Car registration -- WWYD

[Mickey'snewestfan]

I'll start off by saying that I'm an idiot, you don't need to tell me, but if you do I'll just say "Yep, I know that".

I moved to a new state. New state abuts old state so I actually only moved about 20 minutes away, still have same job etc. . .

My car registration was due to expire, and so I made it my mission to get it changed over spring break when I was home with my child. However, a crisis kind of exploded at work and so I wasn't able to do it. Instead I made arrangements to take Friday off work thinking I could go take care of it. I also took my car in last night and left it overnight at the garage and got it inspected, and some repairs taken care of.

So today, I was gathering the paperwork I needed and I realized that I need a letter from my lien holder. I called them and they told me it's 7 to 10 days before they mail the letter, and then the DMV has to mail me a letter saying they have the letter and then I can go register my car.

The problem is that my registration expires Friday (as in day after tomorrow). I can go in on Friday to the DMV for my old state and get a 5 day free extension, theoretically to allow me to go through the inspection station, but I won't have the letter in 5 days. So, then what? Theoretically, I can't park it on the street, I can't leave it in my building's lot, I can't drive it.

I could maybe re-register it in my old state, except they mail out the registration, and it's "do not forward". I'm not sure I can actually do this because I'll need to show proof of insurance, and the car is insured in my new state, plus I got a ticket in the old place, and it got forwarded to the new place so they have my new address. If I do re-register it will only last 30 days because that's how long you can print out a temp registration for online. The real registration gets mailed to your home address, and I wonm't be able to get it. Furthermore, if I do re-register it I'll have to pay to get the car inspected, which will take all day and cause me to miss my part time job on Saturday, plus pay the registration fee -- in total over $200 in order to be registered for a week or two.

So, would you chance the ticket or worse (technically they can arrest you in my old state, where I still work, for an expired tag) and keep driving it? Put it in the lot at home, and take public transportation and hope they don't tow it? Or pay a couple of hundred dollars to have it registered for a couple of weeks?

 

[SandrA9810]

Can you talk to your new state about a temporary tag?? Usually a temp allows you to drive it without having all the correct paperwork.

When we bought the car, it failed the first emmisions test. We went to the DMV and paid all the fees for transfering, and they gave us a 30 day temp tag to get the emmisions test done. And it didn't cost extra.

Maybe you can talk to the building office about the fact that you're in the process of changing over your car information and the bank is holding it up. That the car will be registered within the next couple of weeks.
I was mad as can be one morning when I found a bright orange sticker on the window saying the car was going to be towed if the tag wasn't updated. Well I did the registration online, and was waiting for the tag to arrive in the mail. It was still like a week before the end of the month when the tag expired. So we had to tape a copy of the reciept to the window till it came to prove it was current. Plus it had all the private information on it like address, social, date of birth. I blacked it out, but if some one got a hold of that sheet I'm sure it could still be read.

Sounds like a pickle, but if you call I'm sure they'll be more helpful. Especially since we don't know what state you left and which one you entered. Every state has their own set of rules. I was surprised when I called the Cali DMV, I was only on hold for like 20 minutes (with over an hour wait in an office), and the lady was really helpful with every question I had.

 

[marie1203]

I think you should rent a car or take public transportation until everything is done.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

But then where do I leave my car?

 

[hopemax]

Does your state have a grace period, or are you at the end of that? I noticed on our registration, because we just got the new tabs last week, that it mentioned a 30 day grace period.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

Go to the DMV with what you have and be prepared to spend a little more time there and they will provide you a temporary registration until the letter comes in.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

Does your state have a grace period, or are you at the end of that? I noticed on our registration, because we just got the new tabs last week, that it mentioned a one month grace period.

I think new state might, but old state doesn't. Unfortunately while I live in new state, we're right on the line so my job, son's activities, etc . . . are in old state.

 

[bumbershoot]

Can the lienholder fax the letter quicker?

Have you talked to the new state's DMV to see if you have to have that letter immediately? I've only registered cars in two states (VA and WA), so I'm no expert, but it seems surprising to me that they would need this *immediately*.

 

[apnep]

I have forgotten several times to pay it because I just don't notice the the darn thing. As long as you don't get a ticket then you can pay it late. If you get a ticket then I think you have to pay a late fee. That's how it works where I live. But, normally, there is a grace period. I don't know if there are any special rules either because you're coming from a different state though...call the clerk's office and find out. That's what I would do...

 

[marlynnp]

I just drove around for 5 months with an expired registration and nothing happened. And I drive a lot of miles.

