Phaedrus.

Folks - looking for the first time to purchase a used private sale Porsche out of the state I live in. Can anyone help me understand how I get a temporary plate to drive the car back home in that scenario? I know that the dealers can provide a temporary plate for out of state buyers, but how does that work for a private seller?? Don't know where else to post this, so apologies if this should be somewhere else??

Does the seller just leave his/her plates on the car, and trust that I will send them back or destroy them once the car is registered in the new state? I can't see how that would make sense since the plates would be registered to the previous owner, not we should we get stopped for, say, driving too slowly on the way home..........

Probably a very simple solution to this that I am just not seeing....

Thanks,

...rwd

cfiiman

I ship cars nowadays (seems like I can never find one within a reasonable driving distance), but in the past the owner just left the plate on for me to get home, then I would send back or destroy it for them. In the state I live in (FL) the DMV will give an out of state buyer a temp plate as long as they transfer the title there and pay the taxes, but that would be state specific. I would call the DMV in the state you are planning to purchase and ask.

bkrantz

The last time I sold a car (2005 Boxster S) was to an out-of-state buyer, who wanted to drive it home. Based on my impression of his integrity (we had lots of communication before closing the deal) I let him "borrow" the plates. But I did notify my state DMV right away that I had sold the car, hoping it might provide some protection from liability. I also left my insurance "switched on".

champignon

As other responses in this thread indicate, your options are variable, depending upon which state the vehicle is located in, where you live or will relocate the car, and the laws in your own state. My own state says that your license plates are your own personal property, and that you should take them off the car after you sell it. Other states don't seem to care as much.

Obviously, driving a car any distance without at least a rear plate or a temporary in the rear window puts you at risk of being stopped by a police officer, so I would personally avoid it. Cars I have flown out to get, or had shipped to me, have all come with license plates on them, and in most cases I mailed them back to the seller once I got my own permanent or temporary plates. Speaking only for myself, I would not sell a car and leave my plates on the car. In part, this is because all of my license plates are personalized and I tend to reuse them, and also for liability concerns. I simply would not want to have to prove that I was not the driver of a car recently registered in my name, with my plates on it, were the new owner or someone else to commit a crime or traffic violation with that car. I am sure you could ultimately prove your innocence, just I would not want to go through the process in that unlikely event.

If the seller gives you the car with plates on it, and you have the car title and bill of sale with you, then I doubt an officer would give you trouble on that account, if this was shortly after purchase and on your way home with the car.

Once you know where the car is located, and your trip is planned, I would call my local DMV and find out if they can give you a temporary permit of some sort based on the information that you have (car details including model, year, VIN#, etc.) My own experience has been that the requirements for getting a temporary plate without titling a vehicle are way less than what you need to actually register a car and get it titled. Alternatively, if your own state is not cooperative, then you could try the DMV in the state where you will purchase the car.