I know in NC to sell a car to an in-state buyer, you have to have the title notarized for the North Carolina DMV. I am buying a car there but will bring it back and title it in Virginia where I live. Va doesn't require notarized title, so I assume I do not have to do this, even though it's an NC title, right?
Just a sanity check!
I cannot speak for NC, but Ohio titles only need the seller's signature notorized. If NC is similar you could have the seller do it in advance.
I transferred titles for a'72 Ford Torino from Arizona and a '53 MGTD from California to me in WV. I don't remember which, but one of those states requires a notarized signature for in-state. WV does NOT require a notarized signature. Before the WV DMV would transfer the title, I needed to get the seller's signature notarized on the one because "the other state requires it." VA might be different, but I'd get it notarized in NC if possible.
Apis Mellifera wrote: I transferred titles for a'72 Ford Torino from Arizona and a '53 MGTD from California to me in WV. I don't remember which, but one of those states requires a notarized signature for in-state. WV does NOT require a notarized signature. Before the WV DMV would transfer the title, I needed to get the seller's signature notarized on the one because "the other state requires it." VA might be different, but I'd get it notarized in NC if possible.
A bit of an issue, since I'm picking it up this weekend, and no notary is available down there tomorrow in the boondocks where I'm buying it from. Virginia doesn't require a notary, so I'm not sure why NC requirements would be relevant. I guess worst case I mail the title back to the guy and have it notarized if needed.
Im my experience you go by the rules of the state the title is in. If I sell a Pennsylvania car (requires notary) to someone in Michigan (no notary) the title must be notarized. If I bring a Michigan titled vehicle to PA no notary is needed. Ive danced the dance with WV to OH, OH to MI, NC to OH, ME to OH. Always need to follow the rules of the issuing state.
Indiana doesnt require a notarized title, ohio does. No issues buying in indiana and having it titled in ohio.
Check cashing places are my favorite source of after hours/weekend notarys.
logdog wrote: Check cashing places are my favorite source of after hours/weekend notarys.
I'd bet the nearest check-cashing place is a good hour away lol...
guess I'll take my chances one way or the other...kind of low on options regardless if I want to get the car tomorrow and not have to take a day off work to do it.
Staples or OfficeMax on that beaten path?
OHSCrifle wrote: Staples or OfficeMax on that beaten path?
I don't know what is out there. It's out in the country in central NC. I'm sure I could find a notary if it was essential, but it would probably inconvenience both me and the seller on a Sunday morning. I'm doing 10 hours round-trip in a day to get it, so would like to avoid any additional stop/detours lol. I'll figure it out one way or the other, just wanted to see if anyone had any firsthand experience buying in NC and titling in Va., really.
If you trust the seller to do it, they can go get their signature as the selling party notarized on the title on Mon and mail it to you to complete title transfer and registration in your state. Both parties do not have to be present.
My Dad lives in NC. He sold a car to a buddy of mine in MD. He did not notarize the title, no hassle registering it.
Yes, you need to have it notarized. The NC title transfer is not valid without doing so. VA is required to honor the rules of the title you bring them when issuing a new VA title.
I've only bought a few cars down here, but my understanding is that only the seller's signature needs to be notarized.
Good luck. This isn't NOVA. Nothing is open on a Sunday morning.
UPS store/Fedex Office/Kinkos/Staples are probably your best bet if there are any around.
If you can get to Richmond I have an open garage spot you can store it for a bit 
It's very possible to have the seller notarize the title prior to the buyer showing up. I've done that for weekend sales, before.
Bought my trailer from AZ. They require the title to be notarized. I had no idea about that, went into my DMV and they refused to title it here in CO until it was notarized.
I had to send the title back to the seller, have him get it notarized, then send it back to me. Then I had to wait at the DMV again. Total PITA.
I'd cover your bases and get the title notarized down there. If you don't and your DMV refuses to title it, it'll be much harder to deal with...
I did this in 2009 (NC title and seller, Virginia buyer getting VA title) and the DMV Express office I went to got out a big book with sample/facsimile titles from every state. They did a visual comparison to satisfy themselves it looked like the right document, and that was it. No notary on the seller title. But, who knows, maybe my DMV Express representative (who works for the county in the Treasurer's office, not a full-time DMV employee) skipped a step. The DMV website on title applications doesn't mention the subject, but they do note if the other state's title certificate doesn't have a place for the seller to put in the odometer reading, the seller should fill out Virginia's form at the time he/she sells you the car. You can print the form off the DMV website.
Also you won't have plates, which is okay if you're towing in in VA, but I don't know about NC. If you're driving it, you can get a "trip permit" for $5 from VA DMV on-line. NC has the same thing, and they are not valid across state lines (unless NC has started granting reciprocity to VA), so you need one from each.
Put the zip or address in here and search?
https://www.sosnc.gov/NotaryPublic/Search
I picked up the car Sunday. Since the seller's mother's house had just burned down the night before (related somehow to the hurricane) and he had to leave right after I got the car, I didn't press the issue, and took the signed title not notarized. We discussed it and he had no problem with me mailing the title to him if it didn't work at the Virginia DMV and he'd get it notarized (apparently a notary at his workplace). In any case I have a dentist's appointment tomorrow so will swing by the DMV and see what happens.
Since I don't plan to drive the car until I rebuild it (spring at the earliest) it's no big rush and the seller seems trustworthy to me so I won't mind mailing the title to him (or having my brother who lives near him take it to him. Obviously I didn't need transit tags since I towed the car home.
I loved phone dials when I was a teenaged boy dreaming of guards red Porsches.
JBasham wrote: Also you won't have plates, which is okay if you're towing in in VA, but I don't know about NC. If you're driving it, you can get a "trip permit" for $5 from VA DMV on-line. NC has the same thing, and they are not valid across state lines (unless NC has started granting reciprocity to VA), so you need one from each.
As far as I know
1) NC does not have a trip permit. As an NC driver, there is no legal way to drive a car you just bought without registering it first. 
2) The VA trip permit is valid across state lines. It is essentially a VA temporary registration. When I lived in VA I bought an S2000 and drove it up from Florida on a VA trip permit. A state trooper stopped by to have a look at a rest stop in NC because I was driving a car with no plate. He saw the trip permit and was satisfied.
In reply to ProDarwin:
Good to know! The VA DMV site says it's only legal in VA, but that must mean "as far as we're concerned." I may get the chance to see if it passes in West Virginia soon.
Just as a follow-up, I went to Virginia DMV today to title the car. At the first desk (where you get the forms and they give you a number) I asked the guy if since it was an NC title if it needed to be notarized and he said "no." Not knowing how well he knows the laws I was still a bit concerned; but, as it turns out, all of the "tellers" rotate to that counter throughout the day so it's not like he was a receptionist or something.
Anyhow, after a terribly boring 90+ minutes waiting with 70 of my closest friends (there were 10 tellers working, and it still took that long!) I finally got called up. I didn't say anythign about the notary this time, but she looked at the NC title, made sure there were signatures, and did the transaction.
So anyhow, maybe an anomaly, or maybe it really doesn't need to be done here in VA. Just FYI for the next person who does it...
Good to know.
You didn't pick up that Porsche around Raleigh, did you? I was looking at a very-project status red one myself.
Brett_Murphy wrote: Good to know. You didn't pick up that Porsche around Raleigh, did you? I was looking at a very-project status red one myself.
A couple hours away in Yadkinville.
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