Temp tags for private sale vehicle?

[PapaScout]

My Google-foo must be weak today because I'm not finding anything at the BMV site for Indiana.

My son and I are looking to buy his first car from a private party. How do we legally get it home without a license plate?

Thanks!

 

[88GT]

How do we legally get it home without a license plate?

You don't. Unless you register it first.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

If the vehicle is purchased in Indiana and is going to be registered in Indiana, I don't think any of the temporary plates an individual can buy are relevant.

To be 100% legal, you'd have to trailer it or have the current (about to be former) owner drive it while his plates are still on it.

To be "probably going to be ok" you can take the license plate off another vehicle and keep your bill of sale in the car. Note that to be 100% legal, you'd need to have the bill of sale notarized with the date AND the vehicle the plate was originally on needs to be "disposed of" (traded in, sold).

 

[church]

You have until midnight of the date the title is signed to get the vehicle from the buying location to your place of residence.

 

[Work]

I was pulled over for a headlight being out after purchasing my last private sale vehicle about 15 days after the sale (hadnt made it to the BMV yet, their hours suck if you work out of town). I had another one of my car's license plate on. The officer informed me I had 30 days from the date of the sale to get to the license branch. asked me for the registration for the vehicle the plate did belong on. and he let me go with a verbal for the headlight and not another word about the plate.

 

[88GT]

If the vehicle is purchased in Indiana and is going to be registered in Indiana, I don't think any of the temporary plates an individual can buy are relevant.

To be 100% legal, you'd have to trailer it or have the current (about to be former) owner drive it while his plates are still on it.

To be "probably going to be ok" you can take the license plate off another vehicle and keep your bill of sale in the car. Note that to be 100% legal, you'd need to have the bill of sale notarized with the date AND the vehicle the plate was originally on needs to be "disposed of" (traded in, sold).

Is that in IC? Having been stopped by a ***** of an IMPD officer for an unregistered vehicle, I found no provision that makes it legal to drive an unregistered vehicle on the road in any circumstance.

You have until midnight of the date the title is signed to get the vehicle from the buying location to your place of residence.

I don't believe you do. As stated above, I have found nothing that allows for driving an unregistered vehicle legally under any condition. Do you have an IC reference for this?

 

[terrehautian]

You have 30 days to register it, when you go to the BMV they will give you a temp. tag to put on it until they send you the license plate.

 

[Mounty09]

I have always been told that as long as you have a bill of sale and the title signed to you you have 30 days to register it. When I first bought a motorcycle I was pulled over for not having a plate and he told me I have 30 days before I registered it and he just asked to see the bill of sale. I will try and find the info on the BMV's site.

So I just did some looking at the BMV site and the only thing I could find was that you have 31 days to transfer the title into your name. http://www.in.gov/bmv/2364.htm

 

[BehindBlueI's]

You have until midnight of the date the title is signed to get the vehicle from the buying location to your place of residence.

IC code reference?

You have 30 days to register it, when you go to the BMV they will give you a temp. tag to put on it until they send you the license plate.

Only true with transfer plates. You can't drive for 30 days with no plates at all.

IC 9-18-6-5
Transfer of plates
Sec. 5. (a) Upon the disposition by sale or other means of a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, recreational vehicle, or motor home currently registered in Indiana, the license plate from the disposed motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, recreational vehicle, or motor home may be:
(1) transferred by the person who is the current registrant to any other vehicle of the same type acquired by the person; and
(2) operated in Indiana for not more than thirty-one (31) days after the date the person acquires ownership of the vehicle.
(b) The person who is the registrant must have in the person's possession a:
(1) manufacturer's certificate of origin;
(2) duly assigned certificate of title; or
(3) notarized bill of sale;
indicating that the person is the owner of the vehicle to which the unexpired license plates are affixed.

 

[church]

I cant find it, i used to know the exact TACS for it. Maybe the law has changed.

 

[Kedric]

When I recently purchased a vehicle from a private owner (couple of weeks ago), I couldn't find any info on the site either, so I called the BMV and the lady said that I had 24 hours to get it home without a plate as long as I had the bill of sale and the title in hand. After that, I would need to hit up the BMV and get the paperwork started and they would give a temp tag while the new plates were in the mail.

Remember also, if it is an out of state vehicle, you will have to get a local LEO to sign off on / inspect it as well.

 

[Jomibe]

I've always just driven the private sale vehicles home without tags, and then just go to the license branch on the next possible business day. Never once been stopped or bothered about it.

Just have the title on you when driving it home, and get to the license branch as soon as possible. The cops aint going to throw up any roadblocks looking for you.

And don't wait 30 days! If you can't afford to tag a used car immediately after buying it, then you spent too much money on the car!

 

[PapaScout]

Thanks All!