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Hey all,
I am planning a move to South Dakota during the next year or two.
I'm a semi-retired engineer who is completely fed up with California. Too many problems; don't get me started.
I have questions about SD vehicle registration, but not the usual questions you probably get all the time like people from everywhere else asking how to register their vehicle in South Dakota. Yeah, I already know a little something about that.
I have a Ford F450 pickup that is currently registered in Montana. It is currently garaged in Washington State. When I establish SD residency using a PMB later this year, the truck will still keep its Montana plates, and I'll get it insured through one of the brokers that specializes in such things, like Select Insurance or Triple Creek Insurance. But it won't be on the road much at all... it will remain garaged.
A year or two from now, when I physically move to South Dakota, I'll start actually driving the truck in South Dakota with the Montana plates.
Question 1: How picky are the friendly local law enforcement of South Dakota, regarding out-of-state plates? Is this the kind of thing that people can do for a while with no problems, as in States like Nevada? Or is it asking for trouble, like in California or Washington State?
Question 2: Does South Dakota have full commuter reciprocity with Montana?
Question 3: Can people in SD get away with only running a rear plate on their car? Will you get pulled over for this right away? Or is it something the friendly local law enforcement doesn't pay that much attention to?
I'm pmb with a place called dakota post. They will register and plate an out of state car for me in south dakota for a fee. Haven't used that service yet but if you have a pmb already ask them. Or send me a note and I can refer you to dakota post. South dakota is really friendly to me and a drivers license is easy and no state income tax and our governor may just end up as vp with Trump.
So, it sounds like your truck might registered to an LLC, which is legal in Montana. And you wish to domicile in SD at some point ?
The aforementioned PMB service should be able to answer your question about keeping the Montana registration. Fulltime RV'ers do this all the time with a Montana LLC, and Dakota Post is one of the oldest, most experienced.
Hey all,
Yeah, I know about out-of-state registration in both Montana and South Dakota. Each seems to have its advantages and disadvantages... I've decided to use Montana with an LLC for this particular vehicle.
My question is not really a legal question; it is a practical question. I suspect that the best answers will likely come from people who live and work in South Dakota but have out-of-state plates on their car.
How long can I drive a vehicle with Montana plates in South Dakota, without arousing undue suspicion from South Dakota Highway Patrol? Assuming I drive very carefully and avoid getting pulled over for anything else?
From what I remember about MT LLC's is that some states like Illinois , NY-NJ and Cali are on the lookout for them - as tax dodgers. MT requires a corp income tax. SD doesn't have either (personal or corp) So why don't you just move the LLC to SD and just avoid the hassles.
Hey all,
Yeah, I know about out-of-state registration in both Montana and South Dakota. Each seems to have its advantages and disadvantages... I've decided to use Montana with an LLC for this particular vehicle.
My question is not really a legal question; it is a practical question. I suspect that the best answers will likely come from people who live and work in South Dakota but have out-of-state plates on their car.
How long can I drive a vehicle with Montana plates in South Dakota, without arousing undue suspicion from South Dakota Highway Patrol? Assuming I drive very carefully and avoid getting pulled over for anything else?
It really depends on the location. In any of the bigger(LOL) towns of 10K or more nobody will ever notice or care. Now if you move to a little town that the PoPo see you driving an out of state plate for an extended time they might care but I still doubt you will get pulled over for it.
From what I remember about MT LLC's is that some states like Illinois , NY-NJ and Cali are on the lookout for them - as tax dodgers. MT requires a corp income tax. SD doesn't have either (personal or corp) So why don't you just move the LLC to SD and just avoid the hassles.
Hey OneDawg, yeah that's a really good point about corporate income tax in MT. Anyone who is considering MT for registration should definitely be aware of that. My LLC used for holding title won't have any income, so corporate income tax won't be an issue.
I like MT for vehicles because:
1) 24 month renewal cycle.
2) If your vehicle is more than 11 years old you can do permanent registration; no renewal. All of my vehicles are over 11 years old.
3) Quadracycle registration is very flexible. I've been told that I'll likely be able to register a Chevron B8 replica for road use.
It really depends on the location. In any of the bigger(LOL) towns of 10K or more nobody will ever notice or care. Now if you move to a little town that the PoPo see you driving an out of state plate for an extended time they might care but I still doubt you will get pulled over for it.
Hey Sam812,
Yeah that doesn't sound too bad.
No comparison with CA or NY, or other states where they make a lot of money on vehicle fees and have to enforce it vigorously to support their out-of-control state spending.
I'm thinking about having a physical address in Montana where I'll be parking vehicles in a round-robin format, so that if/when I do get stopped, I'll show PoPo that address.
I can't speak about the MT plate situation. I will say that law enforcement is picky (in general) where I live. For context, I'm a middle-age white female teacher. I always try to drive the speed limit, follow the laws, etc. I've been pulled over for having a headlight out (didn't know it was out). The officer ran my license, registration, etc. I've also been pulled over because a state trooper didn't like the way I stopped at a stop sign. The stop sign in question is two blocks from my house and I have been stopping at this sign for 20 years. Now I find myself counting to five at the stop sign to make sure it's a long enough stop. My mom (almost 80) got pulled over for having a car with a tint at the top of the windshield. They bought the car used. My son got pulled over for going 32 in a 30 and having a license plate that was partially covered with snow. So, yeah, I'd say they're picky. They also want you to have both front and back plates. I honestly think it's because the crime rate is pretty low where I live and the officers get bored. Sioux Falls is larger with a higher crime rate, although that's relative. I suspect they're not quite as picky in Sioux Falls, but anyone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
I can't speak about the MT plate situation. I will say that law enforcement is picky (in general) where I live. For context, I'm a middle-age white female teacher. I always try to drive the speed limit, follow the laws, etc. I've been pulled over for having a headlight out (didn't know it was out). The officer ran my license, registration, etc. I've also been pulled over because a state trooper didn't like the way I stopped at a stop sign. The stop sign in question is two blocks from my house and I have been stopping at this sign for 20 years. Now I find myself counting to five at the stop sign to make sure it's a long enough stop. My mom (almost 80) got pulled over for having a car with a tint at the top of the windshield. They bought the car used. My son got pulled over for going 32 in a 30 and having a license plate that was partially covered with snow. So, yeah, I'd say they're picky. They also want you to have both front and back plates. I honestly think it's because the crime rate is pretty low where I live and the officers get bored. Sioux Falls is larger with a higher crime rate, although that's relative. I suspect they're not quite as picky in Sioux Falls, but anyone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
You're right, it's not THAT bad in SF.
In my 55 years of driving and 45 years in being on the road in sales I can say with total confidence. If it's moron cop you run into who'll pull you over for absolutely no reason, it's a county sheriff.
I've had my share of tickets over the years and can say I've NEVER been pulled over by the Highway Patrol just because he was bored or wanted to throw his weight around. Very professional and honest. I've been pulled over for NO reason at all a couple times in SF, but overall they're quite professional as well. As to county mounties, they seem to be looking for ways to harass your. To them the saying "To Protect and to Serve" translates into "To Harass and to Annoy".
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