Please someone help me with registration question

[OnTheRoad2024]

Hi all

I signed up with escapees and got an address at the end of June and then on 1st July I flew to California to buy a van privately. I’ve been driving the country and have done 8,000 miles since then! I regularly check with SKP to see if they’ve had the title to the vehicle but nothing so far. 
Here’s where I’ve been having trouble - everyone I ask gives a different answer. Some say nothing is coming in the post and I need to visit a Texas DMV in person to get my title. I just need to know if it’s on the way from California to my skp address in Texas - I’m here as a tourist on a 12 week visa and I’ll need the title to be able to sell before I head home! 
The stress is ruining my holiday a bit so if someone can help me clear this up, it doesn’t help trying to arrange things after a brain injury recently so any help appreciated. Thanks - Shaun 

Edited July 27 by OnTheRoad2024

[Kirk W]

Did you get the title from the seller when you bought it? Did you mail the old title to the Texas DMV? Have you bought insurance on the van you are driving? What about license plates on the van?

[OnTheRoad2024]

2 hours ago, Kirk W said:

Did you get the title from the seller when you bought it? Did you mail the old title to the Texas DMV? Have you bought insurance on the van you are driving? What about license plates on the van?

I have the title with the previous owner details on and my details on the back. Does that need to be mailed myself? I thought the previous owner did that? She had a pink piece of paper she said she would mail

I’ve sorted insurance and it still has California plates

[OnTheRoad2024]

Papers I have 

[NDBirdman]

You need to walk into a Texas DMV with that in hand.  If all is correct, they will take that and any $$ due and give you a title/registration and license plate (or current registration sticker if needed) in your name.  Quick and easy, depending on how busy the DMV is.  Usually best to make an appointment.  Any TX DMV should work, pick one in a small town away from any large city is usually the fastest.  IMHO, I'm in ND but all DMVs are the same.

 

They will probably add sales tax so be prepared to pay, I don't know what vehicle sales tax is in TX.

Where are you located now?

 

Question for those in the know, in his time/situation, if stopped by any law enforcement types, would the lack of title/current registration this long, would he receive a citation/fine?  Maybe prevented from further travel?  My thought is it needs to be done soon but I could be wrong, I don't know how foreign visitor/ownership is legally.  I am probably wrong so take that with a grain of salt.

Edited July 27 by NDBirdman

[Kirk W]

6 hours ago, OnTheRoad2024 said:

I’ve sorted insurance and it still has California plates

You are not legal to drive on those plates since they do not belong to you and you are given 30 days to get it registered. It seems that you have not done anything about it as yet? If the seller reported the van as sold to the state of CA then should you get stopped by a traffic officer, they would run the license plates and find them to be invalid. In addition, you are required to carry liability insurance on all motor vehicles so you need to get that done, as soon as possible. As suggested above, you need to get this done quickly and the best way is to go to Texas and visit a DMV. In Livingston TX you will be in Polk County and so you must visit the Polk County Tax Assessor's office to get things started. They will charge you  6% sales tax, or $780 as well as the fees to register the van. Failure to title a vehicle within 30 days from the date of sale may result in delinquent transfer penalties. You must provide proof of liability insurance when you title and register your vehicle. You will need to get insurance first so you do not have much time left and expect to pay about $1000 for the required insurance. 

County Tax Assessor-Collector

 

Tatum White

416 N. Washington

Livingston, TX 77351

Phone: 936-327-6801

Edited July 27 by Kirk W
Add phone number and address

[Blues]

2 hours ago, NDBirdman said:

Any TX DMV should work, pick one in a small town away from any large city is usually the fastest.  IMHO, I'm in ND but all DMVs are the same.

But DMV offices are not where vehicle registrations take place in Texas. 

I've been a Texas resident my entire life, and I swear this whole "DMV" thing is new.  Back in the day, you got your driver's license at the Department of Public Safety office, and registered your vehicle at the county's Tax Assessor's office.  I remember hearing jokes on national TV shows about standing in line at the DMV and thought, "We don't have a DMV in Texas."

But apparently driver's licenses in Texas are now handled at what's called a DMV office--I have no idea when "DMV" entered the picture.  And you can go to any driver's license office in the state to get or renew a Class C driver's license license (the one for regular cars).

But vehicle registrations are still handled by the individual counties (some fees vary from county to county, unlike fees for driver's licenses, which are the same no matter where your address is).  And I highly doubt a person whose vehicle is to be registered in Livingston can go to the Tax Assessor's office in Amarillo, for example. 

So I'd say a trip to Livingston is in the OP's near future, but it would be best to call the Polk County Tax Assessor to find out for sure what is required. 

Also, a vehicle safety inspection (and possibly emissions test in certain counties, but not Polk County) is required in order to register a vehicle.  Safety inspection requirements are going away next year, but as far as I know you'd have to get one in order to register a vehicle right now.

