Vehicle Registration But Living Out of State

[B-flat]

We are seasonal residents and want to register a vehicle to leave here in Florida. What can anyone tell me about the how to? Have you done it, if so what’s did you need to do?

[villagetinker]

If you are in Sumter County, stop by the county office, Pinellas Plaza (copper topped building), go in by the library, take a right, go to the end of the hallway, the motor vehicle department is right there and they will give you all the info you need, as well as letting you know what forms you will need to bring.

[Joeg180]

I just did this last month at the office Villagetinker mentioned.
I had to have the Title for the vehicle, proof of insurance for Florida and proof of residency, I used a cable and power company Bill.

You will also have a vehicle inspection, they check VIN and Mileage on the vehicle.


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[Duppa]

Sure you can do this but why? If you are seasonal, you can simply leave your the car here (in Florida) with your out-of-state plates (and registration). If you are only seasonal, there is no real need to get Florida plates OR incur the (high) expense of registration. Also NOTE: Florida insurance rates are typically higher than that of Northern states (assuming you came from the North).

If you do this (and it's very simple and quick), the registration folks will require proof of Florida insurance AND they do go out to your car and check your vehicle's VIN Number and milage.... NOTE: Florida has NO vehicle inspections whatsoever.

[B-flat]

We are in Marion County so I’ll head to the Marion County office. Where I come from there is property tax on vehicles and one quarter’s payment is higher than the cost to register a vehicle here. The one time payment is not a problem. I’m not sure how much higher the insurance on the vehicle would be since where we live in the north is bordered by a community that has a very high car theft rate. If we had lived just 2 miles north to another nearby town the insurance rate would be quite a bit lower.

[EviesGP]

Yeah. Just got an insurance quote for my vehicle, and I was totally shocked! Over double the rates I've paid up north! They did indicate, however, that if I showed proof of taxes paid, I would not need to pay them here.

[bonrich]

Sure you can do this but why? If you are seasonal, you can simply leave your the car here (in Florida) with your out-of-state plates (and registration). If you are only seasonal, there is no real need to get Florida plates OR incur the (high) expense of registration. Also NOTE: Florida insurance rates are typically higher than that of Northern states (assuming you came from the North).

If you do this (and it's very simple and quick), the registration folks will require proof of Florida insurance AND they do go out to your car and check your vehicle's VIN Number and milage.... NOTE: Florida has NO vehicle inspections whatsoever.

If you are a NYS resident your auto has to be inspected each year. If you do not then your insurance is canceled. Also, there may be an issue with storing and insuring an auto out of state.

[JerryP]

Sure you can do this but why? If you are seasonal, you can simply leave your the car here (in Florida) with your out-of-state plates (and registration). If you are only seasonal, there is no real need to get Florida plates OR incur the (high) expense of registration. Also NOTE: Florida insurance rates are typically higher than that of Northern states (assuming you came from the North).

If you do this (and it's very simple and quick), the registration folks will require proof of Florida insurance AND they do go out to your car and check your vehicle's VIN Number and milage.... NOTE: Florida has NO vehicle inspections whatsoever.

If they are from a northern state chances are they have an annual inspection process to go through. If they don’t register in FL. they would need to do a yearly trek north to get it inspected.

[linkie]

If you are from NYS, you can have your car titled, registered and leave it here. Because it will have no NYS inspection, you will not be able to drive it back to NY unless you get it inspected immediately. I've been doing this now for two different registration periods and have had no problem.

[dewilson58]

If you plate in Florida, you must have Florida insurance. I found Florida insurance was significantly higher than up North.

[Fraugoofy]

Florida vehicle insurance is nearly double what I pay in Wisconsin.

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[tophcfa]

We live in both Massachusetts and the Villages and have a car we leave in Florida registered with Florida plates. The car should technically be registered in the state where it is primarily garaged. The insurance in Florida is a little higher for us, but not much. As mentioned by others, Florida does not require an annual inspection or emission test like Massachusetts, so having it registered in Florida saves us a major headache and lots of money. Our cars check engine light is on because of a code that says it needs a new catalytic converter, which is very expensive to replace. The catalytic converter does not at all make the car run any better so we ignore the light at the advise of our mechanic. If the car was registered up north it would fail inspection until the catalytic converter was replaced.

