BajaNomad

Transferring ownership of US vehicles in Baja

angbrown - 3-8-2022 at 05:15 PM

My husband and I are in the process of purchasing a home in Loreto that includes a truck and boat with trailer that are titled and registered in the US. In order to transfer title and register our local state (Idaho), we have to bring the boat trailer and truck to Idaho to have the VIN number inspected, which is obviously fairly inconvenient.

We may end up selling both the boat and the truck since they aren't exactly what we're wanting, but will still need to establish legal ownership in order to sell.

We are looking into the South Dakota option, but all of the information I have found seems to reference registering vehicles with titles already established. We will call them tomorrow, but in the meantime, I was wondering if anyone has been able to find a way to transfer title remotely without the vehicle present? Either with South Dakota or another method.

Any insight would be very helpful. Thank you!

gnukid - 3-8-2022 at 06:19 PM

The previous owner must sign the title release, the new owner must transfer the title. If you do not want to be owners you shouldn't transfer it into your name as an intermediary step. Let the new owners decide where they want to transfer title and let give the the title with signed release on the back. Best to put value as zero/gift to reduce transfer sales tax costs.

bajatrailrider - 3-8-2022 at 08:01 PM

If I understand you have titles US. Then get south dakota plates title. Use Clay county office you do not need bring truck there.

AKgringo - 3-8-2022 at 09:16 PM

The laws and regulations vary from state to state, but you might be able to transfer the title only, without paying for registration and tags in the state that it is currently registered in. That is assuming that the current owner has a title to sign over to you.

If you already have the title in your name, I doubt that you would have to bring the vehicle to the DMV to verify the VIN in the state that you want to register it in.

Bob and Susan - 3-9-2022 at 05:54 AM

in calif it HAS to be smogged checked for title change

In texas it HAS to be safety checked for title change

so in these 2 cases the truck or car HAS to be in the state of registration

after that they waive inspection until the car returns to the state....
then you have 3 days to get it checked and pass

Bob and Susan - 3-9-2022 at 05:57 AM

oh yea remember to have current plates in most states you need insurance in that state

not all insurance companies do business in every state

gnukid - 3-9-2022 at 07:36 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Bob and Susan  
in calif it HAS to be smogged checked for title change

In texas it HAS to be safety checked for title change

so in these 2 cases the truck or car HAS to be in the state of registration

after that they waive inspection until the car returns to the state....
then you have 3 days to get it checked and pass


The car only has to be smog checked in zip codes that require smog check, the majority of California geographically does not require smog, and you can register to your Baja address which is smog exempt, as well use declaration DMV form 256 or other forms to declare the vehicle will not be used on California roads and is smog exempt, you can bring evidence of insurance for Baja and declare California Ins exempt, but that is a lot to complete for the average person.

The owners could simply use Anapromex local vehicle transit or other Amparo option and send in the Title release of responsibility for previous owner and take no action, drive it locally and forget it.

I have done this as well as assisted friends who don't understand, it is legal, and obviously, it is a burden to return the car to the states and therefor is exempt from those requirements for use in rural regions outside of California Cities. The new owner must make a declaration.

Up to this point it has taken a long time to get a California Title and they did not want to see you or the car in person.




[Edited on 3-9-2022 by gnukid]

PaulW - 3-9-2022 at 08:06 AM

Sell the stuff and let the new owner deal with titles.

4x4abc - 3-9-2022 at 08:24 AM

Quote: Originally posted by gnukid  


The owners could simply use Anapromex local vehicle transit or other Amparo option and send in the Title release of responsibility for previous owner and take no action, drive it locally and forget it.


aren't Anapromex and others discontinued?

gnukid - 3-9-2022 at 09:33 AM

Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc  
Quote: Originally posted by gnukid  


The owners could simply use Anapromex local vehicle transit or other Amparo option and send in the Title release of responsibility for previous owner and take no action, drive it locally and forget it.


aren't Anapromex and others discontinued?


Not as far as I can tell, they are legal objections to the options provided by Governments, which is a long tradition, the amparos are actually passed through families, like an inheritance, and they apparently persist today, but who knows?

Regularization program underway is changing every other day, though remains limited to certain cars produced in USA, MX, or Canada which means that all other countries are restricted? Japan, Korea, Germany etc... Everything is in flux.

mtgoat666 - 3-9-2022 at 10:55 AM

Quote: Originally posted by gnukid  
Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc  
Quote: Originally posted by gnukid  


The owners could simply use Anapromex local vehicle transit or other Amparo option and send in the Title release of responsibility for previous owner and take no action, drive it locally and forget it.


aren't Anapromex and others discontinued?


Not as far as I can tell, they are legal objections to the options provided by Governments, which is a long tradition, the amparos are actually passed through families, like an inheritance, and they apparently persist today, but who knows?

Regularization program underway is changing every other day, though remains limited to certain cars produced in USA, MX, or Canada which means that all other countries are restricted? Japan, Korea, Germany etc... Everything is in flux.


anapromex is not a govt agency. it is a private group (crooks?) that issues phony license plates to illegally imported vehicles with "promise" that they will defend you if your car gets siezed by fed govt because your car is illegal.
authorities tend to look the other way when they see anapromex plates, because the vehicle "owners" are poor people or sicarios (i loosely call the people "owners" because many of these cars were stolen in USA).
i have always wondered what authorities do if/when they see gringos driving anapromex-plated cars, as such gringos are neither poor nor sicarios.




angbrown - 3-9-2022 at 03:24 PM

Thank you everyone for the input! It looks like we can take care of the title transfer and registration remotely in South Dakota.

I read somewhere that it was technically illegal to sell something without legally taking ownership first, so we'd prefer to go that route rather than pass the titles to the next owners without completing a transfer first.

Thank you Bob & Susan for mentioning insurance. We'll have local insurance but we will need to make sure we look into SD requirements for registration.
In our state - Idaho, we have to bring the vehicles to DMV inspect the VIN number in order to get a title transferred. So, the SD option seems to alleviate a huge travel headache for us.

bajatrailrider - 3-9-2022 at 03:38 PM

If you dont drive your S Dakota car in that state no Ins. needed .