[2gypsies]

A trip to Livingston is not necessary.  We did it at the Arizona border outside of ElPaso... a small office and a fast process.

[Kirk W]

1 hour ago, Blues said:

And I highly doubt a person whose vehicle is to be registered in Livingston can go to the Tax Assessor's office in Amarillo, for example. 

Which is the reason that I advised the same and I just edited to add the address and phone number for that office.

2 minutes ago, 2gypsies said:

A trip to Livingston is not necessary. 

He has left CA where he bought the RV and has been traveling with it since he bought it on July 2. The 30 days that TX law allows will be expired in one more week. There is no time left to do this by mail. He still has the CA license plates on it and I doubt that he has any insurance on it. 

[bruce t]

Here's a good example of why I always suggest renting for relatively short stays.

[Dutch_12078]

Does CA require the return of the plates to a CA DMV office?

[OnTheRoad2024]

2 hours ago, Kirk W said:

Which is the reason that I advised the same and I just edited to add the address and phone number for that office.

He has left CA where he bought the RV and has been traveling with it since he bought it on July 2. The 30 days that TX law allows will be expired in one more week. There is no time left to do this by mail. He still has the CA license plates on it and I doubt that he has any insurance on it. 

I appreciate your concern. I always drive with insurance, so your doubt is wrong. I’d rather not drive from Montana to Texas so first thing Monday morning I’ll call the DMV. It’s just so, so surprising to me that absolutely nobody knows for certain the process. 

[bruce t]

FWIW I'm from overseas. Bought and sold a number of vehicles in the USA. You will find information and advice is all well intentioned. But the advice is coming from folks who aren't foreigners with the associated hiccups. 

My advice is to make phone calls to Livingston and get it from the front of the horse. I would start with the Livingston tax office. I found they were always professional and very helpful.

Good luck.

[OnTheRoad2024]

2 hours ago, bruce t said:

FWIW I'm from overseas. Bought and sold a number of vehicles in the USA. You will find information and advice is all well intentioned. But the advice is coming from folks who aren't foreigners with the associated hiccups. 

My advice is to make phone calls to Livingston and get it from the front of the horse. I would start with the Livingston tax office. I found they were always professional and very helpful.

Good luck.

Fingers crossed they can save me a 1600 mile drive! 

[Kirk W]

Polk County Tax Assessor 

416 N. Washington

Livingston, TX 77351

Phone: 936-327-6801

Application for Texas Title and/or Registration

Texas law is very clear about what must be done. 

• Purchased a Vehicle Outside of Texas

A vehicle must be titled in your name within 30 days of the date of sale to avoid delinquent transfer penalties. Additionally, you must register the vehicle within 30 days of bringing the vehicle to Texas, and the vehicle must pass a Texas inspection before it can be registered. After having it inspected, take the following to your county tax office to title and register the vehicle:

• Proof of Inspection (Vehicle Inspection Report)
• Proof of liability insurance meeting State of Texas minimum requirements
• The vehicle's odometer reading if it is required
• An original out of state title or other valid ownership evidence
• Proof of sales tax payment or current foreign/military ownership document
• Completed Application for Texas Title and/or Registration (Form 130-U)
• The following fees:
  • Registration fee (base fee of $50.75 for passenger vehicles and light trucks),
  • Title application fee of $28 or $33, depending on the county,
  • State portion of the vehicle inspection fee (up to $30.75)
  • Local county fees (up to $31.50)
  • 6.25% vehicle sales tax,
  • $1 Insurance verification fee
  • $4.75 processing and handling fee

Edited July 28 by Kirk W
Add information.

[Alan_Hepburn]

15 hours ago, Dutch_12078 said:

Does CA require the return of the plates to a CA DMV office?

If the plates are standard plates, then they are assigned to the vehicle, not to the owner - they stay with the vehicle upon resale. If they are special plates (disabled, personalized. etc) then the owner usually replaces them with standard plates before selling.

[Dutch_12078]

18 minutes ago, Alan_Hepburn said:

If the plates are standard plates, then they are assigned to the vehicle, not to the owner - they stay with the vehicle upon resale. If they are special plates (disabled, personalized. etc) then the owner usually replaces them with standard plates before selling.

In this case, the vehicle has been removed from CA and will be registered in TX. Obviously, the CA plates can't stay with the vehicle, but do they need to be returned to CA? If a CA owner replaces his specialty plates with standard plates, what happens to the specialty plates?

[Blues]

On 7/27/2024 at 5:05 PM, 2gypsies said:

A trip to Livingston is not necessary.  We did it at the Arizona border outside of ElPaso... a small office and a fast process.

I'm guessing you meant New Mexico, not Arizona.

Anyway, I finally found some clarification on where registration has to take place.  It's unclear because the various official web pages always talk about doing things at "your local county tax office."  But I found this in an FAQ:

Quote

 

Can I visit any county tax office to process my title/registration transaction?