[queasy27]

Just a note that you aren't required to go to the office in the county where you reside; any office is fine if you happen to be out and about. There is a large fee of $200-300 (as I recall) the first time you register, but typically around $50 in subsequent years. After the initial registration you can easily renew online.

My insurance here is pretty much the same as it was in Texas.

[EdFNJ]

If you are from NYS, you can have your car titled, registered and leave it here. Because it will have no NYS inspection, you will not be able to drive it back to NY unless you get it inspected immediately. I've been doing this now for two different registration periods and have had no problem.


HUH? If it is REGISTERED AND PLATED AND INSURED in FL you can't drive it in NY without inspection? Makes no sense. What am I (and thousands of New Yorkers who travel north who have homes here) missing?

[pauld315]

If you plate in Florida, you must have Florida insurance. I found Florida insurance was significantly higher than up North.

Plus, when you go in to register a car you are bringing in from another state for the first time there is a 225 dollar tax. By the time you register it you will end up spending about 350 for a two year registration. I just did 2 cars last year. Insurance was almost double what I paid in NC.

[Joeg180]

My payment was $488.50 for register my car from NY last month. My tags are good until 2021.


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[GatorFan]

Some insurance companies will suspend coverage’s not required while your vehicle is not used. (Leave in your garage when you go back up North)

[B-flat]

Property tax per year on our van is $625 per year, $60 per year for registration and $120 every 2 years for state vehicle inspection.

[Duppa]

If they are from a northern state chances are they have an annual inspection process to go through. If they don’t register in FL. they would need to do a yearly trek north to get it inspected.

In Pennsylvania there are no requirements for an annual inspection of a PA plated car kept out of state... We kept our PA plated car in our TV garage for use here for three years. BUT, here's the thing: if you bring the car BACK INTO PA, you have 30 days to get the inspection.

Also, on the insurance; we have ALLSTATE, when we went back to PA (without our car), we "turned off" our regular insurance for the TV car in garage and SAVED a ton!

Check with your insurance company in the North... again, for at least Pennsylvania, you can keep your PA plated car in FL without any issues.

[dblwyr]

Interesting discussion. If you want to register your vehicle in Florida but do not have legal domicile in Florida, it can be problematic. The state where domicile is held may (at least some states do) have processes in place to identify those registering vehicles in a state they are not legal resident to avoid taxes in their resident state. They will penalize according to their laws

[rjm1cc]

There is no problem in doing this. But first check that your insurance company can insure your car in FL.

[JerryP]

In Pennsylvania there are no requirements for an annual inspection of a PA plated car kept out of state... We kept our PA plated car in our TV garage for use here for three years. BUT, here's the thing: if you bring the car BACK INTO PA, you have 30 days to get the inspection.

Also, on the insurance; we have ALLSTATE, when we went back to PA (without our car), we "turned off" our regular insurance for the TV car in garage and SAVED a ton!

Check with your insurance company in the North... again, for at least Pennsylvania, you can keep your PA plated car in FL without any issues.

Where is this written? So you’re saying that when you drive back to PA. with say a 3 year old expired inspection or emissions sticker and you get stopped at the tolls by a state trooper he’ll tell you it’s okay, you have 30 days to get a new stickers, go forward.
I can tell you from first hand experience that’s not going to work, I’ve been issued a ticket for an expired inspection that was only 1 month overdue in PA.

[rjm1cc]

Where is this written? So you’re saying that when you drive back to PA. with say a 3 year old expired inspection or emissions sticker and you get stopped at the tolls by a state trooper he’ll tell you it’s okay, you have 30 days to get a new stickers, go forward.
I can tell you from first hand experience that’s not going to work, I’ve been issued a ticket for an expired inspection that was only 1 month overdue in PA.

For another state the law says you get the car inspected when you return. But the problem is what happens if you get stopped just after you arrive in the state. Did not seem to be a satisfactory answer.

