I'm about to be a scofflaw, because laws are dumb

No way around it.

Fly-n-buy next week takes me from Seattle back to Las Vegas. Two possible routes back, one takes me through Oregon, the other through Idaho.

Washington will issue me a 3-day temporary plate, but it's only valid IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON.

Nevada won't issue me anything at all before I leave, because even a temporary plate requires a title and a VIN inspection. I could get the title, I suppose, but I can't get a VIN inspection until I'm actually in Nevada, so no luck there.

Anybody else see the dilemma?

Fortunately, the state of Washington does not require the seller to turn in the license plate. All she has to do is submit a form online saying she's sold the car.

No way around it. I have to drive this car without registration across state lines. Illegal as all getout, but there doesn't seem to be any other way. At least I'll have a valid looking plate, but you can bet your butt I'll be driving at posted speed limits, at least until I can get to the first Nevada DMV office, which is either in Reno or Winnemucca, depending on route.

Boy, laws are dumb.

As long as you have the signed title (and bill of sale maybe), why would it be an issue? I drove the Suburban from Missouri to Georgia with no tag at all, just had the signed title with me. Most LEOs won't bother you as long as you have the paperwork with you, and probably won't bat an eye at the temporary tag either.

I think you would be OK with the Washington tag (temp or the current tag). States you are passing through can't hold you responsible for not having a tag if they won't issue a temp tag. Or maybe they could. Years ago people use to fly to Florida to buy cars and drive back to SC. I think they did not collect sale tax or something. So many people were doing it that FL started requiring a three day temp tag too. And you jolly well better not get caught without one. In SC, you have 30 days after buying a car to register it. You need to keep your bill of sale in the car though. I'm not sure how that holds up if you bought out of state. My insurance also covers me for 30 days from purchase, but I don't risk that.

Well hell I see I got beat to it. I'm such a slow typer.

Most states have a "3 day rule" for this very reason. You can drive for a certain amount of time with NO plate at all, as long as you have your paperwork in order.

Up to you if you want to do that completely legally (in most cases, some a-hole raged about that in a very a-hole-y manner the last time i asked this very question and said he would go out of his way to arrest me) and chance getting pulled over constantly, or just roll with the old plate and hope that if you get pulled over you get a rational human being under the cherries and berries.

Myself... i find that the best way to ensure a pleasant interaction with the police is to avoid the interaction in the first place. Take that how you may.

Spitfirebill, I'm a slow typer too, just typed less than you did.

yeah, most states I have dealt with have a '3 day' rule or some such. where if you have the signed title within 3 days of buying the car, they will let you off.

BUT: definitely take the old plates off if that is your plan.

it is still a catch 22. Take plates off, get pulled over a lot and hassled, but no tickets due to 3 day rule, or, leave plates on and likely won't get pulled over, but if you do, then there is potential for huge tickets like stolen plates and stuff depending on how much of a thorn in your side they want to be.

Not to mention getting a court date in a state you don't live in sucks.

I had a similar issue buying a trailer in Missouri, and bringing to Illinois. Neither could get me a temp tag.

I printed off the laws for each state and had them riding shotgun along with the title signed that day and the bill of sale.

I did the same trip as you in reverse. Fly to Reno, drive back to Washington. I took a WA 3 day temp tag with me and used it on the trip home with no issues, including when I had an encounter with a cop in California.

Private or dealer sale?

Dealer just lends you their plate, that's what the dealer did that sold him his 2002 SS Camaro. Drove ALL the way back to Alberta like that. Mail them the plate when done.

I don't see why private wouldn't work either, I don't believe a car has to be registered AND insured to the same person does it?

bgkast wrote: I did the same trip as you in reverse. Fly to Reno, drive back to Washington. I took a WA 3 day temp tag with me and used it on the trip home with no issues, including when I had an encounter with a cop in California.

Okay. THAT'S an answer I can use! I will find a WA DMV on my route and get the 3-day permit.

So tell me, how bad is the WA DMV? Is it going to take me 5 hours to get through the line, like it does in NV?

My only input is personal experience. Bought a van from a client. They could not find title. Screw it, I want to go to Key West. Took MD tag from my 280ZX, got as far as Tavernier in the keys before being pulled over. It appears that Attaching Tag Not Assigned in Florida is close to manslaughter to the cops. Spent the night in jail. Appeared before Judge Ronald Reagan (no joke) with a letter from my client. Charges were dropped. Will never do that again. Suggest that you do not either.