You may always visit your local county tax office to process your title and/or registration transactions. An application for Texas title can be processed statutorily by your local county tax office, the county in which the vehicle is purchased, or the county in which the vehicle is encumbered by a lien.

Some Texas county tax offices that are not statutorily required to process your transaction may be willing to process your transaction on behalf of your local county tax office. Please call in advance of your visit to a non-local county tax office to confirm if they are willing and able to process your title and/or registration transaction.

 

https://www.txdmv.gov/faqs

So maybe a trip to Dalhart is in the OP's future?  That would shave off 500 or so miles.  But definitely call the Dallam County tax assessor/collector's office to confirm they're willing and able to do it.  (I think this is the first time I've run across "willing and able" when referring to a government agency's duties.)

If Dallam County won't do it, try Hartley County, the next one down from Dallam County.  This would be your guy there (he's both the tax assessor collector and the sheriff).

FWIW, the FAQ I linked to does mention registering a vehicle a vehicle by mail if the vehicle is out of state, but only with reference to people who are serving in the military, and one of the required documents is "Proof of active military service (copy of applicant's Leave of Earnings Statement)."  So I don't think you can wahoo your way around that, but maybe they can do it for civilians and just don't advertise it.

 

[Alan_Hepburn]

On 7/28/2024 at 9:47 AM, Dutch_12078 said:

In this case, the vehicle has been removed from CA and will be registered in TX. Obviously, the CA plates can't stay with the vehicle, but do they need to be returned to CA? If a CA owner replaces his specialty plates with standard plates, what happens to the specialty plates?

When moving out of state: you can mail the plates back to California if you want, but they just toss them into the trash. You can just as easily toss them yourself. As for specialty plates it's a bit more involved: "vanity" plates are assigned to a vehicle, but are also assigned to the registered owner. If you want to replace a vanity plate with a standard plate you fill out a form and specify if you are keeping the plate or not. If you decide to keep it they are supposed to charge you $10 per year to keep it: I've had a vanity plate hanging in my garage for over 15 years now and have yet to see a charge for it. They are a bit more strict with disabled plates: they don't want them misused so you are required to turn them it.

[Blues]

I'm normally not a stickler for people with questions coming back to update, but I really hope the OP does.  He said he was going to call the DMV first thing Monday morning.  I hope he actually calls/called the Polk County Tax Assessor, and I'd really like to get the skinny on how they say the registration needs to take place.

[Dutch_12078]

7 hours ago, Alan_Hepburn said:

When moving out of state: you can mail the plates back to California if you want, but they just toss them into the trash. You can just as easily toss them yourself. As for specialty plates it's a bit more involved: "vanity" plates are assigned to a vehicle, but are also assigned to the registered owner. If you want to replace a vanity plate with a standard plate you fill out a form and specify if you are keeping the plate or not. If you decide to keep it they are supposed to charge you $10 per year to keep it: I've had a vanity plate hanging in my garage for over 15 years now and have yet to see a charge for it. They are a bit more strict with disabled plates: they don't want them misused so you are required to turn them it.

Thanks for clearing that up. Here in NY, the plates don't stay with the car except in rare instances. All others get turned in when the vehicle is transferred to someone else, destroyed, or just taken off the road. The insurance can't be canceled until the plates are turned and the insurance agent/company can verify it either electronically or with a form from the DMV. My wife and I have one of those rare circumstances where the plates would transfer to a "new" owner. Our car and motorhome are both titled and registered in both our names. If I die for instance, the title, registration, and plates, including our disabled plates, will go to her as the "new" sole owner.

[Kirk W]

20 hours ago, Alan_Hepburn said:

When moving out of state: you can mail the plates back to California if you want, but they just toss them into the trash.

Over the years, we have moved between states on several occasions and I don't recall ever having returned license plates to the state we previously lived in. It's possible that the new state asked for the old plates and returned them, but it has been long enough for some of those moves that I don't recall. My eldest son moved from WA to TX a couple of years ago and I know that he didn't return his WA plates as they are hanging on the wall of his garage. I recently sold my truck to a TX dealer and he removed my plates and the windshield sticker and gave both to me for disposal. 

If you read the first posts of this thread, OnTheRoad bought from a private owner and received both a bill of sale and the CA title, at the time of purchase on July 2. It seems that he took the documents and drove off to travel without doing anything with those documents and expected that someone else would take care of getting him a new, TX title and license plates and mail them to his Escapee mailbox. 

[sandsys]

I have a vanity plate from Minnesota. It is mine. I can register a new RV using that plate. If I ever bought another RV.

When Dave's grandparents retired to Florida, it was the custom in their neighborhood for everyone to nail their previous state's license plate to their mailbox post so everyone else would know where they came from.

Linda Sand

[bruce t]

I have about a dozen US state plates nailed to my garage wall here in Australia if anyone wants them back!

[KodiakJack]

I maintained/retained my Alaska title (which was in my name) and simply registered my truck in Texas.

Later,

J

PS My Alaska plate is mounted above the door on our garden shed.