Anyone have experience buying and driving a car out of state?

I'm from Maine looking to go to Pennsylvania to buy a car. Planning on buying a one way ticket to there and driving the car back home. I know I need to get insurance for the car before I buy it.

Is there any-other tips that I should know?

 

Make sure you take it for a drive and talk to a shop locally to them so you can get it checked out if your not sure what to look for. I've bought quite a few of my vehicles out of state. Also you don't need insurance until you actually HAVE the vehicle.
I've seen people insure a car prior to buying it (like an idiot) and the guy has an accident before the insuree even gets the car and your screwed.

 

So when I get there I call an insurance agency at the dealership?

 

Call them now for a quote, then when/if you buy the car, give them a call then and there and set up the insurance. Takes 5 mins.

 

You can call your insurance agent ahead of time to set things up, but they'll need the VIN before they can issue you a temporary insurance card.
You can also tell them the date you're picking up the car and have it effective then.
(The insurance should be issued in your name, so nobody else should be able to claim against it. -- In theory.)

Also, check your DMV's web page. Some states will issue temporary registrations, unless you're in a state where your insurance handles registration for you.
If you're buying from an out-of-state dealer, they'll issue you a temp tag from that state.

I was living in MA when I traded my Alfetta on a GTV-6 in NJ. I called my MA agent from NJ, had them transfer the insurance and registration, and then just moved the tags from the old car to the new. (MA insurance agents used to handle registration for you, as there was only the one state sponsored insurance company.)

When I bought my X in MD, I'd gotten a temp insurance card ahead of time, with the pickup date as the effective date.
(I didn't have to worry about whose insurance covered the test drive, as it was a new one I'd ordered.)
They gave me a MD temp tag. But, as dealers in the DC area do a lot of state-to-state business, they also handled transferring my VIII's registration (although it took six weeks before I got the updated registration and could slap the VA tags on).
Since the dealer gave me what I was asking for the VIII, I then called the insurance agent and had them take that off the insurance.

If you're dealing with a "slightly" out of state dealer, they can handle the title and sales tax for your state.
But if you're going from ME to PA, you'll probably have to get a PA title and transfer that, in ME, to a Maine title.

But research which state gets the sales tax.
In some states, you'll have to have had the car registered out-of-state in your name for a while (like six months or a year) to avoid paying sales tax when transferring the title into your state. (E.g., when you first move there.)
But the state where you buy it will want sales tax.
So you'll have to check with your local DMV and your dealer to figure out where the sales tax gets paid.
Mostly, you want to avoid getting charged sales tax twice.

Since you're not trading a vehicle, you don't have to worry about whether the sales tax is on the difference or on the full price of the new car.
(That's a "gotcha" some states impose.)

 

I know in PA you have "X" amount of days that your new car will be covered under your existing policy before you officially have to add the new car to your insurance. I bought our evo last Saturday and added it to our insurance on Tuesday.

Not sure how your state is though, I would call your agent and ask.

Also in PA when you go to the notary not change the title you will get a temporary plate to put on so you can drive it back to your state.

I have bought a car out of state and also sold a car to someone out of state. Have all been good experiences for me.


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Just get the title signed and notarized at a tag place to get a temp tag to drive it home. Just call your insurance company after you get the title signed to add the car to your policy.

 

The sale in Pennsylvania fell through and I'm going to get a car in NY instead. Thanks guy for the information, it is greatly appreciated.

 

Any insurance agency recommendations for Evos?

 

I bought my X in California. I have a piece of money saving advice for you. Blow thru all of the out-of-state toll bridges and roads without paying, they can't touch you. LOL