[Duppa]

Where is this written? So you’re saying that when you drive back to PA. with say a 3 year old expired inspection or emissions sticker and you get stopped at the tolls by a state trooper he’ll tell you it’s okay, you have 30 days to get a new stickers, go forward.
I can tell you from first hand experience that’s not going to work, I’ve been issued a ticket for an expired inspection that was only 1 month overdue in PA.

My bad, it's 10 days, not 30.... per DMV.PA.Gov site:
11. What is the procedure for a PA registered vehicle reentering the commonwealth that has an expired safety inspection sticker?
A vehicle subject to inspection, which has been outside this commonwealth continuously for 30 days or more and which, at the time of reentering this commonwealth, does not bear a currently valid certificate of inspection, is not required to be inspected until 10 days after reentering this commonwealth.

[tophcfa]

My bad, it's 10 days, not 30.... per DMV.PA.Gov site:
11. What is the procedure for a PA registered vehicle reentering the commonwealth that has an expired safety inspection sticker?
A vehicle subject to inspection, which has been outside this commonwealth continuously for 30 days or more and which, at the time of reentering this commonwealth, does not bear a currently valid certificate of inspection, is not required to be inspected until 10 days after reentering this commonwealth.

What I don't understand is what would stop ever driver without an inspection from simply telling the law enforcement officer that they just returned from out of state? Does the driver of the un inspected vehicle need some form of proof that they just returned from an extended time in another state?

[Duppa]

What I don't understand is what would stop ever driver without an inspection from simply telling the law enforcement officer that they just returned from out of state? Does the driver of the un inspected vehicle need some form of proof that they just returned from an extended time in another state?

The answer is found in the law as reported on the DMV.PA.GOV website. After returning to the Commonwealth (PA), the out-of-inspection vehicle owner has ten days to get the car inspected. How to "prove" you just returned is a tricker issue (whatever the actual circumstances or the actual arrival time may be) I would think it would be very wise to get your inspection set-up with a documented appointment with your local garage/service center PRIOR to reentering the Commonwealth. If you were stopped by law-enforcement at the border or shortly thereafter you could give law-enforcement the information on your service appointment. If you reentered the Commonwealth without an appointment, you ought to be prepared to get your appointment and inspection within 10 days (not actually an easy fix, especially if you had some issues that might require extra time to fix/repair). At end, I think the law is written to allow you to keep your PA car out-of-state. HOWEVER (fair-warning), you put yourself at risk if you do not take due-diligence to PROVE your good intentions by setting up your appointment prior to returning... and completing that inspection process as quickly as possible. I would suppose that law-enforcement is on the look-out for fraud and they may ticket-first-ask-questions-later where YOU will have to prove your case in court. So, do the right thing is the wise move.

[Jcm80]

If you are from NYS, you can have your car titled, registered and leave it here. Because it will have no NYS inspection, you will not be able to drive it back to NY unless you get it inspected immediately. I've been doing this now for two different registration periods and have had no problem.
I was considering purchasing a used car down here in TV, registering and insuring it here and leaving it at a family members house in NY. Do you think that would be a problem?

[tophcfa]

I was considering purchasing a used car down here in TV, registering and insuring it here and leaving it at a family members house in NY. Do you think that would be a problem?

Technically your car is supposed to be registered and insured in the state where it is primarily garaged. If you own a home in The Villages but keep the car in New York, I guess you could claim its primary garage place is Florida and you just brought it to NY for a short visit? How could anyone prove otherwise?

[rjm1cc]

I was considering purchasing a used car down here in TV, registering and insuring it here and leaving it at a family members house in NY. Do you think that would be a problem?

Yes. The insurance co will want to know where it is garaged and that will affect the cost of the insurance. NY will want the car reg with them since it is based in NY

[tophcfa]

Yes. The insurance co will want to know where it is garaged and that will affect the cost of the insurance. NY will want the car reg with them since it is based in NY

NY will also want the car registered with them so they can get the associated fees and the municipality can charge the owner an excise tax on the car.