Out of state car purchase

[louisgab]

Live in HI
Want to purchase car in CA and drive it to CO to give to my 18 year old son.

I am currently working in California on a 2 to 4 week assignment. At the end of my assignment, I want to buy an inexpensive car with cash and then take a road trip from California to Colorado. I plan to give the car to my son when I get to Colorado for him to keep. I will then fly back to Hawaii from Colorado.
Do I have to do any registration or tax related stuff in California or can I just start driving and just register it in my son's name when I get to Colorado?
Please provide advice on the steps I must take. Thanks in advance.

 

[Zigner]

Live in HI
Want to purchase car in CA and drive it to CO to give to my 18 year old son.

I am currently working in California on a 2 to 4 week assignment. At the end of my assignment, I want to buy an inexpensive car with cash and then take a road trip from California to Colorado. I plan to give the car to my son when I get to Colorado for him to keep. I will then fly back to Hawaii from Colorado.
Do I have to do any registration or tax related stuff in California or can I just start driving and just register it in my son's name when I get to Colorado?
Please provide advice on the steps I must take. Thanks in advance.

Buy the car in Colorado - it'll work out MUCH better. You can get flights from CA to CO for <$100

 

[adjusterjack]

Agree. Go home to CO and buy your son a car there.

Don't mess with CA cars. Too many people have posted on these sites about how they got screwed bringing a car home from another state.

 

[louisgab]

I should have explained that I really want to take the road trip from CA to CO. I am looking at a week long leisurely car camping type of drive. So, flying is out of the question. I thought about renting a car for the drive, but renting is expensive. A one way rental from CA to CO is $700+. That is money I wanted to put toward the purchase of a car for him. I am looking to spend about $2500 total, so $700 is a large chunk of my budget.
With that being said, can I just get the title and bill of sale from the seller and drive away, or must I deal with the DMV or other agency first?

Or would the hassle end up costing me the 700 I am looking to save? If so, what trouble could I run into?

 

[justalayman]

If you purchase the vehicle you will have to title it in your name first and since you aren't a California or Colorado resident it will be problematic to do so. Once you obtain the title you can then transfer it to your son. You might consider having you son execute a limited POA so you can purchase it on behalf of your son and have the title transferred directly to him.

The possible issue is a temp registration that would allow you to drive the car. It sounds like the California temp operating permit may be what you are needing

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/?1dmy&urile=wcmath:/dmv_content_en/dmv/pubs/brochures/fast_facts/ffvr36


I don't know if that will be acceptable in Colorado though. I would check with the Colorado DMV to be sure it is or if you would have to purchase some sort of temp registration in Colorado
As well.

 

[adjusterjack]

Or would the hassle end up costing me the 700 I am looking to save? If so, what trouble could I run into?

Well, your $2500 car could break down in the middle of nowhere between CA and CO and cost you a lot more than $700 to fix it.

Make sure you are willing to spend a hundred or two to have it thoroughly inspected by a qualified mechanic before you hand over any money to a seller. If it needs repairs to be road worthy either don't buy it or have the repairs done after you buy it but before you set out on your trip.

You don't want to end up stranded in one of those small towns where all the townspeople are in on murdering strangers so they can hide their illegal activities.

 

[Just Blue]

You don't want to end up stranded in one of those small towns where all the townspeople are in on murdering strangers so they can hide their illegal activities.

LMBO!! Motel Hell...One does NOT want to be savory "bacon" for the southwest!!

 

[LdiJ]

I should have explained that I really want to take the road trip from CA to CO. I am looking at a week long leisurely car camping type of drive. So, flying is out of the question. I thought about renting a car for the drive, but renting is expensive. A one way rental from CA to CO is $700+. That is money I wanted to put toward the purchase of a car for him. I am looking to spend about $2500 total, so $700 is a large chunk of my budget.
With that being said, can I just get the title and bill of sale from the seller and drive away, or must I deal with the DMV or other agency first?

Or would the hassle end up costing me the 700 I am looking to save? If so, what trouble could I run into?

I am going to tell you a little story that might make you rethink what you are doing.

When my daughter had just obtained her driver's license her father, who lived in Philadelphia decided to gift her with a car. It was a car worth about 2500.00, that had belonged to his girlfriend and had been a very reliable car.

He drove the car from Philly to Indiana to give it to my daughter. It made the trip, but basically died upon arrival and the cost of repairing it was not worth it. It ended up being a bit of a pain in the neck for me and my daughter, although we eventually found someone willing to buy it for 200.00.

A car worth 2500.00 is not necessarily going to last your trip from CA to CO.

 

[Just Blue]

I am going to tell you a little story that might make you rethink what you are doing.

When my daughter had just obtained her driver's license her father, who lived in Philadelphia decided to gift her with a car. It was a car worth about 2500.00, that had belonged to his girlfriend and had been a very reliable car.

He drove the car from Philly to Indiana to give it to my daughter. It made the trip, but basically died upon arrival and the cost of repairing it was not worth it. It ended up being a bit of a pain in the neck for me and my daughter, although we eventually found someone willing to buy it for 200.00.

A car worth 2500.00 is not necessarily going to last your trip from CA to CO.

Good advice. ^^.

 

[Zigner]

I am going to tell you a little story that might make you rethink what you are doing.

When my daughter had just obtained her driver's license her father, who lived in Philadelphia decided to gift her with a car. It was a car worth about 2500.00, that had belonged to his girlfriend and had been a very reliable car.

He drove the car from Philly to Indiana to give it to my daughter. It made the trip, but basically died upon arrival and the cost of repairing it was not worth it. It ended up being a bit of a pain in the neck for me and my daughter, although we eventually found someone willing to buy it for 200.00.

A car worth 2500.00 is not necessarily going to last your trip from CA to CO.

Agreed - and a great example.

 

[adjusterjack]

LMBO!! Motel Hell...One does NOT want to be savory "bacon" for the southwest!!

Route 666.