A few years ago they changed the policy of having the inspection and registration expire in the same month - I guess people complained about having to pay for an inspection when they purchased a car even if the inspection was just done in the past few months. I'd rather have them the same. I can easily see the date of the inspection stickers on my windshield but I just don't look at the itty bitty sticker on my plate all that often.

 

[mrodgers]

I can easily see the date of the inspection stickers on my windshield but I just don't look at the itty bitty sticker on my plate all that often.

It is also far easier to go by the piece of mail that comes than it is to pay attention to the inspection date on the windshield. You get mail when registration is due, you don't when inspection is due.

 

[kathie859]

I had a brain cramp about 5 years ago and was stopped by a cop for an expired plate. I was incredulous. Normally, our tags expire on one's birthday and I was several months away from mine. It was a leased car and those tags expired annually on the lease inception date. I got a ticket but all I had to do was take it to the courthouse with the proof that I renewed the tag.

I know state laws and procedures differ but I think if the OP has proof/documentation of her efforts it would go a long way.

Good luck!

 

[TheRustyScupper]

I think you should rent a car or take public transportation until everything is done.

1) Yep.
2) If registration is out of date, the car is illegal.
3) A lot of cops/troopers now are having the cars towed.
4) To get the car back, you pay
. . . towing charge
. . . ticket
. . . fees for registration

 

[Purseval]

1) Yep.
2) If registration is out of date, the car is illegal.
3) A lot of cops/troopers now are having the cars towed.
4) To get the car back, you pay
. . . towing charge
. . . ticket
. . . fees for registration

I got pulled over twice in a week for expired tag (both tickets got dismissed, that's a different story) and got nothing but a ticket. I've never heard of a car being towed for something so minor unless there was something else involved like an outstanding warrant.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

Go to the DMV with what you have and be prepared to spend a little more time there and they will provide you a temporary registration until the letter comes in.

New state was very clear on the phone that they can't do anything without the title.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

does your state have online renewal? It won't help now but our state has online renewal and I set a outlook reminder 90, 60 and 30 days to remind me to order it. It usually comes in 5 days. We also live in a state that requires an inspection. The state gets an electronic copy of the inspection. Once you have the inspection done we have to wait 24 hrs to order our renewal. .

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

My old state has online renewal, but only if I go through inspection, which, in that particular state, is a lengthy and expensive process ($100 and time off work, only one place can do it and they have crazy lines). However, if you renew online they mail the sticker to you, and it's not forwarded, so I would never get it. I can't change the address because my new address is out of state.

My new state has online renewal but you can't do the initial registration online. Their inspection can be done anywhere (gas station, wherever) and they give you a certificate which I already have.

I should add that I did know this was coming, but with the move I couldn't do it earlier and I thought I'd have enough time to deal with it. I didn't expect the lien issue to take this long.

 

[NotUrsula]

As long as your driving record is clean, I'd just chance it, but I'd try not to leave it parked on a street too often in the meanwhile, just in case. With the economy the way it is right now, I don't know too many jurisdictions that can afford to waste resources doing primary enforcement on expired tags. (If they stop you for some other reason, yes, but not for that alone.)

I have a funny relocation/car story, too, though, that might make you feel better. I moved cross-country, and about 4 years after I moved I got a camera speeding ticket. I paid the thing, but about two weeks later I got a subpeona from my previous state, ordering me to appear in court on a 4 year old bench warrant. I couldn't figure out what was going on, so I called the Clerk of Court to find out what the charges were, and it turned out to be "failure to maintain insurance on a motor vehicle". It turns out that when I moved and cancelled my insurance in my old state, they had to report me for having cancelled it. If I had purchased another policy in that state it would have reconciled it, but since I had moved, my new insurance company didn't report the new policy to the old state. The old tags had been good for 5 years, so my old state had me on record as still having a registered vehicle, but with no insurance on it. All I ended up having to do was send them a copy of my new DL so that they could see that I was no longer licensed there, and they dropped the charges.

The moral of that story is that you should notify the DMV of your old state that you are gone if that state has a mandatory insurance law.

 

[swilshire]

Our state got the bright idea to stop mailing renewal notices and we missed a whole year by accident. When we got a notice the next year, we had to do some fast talking to get them to renew the tags for us, but they did. We were never stopped for expired tags.

I never heard of not being able to park the car unless you had active tags. I thought that only applied if you drove the car.

Sheila

 

[maggiew]

I thought there was a 30 day grace period?

I think you can park it in your driveway without issue. Maybe not the street. That has always been my understanding.

Maggie