What is the best way to buy a car in Texas from out of state?

matkal

matkal

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I'll be visiting Texas in a couple weeks and while I'm there I'll be looking for a used car. If I find what I'm looking for I'll drive it back to Michigan.

I assume a dealer will take care of the paperwork but how do i go about buying from a private owner? Is it as simple as obtaining the signed over title and going to the DMV or whatever for a temporary tag?

I'll be shopping based in the DFW area. TIA
 
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More than likely, you an just buy from the individual get the title and drive the car home.

Normally, not sure about Michigan, you have 30 days to get everything put in your name and a new tag on it.
 
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I do not know if Tx issues temporary transport tags. I have bought several out of state vehicles. I make sure I have a valid signed title, signed bill of sale and I always take a photo of the sellers drivers license. No deal if I can’t get those. Make sure seller has clear title in their hand and not with a finance company. You might get stopped if you do not have a plate on it. I only have my wife's new car registered here in Ca. All the rest are registered out of state and hers will be also when current Ca tags expire.
 
like said above, get a bill of sale signed by buyer and seller and title. if you get pulled over you'll be fine showing that as proof. as soon as you get home take it to the tag office and get tag and title issued in your state. just went through this last week.
 
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@CybrSlydr did the same thing and drove it back to OH from TX. maybe he will chime in. I know he had a pre inspection done and he financed it. My question is about insurance. I would not want to make that drive with no liability insurance.
 
cliffish said:
@CybrSlydr did the same thing and drove it back to OH from TX. maybe he will chime in. I know he had a pre inspection done and he financed it. My question is about insurance. I would not want to make that drive with no liability insurance.
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If I remember correctly, my insurance will cover a vehicle for a few days after purchase before I contact them to add it to my policy. Comes in handy if I buy something over a weekend; I just call them first thing Monday morning.
 
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tr21triton said:
like said above, get a bill of sale signed by buyer and seller and title. if you get pulled over you'll be fine showing that as proof. as soon as you get home take it to the tag office and get tag and title issued in your state. just went through this last week.
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This. Likelihood that you even get pulled over for it is low, but if you do, your paperwork will suffice.
 
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matkal said:
I'll be visiting Texas in a couple weeks and while I'm there I'll be looking for a used car. If I find what I'm looking for I'll drive it back to Michigan.

I assume a dealer will take care of the paperwork but how do i go about buying from a private owner? Is it as simple as obtaining the signed over title and going to the DMV or whatever for a temporary tag?

I'll be shopping based in the DFW area. TIA
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Thanks @cliffish

I flew down to Texas and drove back to Ohio with my brother over spring break. Difference is I bought from a dealership.

Prior to going, I paid a local indy to do a PPI. Told the dealership to expect him and went just fine. Indy sent me pics and a paper with all the things checked. Only thing wrong was needing a brake light replaced and the dealer did.

I financed through USAA, so I took a paper essentially saying they're willing to finance me for $16k. I gave that to the dealer and they did all the paperwork.

As for insurance... I don't remember what I did for that. Lol. I have my insurance through USAA as well, so I might have done my coverage after the purchase before we drove it back.

The title for my Jeep is an electronic title. I'm not e timely sure how it works, but USAA reported to the Ohio BMV that I'd paid off the loan in full, but I didn't automatically get the title, I had to request it from the Ohio BMV since that where I registered it originally. Or something. Lol. I don't have the title in hand yet though I paid the Jeep off in March this year.
 
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I print up an "In Transit" sign and tape it to the rear window when I drive a newly bought vehicle home from a private seller (without a license plate). That, and a signed title and bill of sale should get you home without too much hassle. A cop should stop you if you don't have a plate, but the "In Transit" sign might deter him/her/they/it.
 
Also be aware there is a scam where a private party will sell you a vehicle with a clean title, and the vehicle will be stolen and the title fake. Usually cash deals that are too good to be true, but people fall for them. I'm not sure if there is a way to run the vin through law enforcement before buying, but I would look into it. I also always take a photo of the sellers ID it has come in handy in the past.
 
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I don't know how they are in Mich. but if it's like here be sure to be sitting down when you go to the tag office. I about had coronary lock up when she said " that'll be $1483 " :eek: :eek: :eek: . just warning ya, they about had to get the defibulator
 
tr21triton said:
I don't know how they are in Mich. but if it's like here be sure to be sitting down when you go to the tag office. I about had coronary lock up when she said " that'll be $1483 " :eek: :eek: :eek: . just warning ya, they about had to get the defibulator
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Oklahoma is 3.25% of purchase price statewide, which is unpleasant, but in Colorado it's the aggregate city/county/state sales tax rate based on your home address, which could be 8%. Fortunately I like living outside of town so mine was always under 5%. Fortunately I always buy 10+year old used cars and have never spent more than $22k.
 
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freedom_in_4low said:
Oklahoma is 3.25% of purchase price statewide, which is unpleasant, but in Colorado it's the aggregate city/county/state sales tax rate based on your home address, which could be 8%. Fortunately I like living outside of town so mine was always under 5%. Fortunately I always buy 10+year old used cars and have never spent more than $22k.
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then as a final KICK IN THE ASS i just got it last monday, she goes well you get to give me another $20 in DECEMBER when you renew it !!!! 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬 I almost told her my name isn't BEN............BEN DOVER !!!!!
 
When I flew to South Carolina to look at, and then purchase, my LJ, I had already purchased a 30 day temp tag for it from our local DMV. It was pretty easy - I just needed the VIN. I gave the seller the check, he signed the title and gave it to me. I put the temp tag on, hopped in, and drove the 18 hours home. Easy Peasy. I think most states have temp transit tags like this. You can try without, but if you get a "by the book" trooper, you could get seriously delayed in route - most states do not allow driving an untagged vehicle even one block, let along across the state. I opted to do it the right way and called the state hotline to find out what that was.
 
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Carvana. I needed a truck for a future move and I was tired of my Jeep jk. Picked out the Ram truck I wanted, got my sell price for the jk, 15 minutes later I was going down the road in my new to me Ram.
The price I got for the jk was reasonable even for a private sale, and the Ram was cheaper and less miles than the local dealerships.
Next time I buy a used vehicle I will definitely go this way.

Fifteen minutes!
 
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