Jump to section:
Buying a car from out of state
Do your homework
Don’t make the trip there and back – ship your new car
What you need to do once you ship your new car
 

Buying a car from out of state

Purchasing a new vehicle can be a very time consuming and stressful experience. There are actually several advantages when you buy a car online and/or from out of state. It may seem like an odd purchase to make online but online car buying has become a trusted and popular transaction. Follow this guide to ensure an easy purchase and delivery.
The first step to take is coming up with reasonable a budget for your new vehicle. Come up with a realistic number that you can afford while also considering the price range that the type of car you want falls in.
Next, you will want to find a couple of cars online that you like but that also fall within the means of your budget.
 

Do your homework

After that, make sure you do your research. Websites like Kelly Blue Book and Edmunds are great tools to use to receive information about possible car choices. These sties can tell you the perceived values of cars from auctions & independent dealers. These values are unbiased and quite accurate because they are determined by experts who analyze tons of data about millions of car transactions.
If everything checks out with your online research, you can then ask for a pre-purchase inspection of the car that you are considering buying. This will cost you some money but it is worth it to avoid being taken advantage of. These inspections can range in price from $50 or so dollars to a couple of hundred bucks. You can use a nationwide car inspection service like Lemon Squad for this.
Once you have found a car that you like, that also fits into your budget and passes all the checks you did research on & the pre-purchase inspection, you can go ahead and buy it.
 

Don’t make the trip there and back – ship your new car!

After you have gone through the car buying process, your final step is to have your new car delivered to your home.  We can assist you in your final step whether your vehicle is from out of state or even if you just can’t find the time to pick it up.
We have a few options for you to choose from depending on your preference. For example, you can opt for enclosed or open transport. Enclosed transport would be a good option for luxury, exotic or classic cars because it provides extra protection during shipping by providing extra cover for the cars being transported which prevents any damage from weather elements or small road debris. Open transport is the more affordable option but it is still extremely safe to ship your car using this method.  We provide full service pickup and doorstep delivery for both options as well as insurance coverage.  
We suggest that you book your shipment about a month in advanced of the date you would like to ship so we can coordinate the pickup and have your car delivered within your desired time frame. You can obviously book your shipment closer to your shipping date than a month out but you might have to be a little more flexible on the date you choose. You can give us a call at (888)777-2123 to set up a reservation or even book directly online by clicking here.
 

What you need to do once you ship your new car

After you have bought your new car and have had it delivered, you still unfortunately have work to do. You will now need to get the title transferred, register and insure the car in your state, and pay any applicable taxes.
That sounds like a lot and it is, but it does not have to be complicated. It is also best to get all of these things done as soon as you can so that you do not need to worry about doing them later but also so that you do not forget and get into any legal trouble when you are driving your new car.
Insuring your new car will require that you just call your insurer and tell them the information regarding the new car over the phone. You can usually get proof of the insurance transfer online or they can send it to you in the mail.
As far as taxes, you can expect that some states enact a personal property tax on these sorts of transactions. You will also need to pay sales tax in the state where you buy the car. Then, you will need to pay the difference in your new state. This means, if you buy a car from a state where sales tax is 6% then you transfer it to a state where sales tax is 8.5%, you will need to pay the extra 2.5% to the new state. Thankfully, you will not need to pay the full sales tax to both states.
To have the title transferred you will need to get the seller to sign the title transfer and send it to you. Then, you will need to take it to the DMV where you will get a new title of ownership for the car as well as registration. However, on top of the title you will need the bill of sale, your license, proof of insurance and proof of the tax payment.
You will also need new plates for your car, so we recommend getting this done in the same trip. However, if that is what you want to do, you will also need to have an inspection done before your trip to the DMV and bring the inspection certificate to the DMV as well.
As far as getting your car to a mechanic for an inspection without plates or a registration, you can get temporary tags or an in-transit permit. It varies by state. In fact, some states will let you drive the car with just the bill of ownership. Be aware, that these temporary driving allowances are exactly that, temporary. These temporary tags/measures only last between 15 days and a month (this also varies by state). So, act quickly once you receive any temporary tags. You can see the individual allowances for temporary driving by state here.