You have just found that project vehicle that you've been dreaming of your whole life. Maybe it's the making of a vintage rat rod, or perhaps it's a vintage car or truck that you plan to restore. The problem is, the owner has long since lost track of the title. Or you are bequeathed a vehicle from the family, but over the years, the title has been lost, one or more of the original signatories is deceased, and so on. If the vehicle is otherwise roadworthy, it is an absolute waste for it to sit while you wait out the process of sorting out the title and registration issues of your new-to-you vehicle. But there is another option: a temporary registration to get your vehicle on the road immediately.
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What Vehicles are Covered?
The beauty of this service is that you can tag any vehicle with a 60-day temporary tag so you can get your whip on the road immediately.
You can register any vehicle you have for the initial temporary registration if it is insured and you have all of the DOT-required equipment (lights, mirrors, horn, etc.). That's right.
Whether it’s that Studebaker pickup you found in a barn in Iowa, a European sports car that you had imported, or your Polaris UTV or ATV, you can get it on the road almost immediately.
What is the Benefit of a Temporary Registration?
The registration process can be painfully slow and very frustrating. Also, some states are ruthless in their registration fees, or if you happen to owe back taxes for lapsed registration.
Some common reasons people get a temporary out-of-state registration include:
Get on the road now – faster than in-state
More time to sort out the paperwork
More time to install parts and make repairs
Whatever the reason may be, if you need to get a vehicle tagged for the first time and know that it will not be a simple registration, you should buy a temporary registration. Your vehicle is only adding value when operational; otherwise, it is nothing more than a financial liability.
Buying yourself two months to get the complete registration in order is a small price to pay for the utility of getting your vehicle on the road immediately, which is precisely what Dirt Legal aims to do.
Photo by Cayton Heath on Unsplash
How to Get a Temp Tag
Once you have put your time and money into getting your off-road vehicle equipped for travel on the roadways or have gotten that old vehicle up and running, you can always try your local DMV to register it locally. DMVs are somewhat less than personable, and more likely than not, you will have ended up wasting your morning (and afternoon) to walk away emptyhanded because your vehicle is titled "off-road only," or you lack a bank release from a lean that never existed (yes, that happened to me).
The process to get an out-of-state temporary tag could not be easier.
Why Spend the Money on a Temporary Tag?
Since the registration process is still roughly half the price of full-fledged registration, why do it?
Not everyone will want to drive a vehicle with out-of-state plates permanently in their home state, and that is understandable. However, it could undoubtedly raise eyebrows with the local authorities seeing Vermont or Utah plates roaming around the Tulsa suburbs, for instance. And there are some legitimate concerns with running out-of-state plates.
But you are paying for the vehicle that you are attempting to tag, either physically through a banknote or in terms of sunk costs. Two months of driving lost can equate to a lot of missed use on your vehicle. And yes, it is not at all unreasonable to assume that it could easily take two months to get your vehicle tagged in your state. However, you can plan on at least a month or more, so two months is not that much buffer.
Also, you might want to take a couple of months to think about how to proceed. For example, if you have a hard-to-tag vehicle, you probably should think about an out-of-state option.
Is It Legal to Register with an Out-of-State Temp Tag?
Photo by Vander Films on Unsplash
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Every state is different, and that does not include county or municipal ordinances. The short answer is "yes" because it is a genuine and valid temporary tag; this is in no way a false registration. You are receiving an actual temporary tag from an out-of-state DMV. If you have insurance and your vehicle has all the required equipment, driving it is completely legal.
In the real world where we work and live, an out-of-state temporary tag and registration will not raise any eyebrows. It is, after all, just a temporary tag. It is just a stopgap to a more permanent solution.
But the final call regarding legality is always the responsibility of the end-user. It is in no way anyone else's responsibility to determine whether your actions are legal. You take that responsibility the moment you set foot in your vehicle.
What Next?
You are here at Dirt Legal because you are trying to title, register, and tag your ATV/UTV, dirt bike, car, or truck and are probably frustrated. You are frustrated because it is frustrating, and it shouldn't be! But every day that your vehicle is sitting static is another day that your investment is wasted on an inefficient system that wastes your time and resources. So do not hesitate; you do not need any supporting documentation or paperwork to get your vehicle temporarily registered and tagged, and you will get the registration and temp tag in the email the next day! So take the control back from your local bureaucrats, don't hesitate; get your asset back on the road where it belongs today!
