Out of state car purchase registration (renting, car registration, insurance)

[amazinmets73]

I purchased a car out of state (MA) and hold a Minnesota license. Is there a way to register my vehicle without returning to Minnesota?

[wamer27]

Originally Posted by amazinmets73

I purchased a car out of state (MA) and hold a Minnesota license. Is there a way to register my vehicle without returning to Minnesota?

I’d call a DMV in MN and ask them. Since covid they'd probably be more willing to do it, if they wouldn’t before. I have no clue if do or don’t allow it.

[Parnassia]

Originally Posted by amazinmets73

I purchased a car out of state (MA) and hold a Minnesota license. Is there a way to register my vehicle without returning to Minnesota?

Is your legal physical residence in MN? That's where the vehicle registration must be tied to. Your profile says you live in MD. According to the MPS/Driver and Vehicle Services (you can look up the details yourself) you can't register a newly purchased out-of-state car by web/mail. You need to present the vehicle's current documentation/inspection in person. If you're going to stay in MD longer than that state's grace period (again, look it up for yourself...most allow 30 days), why not register the car there? You'd save yourself a DVS/inspection trip to MN. What you save by NOT making that trip to MN might pay the cost of registration if/when you move the car back there. Only you can decide how many knots you're willing to tie yourself into trying to beat this or that state's car registration-inspection requirements.

[amazinmets73]

Originally Posted by Parnassia

Is your legal physical residence in MN? That's where the vehicle registration must be tied to. Your profile says you live in MD. According to the MPS/Driver and Vehicle Services (you can look up the details yourself) you can't register a newly purchased out-of-state car by web/mail. You need to present the vehicle's current documentation/inspection in person. If you're going to stay in MD longer than that state's grace period (again, look it up for yourself...most allow 30 days), why not register the car there? You'd save yourself a DVS/inspection trip to MN. What you save by NOT making that trip to MN might pay the cost of registration if/when you move the car back there. Only you can decide how many knots you're willing to tie yourself into trying to beat this or that state's car registration-inspection requirements.

I'm living in my car. Moved out of the place I was renting in Minnesota a few weeks ago. I'm actually in CT.

[Parnassia]

Originally Posted by amazinmets73

I'm living in my car. Moved out of the place I was renting in Minnesota a few weeks ago. I'm actually in CT.

So you have no legal physical address? You'll need a physical address to register and insure a car. PO Box addresses won't cut it for most places unless you can prove that there is no mail delivery to a physical home address (many very small towns don't have home mail delivery...but the houses still have legal road addresses that are used for insurance and registration purposes). Is someone receiving/holding your mail for you? Would they be willing to let you use their address temporarily?

[amazinmets73]

Originally Posted by Parnassia

So you have no legal physical address? You'll need a physical address to register and insure a car. Is someone receiving/holding your mail for you?

Old roommate at Minnesota address. Also have a P.O. box.

[Parnassia]

Originally Posted by amazinmets73

Old roommate at Minnesota address. Also have a P.O. box.

As already mentioned the PO box address probably won't be acceptable for car title/registration.

[wamer27]

Originally Posted by Parnassia

As already mentioned the PO box address probably won't be acceptable for car title/registration.

So if you chose to live in your vehicle full time and don’t have any friends or family or like people, the states and insurance companies say no to it? Or what do others in this situation do? I’ll have to ask some YouTube people via comments.

[Parnassia]

Originally Posted by wamer27

So if you chose to live in your vehicle full time and don’t have any friends or family or like people, the states and insurance companies say no to it? Or what do others in this situation do? I’ll have to ask some YouTube people via comments.

Can't answer that question as I've never lived out of a car. Some of them probably do have their mail sent to someone else's address and go pick it up periodically. I'll bet a lot of folks like this don't have car insurance so that sort of takes care of that inconvenient problem. They may be skirting under the radar hoping they don't get pulled over and asked to produce a current state registration.