done it in the past, and from the last couple threads on this subject, that seems to be what many of you have done as well.

Will be driving from NH to IN, for whatever that's worth.

I'd go with option 2

Get a trip permit from your state or NH. The California cop I interacted with last weekend didn't hassle me about my Washington trip permit when I was driving back from Nevada.

With option 1 every cop that sees you is going to pull you over.

With option 2 you only have to worry about the cops who randomly pull you over for having out-of-state plates.

Dunno what a trip permit is... neither does the Indiana BMV it seems.

Suppose i could call NH and find out if they have such a thing. Is a trip permit something that looks like a plate?

The idea here would be to avoid police interaction in the first place. I'll have this thing CRAMMED with spare parts and i've had my car(s) searched 3x in the past. I'd rather not have to empty a perfectly packed Miata in the middle of the night by the side of a highway while i'm trying to do a 15-16 hour turn 'n' burn.

Put racing stickers on the new Miata so you look less like you're hauling stolen parts

In reply to Swank Force One:

Indiana doesn't issue trip plates as they expect you to use another vehicles plates.

A trip permit is a temp tag or plate you stick in the window to who that a transaction is in progress. Some states have them. Many times you'll see them on new cars or newly purchased cars that are waiting for their paperwork to clear to get plates, etc.

For example in New Hampshire: http://www.nh.gov/safety/divisions/dmv/registration/temporary-plates.htm

Also Indiana: http://www.in.gov/bmv/2658.htm

Probably option 2. Then print out all the responses in this thread and bring them with you in case you really get hassled by a cop.

It is my experience that the cops in the west is more lax about it verses the cops in the east. They are much more difficult to work with.

Yeah, Washington must be weird. You can get a 3 day trip permit to move an unlicensed vehicle, and you can also get a temporary license when you are waiting for your plates to show up.

Here is what I would do if I were you: http://www.nh.gov/safety/divisions/dmv/registration/temporary-plates.htm

There ya go a 20 day in transit tag.

I had the same issue when I went to get my GTO. I even posted a thread about it: http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/fly-and-drive-question-regarding-license-plates/80409/page1/

Bottom line: The seller let me use his plate on the trip home. I left him a $200 check which he mailed back to me when I mailed his plate back. I kept it within 5mph of the speed limit at all times and had zero problems.

I drove my van home from North Carolina on the PO's plate and then sent it back when I got home.

drive home in reverse

Really convoluted story short, I ended up driving from CA to TX in a Lexus I didn't own (but was going to purchase eventually) with only a Carmax plastic advertisement tag where a license plate should be.

Had a cop tail me for a bit around El Paso. He pulled along side us, saw me and my wife in the car, then went on his way. 1300 miles, 0 issues.

option 2 could really suck if something goes majorly wrong (like getting in a crash that is someone else's fault).

I certainly hope that does not happen, but I would hate to have the legal system come crashing down on me for something that was not my fault. i.e. they caused the crash, but you were illegally using the wrong plate, their insurance refuses to cover, your insurance may refuse to cover, you get a ticket (in another state that you may have to come BACK to for the court date), etc.

Maybe I worry to much and this would not happen but....

Option 2 - should you get caught - is considered fraudulent use of plates in some states. (ask me how I know)

It is a much more serious offense than driving an unregistered vehicle.

Edit - example: in CT driving an unregistered vehicle is a civil offense (fine) but misuse of plates can get you 30 days in the cooler.

Option 2 has worse consequences than option 1. Doesn't matter though since it looks like NH has a private sale temp tag deal. For $10, it saves a lot of hassle but you have to appear during business hours.

When I bought my Miata in Salt Lake City, Utah DMV would only issue a 96-hour temporary tag for non-residents. I used that to get to Arkansas. It expired there, so I drove home to Columbus, OH on July 6th with a tag that had expired on the 5th. I made it to within 0.25 mi home before I got stopped. I explained the situation to the local cop and he just gave me a warning.

I think you are better off trying to be legal than to do something that is obviously illegal (putting a plate from a different vehicle on the car).

There's no way i'll be able to make it to a NH BMV during business hours unfortunately. Plane lands at 4:21pm.

Have the seller get it for you?

In-Transit temp plate requires purchaser to be present.

I'm going to see if maybe it has a plate and maybe the registration has just lapsed. If so, i'll just roll an expired plate and not care.

Otherwise, the only real viable options are the original two.

My Dad bought a car in MI, drove it around for a week then back down to GA with no plates. Printed out a piece of paper that said "TAG APPLIED FOR" and hung it where the plate would go. He did have insurance and bill of sale. Never had a problem. Then again we're taking about a guy in his 70's driving a beige Buick...

You could go with the plate from the other Miata. If you have an issue just explain you 'accidently' put the plate on the wrong one. (Since you own 2 of them) Have the reg etc from the other car to show you 'filed' everything in the wrong glovebox.

Option 2. Mom and dad did just what you're about to do several years ago with a chrysler minivan in RI. Flew into Boston with the plate/registration from the van at home, attached, and drove it home.