Buying a car in WA and taking it out of state

(Sort of a continuation of my Acura thread)

The WA DMV website isn't giving me the answers I need. I'm buying a car in WA and want to drive it to NV.

I can't tell if the plate stays with the car or the PO in Washington. WA does offer 3-day "Travel Permits", but only on unregistered vehicles. The vehicle I'm buying is currently registered.

Does the PO go to the DMV with me, un-register the car in her name, and I buy a 3-day permit? Does the plate stay with the car, and I can drive home and turn the WA plate in to the Nevada DMV? The website offers no answers.

Since I'm buying a car from a friend, the easy button is to just drive it home on her plate, and then mail her back the plate, if she needs it. I've brought this up to her, but she has some (possibly legitimate) liability concerns about doing it that way.

So who has got answers?

I think you'll need to get a temp tag from your home state.

Plates stay with the car. Get the title signed by the last registered owner and drive it home. Register with that title where you live.

bgkast wrote: Plates stay with the car. Get the title signed by the last registered owner and drive it home. Register with that title where you live.

Oh, I love that answer! Thanks!

Yep, plates stay with cars in Washington, which was weird to me at first. So travel on the WA plates and get new NV plates when you get home.

bgkast wrote: Plates stay with the car. Get the title signed by the last registered owner and drive it home. Register with that title where you live.

Not is SC. But the second part of what you say is the same. You should also call youer insurance agent and get a temp insurance card. Although we are SUPPOSED to have automtic coverage for 30 days when you buy a car here, but John Law is going to want to see the card in case you get stopped.

EDIT: OK I see the above post which psoted whilst I was fumbling through mine.

Hm. From what I can gather, the rules changed on January 1. Here is the answer I got from WA DMV:

Good Afternoon,

Department of Licensing

Huh, that's a new one. What are we supposed to do with the plates if we keep them?

I wonder if this is only for out of state sales, or in state too?

Never kept the plates when I sold a car, ever. There's a stub on the title we both fill out when we sell the car. I (as the seller) mail that in to the DMV and I'm covered if something happens while you do something stupid in the car.

As residents of Washington we have 15 days to register the vehicle in our name or we pay $50 on the 16th day and $2 a day from then on until we reach a maximum fee of $150 dollars. I bet your state has similar rules.

(edit: we can also fill out the info on WA's DMV site before I mail in the stub for instant gratification in the "protectin" department)

As a purchaser of that 3-day pass I can tell you that you WILL get pulled over with that in your window. The last officer told me that people try to get by without filling them out (etc) so the police pull people over to check.

Just a heads up

The way I see it: You keep the plates, owner of the car mails in the stub and you're both good to go.

I ran a WA 3 day temp tag back from Nevada when I got the Miata (seller keeps the plates there). No issues.

So you want your plates back lol?