buying a vehicle with out of state plates

bmwchue · 09-12-2020, 05:53 PM

Hi i found a vehicle near me but seller never got ca plates for it. It has ohio plates. I'm assuming the pink slip is ohio too. How hard/risky is it to buy the car and make sure it can have CA plates. Sorry I've never done it before thanks.

CharlieVictor · 09-12-2020, 06:11 PM

It's going to be the same process as if you bought the car out of state. You're going to be the one officially "importing" it to California. It will have to get smogged (even if it's nearly new), and then you take the title that the seller signed over to you to the DMV or title service. Auto Club might do it for you too, although they've been a little picky lately about out-of-state paperwork and lien releases. You'll pay all the usual sales tax and license fees, and walk out with CA plates to put on the car.

LVI · 09-14-2020, 04:03 PM

Since it is coming from out of state, the car will need a VIN verification as well - this is done at the DMV or an authorized third party service provider.

Assuming the car does not have a salvage/rebuilt title, or other unusual scenarios, you will want to make sure the seller provides you with a valid (i.e. dated within the last 90 days) SMOG certificate that shows a "PASS" result. Many of these cars were modded and no longer have all the original emission related parts intact, which may not be an issue in OH, but will cause you to fail in CA, since the visual inspection is designed to look for this sort of thing.

So, in a nut shell, assuming the car is not salvage or rebuilt title, you will want a valid SMOG certificate, lien free title signed off by the seller, and make sure the VIN tags are present in the windshield and B pillar as this is where the DMV inspector will look.

2k1s · 09-15-2020, 12:03 PM

depending on year you can just go to AAA to get CA plates. I did that when I bought my last car.

Swift.ww · 10-12-2020, 10:49 PM

Went through the same process. Bought a car that was in CA but the plates were out of state - only thing you need to make sure you can provide the title and pass smog for CA. Go to AAA and they can issue you new CA plates same day.

09-12-2020, 05:53 PM	#1
bmwchue Captain 242 Rep 804 Posts Drives: 2013 bmw 328i Join Date: Oct 2017 Location: California iTrader: (0)	buying a vehicle with out of state plates Hi i found a vehicle near me but seller never got ca plates for it. It has ohio plates. I'm assuming the pink slip is ohio too. How hard/risky is it to buy the car and make sure it can have CA plates. Sorry I've never done it before thanks.
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09-12-2020, 06:11 PM	#2
CharlieVictor Private 30 Rep 58 Posts Drives: 2015 F80 6-speed YMB Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: SoCal iTrader: (1)	It's going to be the same process as if you bought the car out of state. You're going to be the one officially "importing" it to California. It will have to get smogged (even if it's nearly new), and then you take the title that the seller signed over to you to the DMV or title service. Auto Club might do it for you too, although they've been a little picky lately about out-of-state paperwork and lien releases. You'll pay all the usual sales tax and license fees, and walk out with CA plates to put on the car.
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09-14-2020, 04:03 PM	#3
LVI BMW Veteran 310 Rep 503 Posts Drives: 2016 M3 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Midwest iTrader: (0)	Since it is coming from out of state, the car will need a VIN verification as well - this is done at the DMV or an authorized third party service provider. Assuming the car does not have a salvage/rebuilt title, or other unusual scenarios, you will want to make sure the seller provides you with a valid (i.e. dated within the last 90 days) SMOG certificate that shows a "PASS" result. Many of these cars were modded and no longer have all the original emission related parts intact, which may not be an issue in OH, but will cause you to fail in CA, since the visual inspection is designed to look for this sort of thing. So, in a nut shell, assuming the car is not salvage or rebuilt title, you will want a valid SMOG certificate, lien free title signed off by the seller, and make sure the VIN tags are present in the windshield and B pillar as this is where the DMV inspector will look.
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09-15-2020, 12:03 PM	#4
2k1s why did I modify a f83 194 Rep 121 Posts Drives: 16 f83 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: silverlake iTrader: (0)	depending on year you can just go to AAA to get CA plates. I did that when I bought my last car.
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10-12-2020, 10:49 PM	#5
Swift.ww Enlisted Member 6 Rep 35 Posts Drives: 2018 M3 ZCP Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: LA / OC iTrader: (0)	Went through the same process. Bought a car that was in CA but the plates were out of state - only thing you need to make sure you can provide the title and pass smog for CA. Go to AAA and they can issue you new CA plates same day.
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