BajaNomad

registering a car purchased in california

fruitdoc - 6-20-2020 at 07:52 PM

Hi .
i am new to this forum . i plan to move from san diego to baja soon , and i am planning to buy a used car in california and register it in south dakota like , i have heard , many expats do in Mexico . i will be making regular trips( 3-4 times a month ) to my parents house in california after i move to baja. This means i need to have car insurance in mexico and in the USA . however most car insurances ask where my car will be parked , and when i answer Baja , they decline coverage . i would appreciate any suggestions on how to resolve this issue , from your personal experience ?

del mar - 6-20-2020 at 07:57 PM

use your parents address, tell em thats where its parked:coolup:

but you know crossing that often you might want to it keep up the california reg.

[Edited on 6-21-2020 by del mar]

fruitdoc - 6-21-2020 at 05:47 AM

Thank you for your reply .
why you i need to keep up my california regitration if cross that often ? please elaborate .

the california car registration has tax residence implications !!!
Thanks

bajatrailrider - 6-21-2020 at 06:02 AM

You get ins in Mexico and another policy in the states. I have S Dakota plates on two trucks and one Moto. Friends I know cross border to CA. Many times a week no problems

AKgringo - 6-21-2020 at 06:07 AM

What is the value of the car you want to insure? If you only need liability insurance, consider getting an annual "driver's license" policy that would cover you for your trips to Baja.

I am an Alaska resident, with a second address in California, and I have both AK and CA registered vehicles "garaged" at the CA residence for insurance purposes.

[Edited on 6-21-2020 by AKgringo]

del mar - 6-21-2020 at 09:47 AM

Quote: Originally posted by fruitdoc  
Thank you for your reply .
why you i need to keep up my california regitration if cross that often ? please elaborate .

the california car registration has tax residence implications !!!
Thanks


some here will tell you if you hold a Ca. drivers license the CHP will hassle you for having an out of state registration and obviously the more times you cross the better chance of testing this theory. I don't know the validity of this but nomads love to argue it:yes:

AKgringo - 6-21-2020 at 10:18 AM

Quote: Originally posted by del mar  
Quote: Originally posted by fruitdoc  
Thank you for your reply .
why you i need to keep up my california regitration if cross that often ? please elaborate .

the california car registration has tax residence implications !!!
Thanks


some here will tell you if you hold a Ca. drivers license the CHP will hassle you for having an out of state registration and obviously the more times you cross the better chance of testing this theory. I don't know the validity of this but nomads love to argue it:yes:


It is official policy; https://www.chp.ca.gov/PressReleases/Pages/CHP-REVAMPS-REGIS...

I don't know how enthusiastic the patrol is about enforcing the policy, but I have been stopped by local police twice for minor things, and let off with a warning after showing AK ID and address. I am sure by the questioning that it was more about the plates than the violation.

fruitdoc - 6-21-2020 at 04:13 PM

Hi

So ,if i obtain a south dakota driving licence to match the licence plates , i should be in the clear then , driving occasionally in california ?!!

del mar - 6-21-2020 at 04:24 PM

Quote: Originally posted by fruitdoc  
Hi

So ,if i obtain a south dakota driving licence to match the licence plates , i should be in the clear then , driving occasionally in california ?!!


yup, that'll do it!

bajaguy - 6-21-2020 at 04:27 PM

Quote: Originally posted by del mar  
Quote: Originally posted by fruitdoc  
Hi

So ,if i obtain a south dakota driving licence to match the licence plates , i should be in the clear then , driving occasionally in california ?!!


yup, that'll do it!



Oh, and while you are there, register to vote and a few other things to prove South Dakota residency

bajaguy - 6-21-2020 at 04:29 PM

This always works for the back window of the car.............

https://www.google.com.mx/search?q=south+dakota+jackrabbits&...

bajatrailrider - 6-21-2020 at 06:58 PM

Chp has better things to worry about then plates. After 10 years with S.Dakota plates and CA driver lic. No worries ☺️

fruitdoc - 6-22-2020 at 10:28 AM

Hi
I want to really thank all of you for your helpful suggestions .

All the used car dealers in california tell me ,that when i buy the car i have to register it in california . they would not let me drive it off the lot if i do not do this ( they say , if i want to register it in south dakota when i buy it , they would have to ship it there - cannot drive it off lot in california
. i plan to register it in south dakota by paying tax in california then mailing the documents to south dakota for registration .
Any suggestions / insights would be greatly appreciated ?