If you've got a signed title and valid insurance you should be fine.

EvanR wrote:

bgkast wrote: I did the same trip as you in reverse. Fly to Reno, drive back to Washington. I took a WA 3 day temp tag with me and used it on the trip home with no issues, including when I had an encounter with a cop in California.

Okay. THAT'S an answer I can use! I will find a WA DMV on my route and get the 3-day permit. So tell me, how bad is the WA DMV? Is it going to take me 5 hours to get through the line, like it does in NV?

WA has split up the Driver's Licensing offices and Vehicle Licensing offices, so in most cases the lines are short if you're just after tags or title transfers.

We also have independently run Vehicle Licensing offices, so you don't even have to go a big State/County building and deal with disgruntled Government workers...

There's one right by my work that is inside an ACE hardware and always has flirty gal behind the counter. I HIGHLY recommend going to one of the independently ran shops over the official state ran ones.

In reply to EvanR:

Most of the DOL locations are run by independent contractors, only a few are government run. It should be an in and out transaction.

http://www.dol.wa.gov/vehicleregistration/trippermits.html

wasn't one of the recent police shootings someone who was pulled over for having no front tag? I'd stay out of Eastern Washington state and all of Nevada.

I guess it depends on laws in the states in question, but I'd imagine overall, your best bet would be WA temp tag, and make sure you have proof of insurance along with the title and bill of sale. Makes it appear that you're working above board.

I've kept seller's plates before to get home, and we added a blurb to that effect on the bill of sale.

Like cwh's example, I've heard they don't like relocating tags from other cars.

I just did the same thing, CT to FL over 3 days with no tag. No issues either.

Just have a bill of sale/title and unless the officer is a DB, he shouldn't hassle you.

NV movement permits are not valid outside NV, so there's no use in getting one for that type trip. Just had that discussion with the NV DMV when I got a new plate for the MR2.

If you're driving back through NV I'd recommend stopping at the DMV in Carson City for the VIN check etc, I don't think I've ever waited there for more than 10 minutes for a VIN check and probably a hour or so to register something.

Drove for approx 8 years on my "dealer plates" - the same plates were registered to a car I had cut up and taken in for scrap (never turned in a title) years ago, screwdriver transferred to probably 25-30 cars that were curbstoned, got pulled over once or twice but never really hassled. Never even got a ticket.

Statute of limitations has passed, your mileage may vary, etc. but I have had excellent success just taking current tags and driving with them, looking legal is more important than BEING legal, it would appear.

Last time I did a fly.and.drive, po mailed me the title, I claimed the car was already in state, and got plates on the spot. Then I threw those back in the mail and they met up with me and the car back east.

I get asked this question fairly regularly at work. Most states have some form of a one-time-per-life-of-vehicle one-way or transit pass that you can get for free or a nominal ($5) fee.

If you are trying to do the right thing and aren't being deceitful or swapping plates off another car I wouldn't hassle you about an out of state transit pass.

mndsm wrote: Last time I did a fly.and.drive, po mailed me the title, I claimed the car was already in state, and got plates on the spot. Then I threw those back in the mail and they met up with me and the car back east.

Won't work in Nevada. In order to register a car purchased from out-of-state, the car must have a VIN inspection... which can only happen in Nevada.

BoxheadTim wrote: If you're driving back through NV I'd recommend stopping at the DMV in Carson City for the VIN check etc,

Even better, my proposed route puts the first DMV in Winnemucca. I don't think there are 200 cars in the whole county, so the line should be really short.

Ojala wrote: transit pass that you can get for free or a nominal ($5) fee.

Washington has a different idea of "nominal" than you do. :)

A 3-day pass is $30.

Registering my car in Nevada for a YEAR is $33 (plus taxes and fees).

Nonetheless, I will happily pay $30 to keep my nose clean.

Ya know, in looking at the Washington state web page, I don't see anything saying it's good for intra-state use only. http://www.dol.wa.gov/vehicleregistration/trippermits.html

And, I wouldn't seek it very hard either. Certainly appears that you could travel out of state with it.