Buying Car in MD then Driving/relocating to CA. How do I pay fees in one state, vs. two?

[dclamb]

I live in MD, but plan to buy an SUV in MD, drive cross country, then live in CA.

How do I avoid paying registration, title, tax, tags, emissions, etc. in Maryland where I'm going to buy the car and then again in California a week or two later when I relocate?

Google hasn't been much help, and I can't get a human on the phone at the DMV.

(In case someone suggests it... I *have* considered the alternative of flying to CA, then buying a car once I get there, but there are 75% more used cars to pick from on the east coast with MUCH lower mileage for the same price so it makes more sense financially to buy in MD, then drive to CA).

Thank you in advance.

[Ray paulsen]

Every state differ, if you moved to FL with proper paperwork the whole transaction should be just over $100. If about same for CA I consider that fair.

You can't get a human on the phone at the DMV,,,and you never will unless your a dealer ,,, why not just go to your local DMV they will have answers or here is a link that will explain how to register a vehicle from out of state in CA http://dmv.ca.gov/pubs/brochures/howto/htvr9.htm

Here is a link that will hook you up with both MD and CA. a little homework on your part will solve your problem
http://www.usedcartips.org/DMV.html

I will be interested in your findings about exact cost to register in CA should you decide to buy in MD - please post

[dclamb]

Originally Posted by Ray paulsen

Every state differ, if you moved to FL with proper paperwork the whole transaction should be just over $100. If about same for CA I consider that fair.

You can't get a human on the phone at the DMV,,,and you never will unless your a dealer ,,, why not just go to your local DMV they will have answers or here is a link that will explain how to register a vehicle from out of state in CA http://dmv.ca.gov/pubs/brochures/howto/htvr9.htm

Here is a link that will hook you up with both MD and CA. a little homework on your part will solve your problem
http://www.usedcartips.org/DMV.html

I will be interested in your findings about exact cost to register in CA should you decide to buy in MD - please post

Thank you for your help. Yeah, I've been googling the heck out of this. I've spent far too many hours on every DMV (official and unofficial) site there is.

They tell me all the different types of fees I'll pay when buying the car in MD.

They tell me all the different types of fees (which are all the same fees I would have just paid in MD) that I'll pay when transferring the car to CA a week later.

What they don't tell me is whether it's possible to live in MD, buy a car in MD, but have it registered, tagged, titled, inspected, etc in CA a week later when I arrive there.

This site was helpful >
http://dmv.ca.gov/pubs/brochures/howto/htvr9.htm
but all of the CA fees it lists are ones I would have JUST paid in MD the week before when I bought the car. Why should I pay them for MD then a week later pay the same fees in CA? That's what I'm trying to avoid.

Then I ended up at this calculator > https://www.dmv.ca.gov/FeeCalculator...esidentForm.do
and it said I'd owe well over a grand just to transfer the car from MD to CA.

I'm trying to be as mindful as I can about how to do this without paying any fees unnecessarily twice (once in one state, then again in another a week later) as I'll be strapped for cash since I'll be doing a career change leaving my comfy job to become an income-less nursing student.