Don Pisto - 6-22-2020 at 10:33 AM

Quote: Originally posted by fruitdoc  
Hi
I want to really thank all of you for your helpful suggestions .

All the used car dealers in california tell me ,that when i buy the car i have to register it in california . they would not let me drive it off the lot if i do not do this ( they say , if i want to register it in south dakota when i buy it , they would have to ship it there - cannot drive it off lot in california
. i plan to register it in south dakota by paying tax in california then mailing the documents to south dakota for registration .
Any suggestions / insights would be greatly appreciated ?


buy it in south dakota, get a SD drivers license,insure it there, drive it back and say goodbye to california for good:yes:

[Edited on 6-22-2020 by Don Pisto]

Bob and Susan - 6-22-2020 at 10:56 AM

Quote: Originally posted by fruitdoc  


All the used car dealers in california tell me ,that when i buy the car i have to register it in california . they would not let me drive it off the lot if i do not do this ( they say , if i want to register it in south dakota when i buy it , they would have to ship it there - cannot drive it off lot in california


i bought a brand new truck in california and registered it for the frist time in Utah...

you do need to pay the tax for california if you drive it off the lot in california...if they ship it to another state you pay the tax in that state

fruitdoc - 6-22-2020 at 11:44 AM

Bob and Susan
It seems that things have changed a bit since you bought your car and registered it in Utah for the first time . Now The DMV here is not letting dealers do this .
I spoke to the DMV in south Dakota and they said that buying form private party in california is the best way to go now , since i can pay the south dakota tax and register in south dakota immediately .
OR just buy it from a dealer in south dakota !!

gnukid - 6-22-2020 at 02:04 PM

It's easier to keep it registered in CA, and it can be registered to your Baja address as long as it is not TJ or Tecate.

Bob and Susan - 6-22-2020 at 03:49 PM

Quote: Originally posted by fruitdoc  
Bob and Susan
It seems that things have changed a bit since you bought your car and registered it in Utah for the first time . Now The DMV here is not letting dealers do this .
I spoke to the DMV in south Dakota and they said that buying form private party in california is the best way to go now , since i can pay the south dakota tax and register in south dakota immediately .
OR just buy it from a dealer in south dakota !!


someone is fibbing to you...here is where you go above the head of the person you are talking to.

you can buy a car anywhere in the USA...

you pay the taxes in the state you pick it up...
if the rate is different in your state you pay extra when you register it in your state...you never get a refund

you never have to register a car in california if you dont live there or spend more than 10 days there

have the DMV show you this rule...dealers have a system...financing has a system...they dont like to go out of the box

Bob and Susan - 6-22-2020 at 03:51 PM

one time i changed the YEAR of a car i owned...

you just need documentation

bajatrailrider - 6-22-2020 at 04:01 PM

Don't buy a car from used car lot as all crooks. Buy from owner then reg in S Dakota

Bob and Susan - 6-22-2020 at 04:19 PM

i dont know...ive got good deals at dealers...

cars in california from dealers have to be "safety checked" and "smogged" even though sold as "as is" there are rules

private party...you get what you drive away with

there is always a reason a private party is selling his "old love"

Alm - 6-22-2020 at 04:30 PM

Quote: Originally posted by fruitdoc  
I spoke to the DMV in south Dakota and they said that buying form private party in california is the best way to go now , since i can pay the south dakota tax and register in south dakota immediately .
OR just buy it from a dealer in south dakota !!

There could also be an option to pick it up in AZ. At least, there was, in the past. You pay extra few hundred to Ca dealer for his trouble.

bajatrailrider - 6-22-2020 at 06:29 PM

Used car dealership does not go by rules . You have no idea what the car though. Besides over paying for that used car dealer special 😂. I did work for them for 30 years when I told them. What repairs where needed to last they said just fix cheap. We don't care I refused many.

BajaBlanca - 6-24-2020 at 01:00 PM

All that being said, I have bought a number of used vehicles from Hertz in San Diego, way back in the day. The prices were excellent and non-negotiable.

Our cars are registered in Mexico with Mexican plates, and we are also covered by insurance both here and in the U.S.