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Buying a Military Humvee: What You Need to Know
You’ve probably heard about buying used Humvees on the private market. While we’ll cover that shortly, let’s first dive into the auction sites you’ve likely come across.
Rick from Chasing Profits breaks down the step-by-step process of purchasing a military Hummer from GovPlanet.com, a government-contracted auction site that sells surplus military vehicles.
They handle everything from six-wheeled troop carriers to the occasional tank or fire truck.
The Process of Buying a Humvee from GovPlanet
Owning a military-grade Humvee is a thrilling prospect, but the journey to get there is anything but simple. It starts with finding and winning an auction, which typically takes about a week.
Once you've secured your dream vehicle, the paperwork begins—expect up to two weeks of background checks to ensure you're not a security risk.
The real test of patience comes next: waiting for the military to process the vehicle's release. This step, which allows the Humvee to leave the base, can stretch to five long months. Finally, you’ll need to arrange shipping.
You can either handle the logistics yourself—working with GovPlanet’s contractors and navigating limited pickup hours—or hire a transporter for over $1,000 to handle the heavy lifting.
It’s a lengthy process, but for those who persevere, the payoff is owning a piece of military history.
Total Time: Over 6 Months
Owning a military Humvee is an exciting prospect, but don’t expect it to happen overnight. Part of the delay comes from the notorious pace of government bureaucracy. The process can stretch out simply because things move slowly in that world.
On top of that, GovPlanet processes a massive number of sales each week—around 200 to 300 Humvees. This high volume contributes to the extended wait times, as each vehicle must go through various approval processes before it’s cleared for release.
So, while patience is key, the sheer scale of operations makes it all part of the wait.
How Do I Ensure a Military Street-Legal Humvee?
When you receive your HMMWV, it’ll carry an Off-Road Title called an SF 9,7, which won’t allow you to drive to work looking like the governor.
The timeline of making a Hummer street-legal goes pretty quickly, but the process itself is complex, and it varies depending on whether you bought your rig from an auction house or a private party.
Titling a Humvee, You Bought From an Auction House
When you purchase a military vehicle from an auction site like GovPlanet, you’ll be given the option to order U.S. Government Form SF97.
It’s a document completed by the auction house that can be turned into a title at your local DMV. To obtain an SF97, you must complete an End-User Certificate, which essentially tells the U.S. Government you’re not about to ship your new Hummer overseas to support rebel causes.
You’ll need a bill of sale as well; GovPlanet currently charges $25 for a bill of sale and $50 for an SF97. Take those forms to your local DMV, pay a few more fees, and receive a clean title about eight weeks later.
The problem is that some states (like Florida) won’t title a military Hummer for any reason. Even the most comprehensive lists of military Humvee title laws by state don’t give a lot of insight into the specifics of each state.
And in California, it’s way down between “fill potholes” and “fix bridges.” Shots fired.
Titling a Humvee Bought From a Private Party
Here’s where this gets even harder.
Some guy in your corner of Missouri posts a used military Humvee on Craigslist. It runs and drives, but he never titled it, so he offered to write you a bill of sale. He doesn’t have any of the old military documents, and he definitely didn’t go through the proper channels when he bought this Hummer from Ma and Pa’s Auction House after old man Mertens died of a heart attack.
Your first order of business should be to make sure it’s not stolen. You laugh, but people have actually stolen Humvees from military bases within the last year.
We can only hope they jumped the chain-link fence in a stolen SUV and made a daring getaway amid a hail of gunfire before shaking off that 5-star wanted level by dipping into a Pay-n-Spray.
Our free VIN check will let you know the status right away.
Can The Military Humvee be Street-Legal?
Making a military Humvee street-legal is possible, but it’s not a quick or easy process. If you’re taking this on yourself, be prepared for weeks of work and a lot of potential pitfalls along the way. One wrong move could cost you time, money, or worse—getting your plans shot down by the DMV.
Time is money, and if you’re considering making a military vehicle street-legal, you likely already understand that. The road to success involves hours of digging for the right paperwork, figuring out the exact steps, and navigating the rules of a state that allows titling military Hummers.
You might get lucky by approaching your local DMV with your situation, and there’s a chance that some backdoor loophole exists where vehicles over a certain age can bypass the title process. However, that’s not the usual case.
More often than not, the DMV clerk won’t have a clue what to do with your Humvee, especially when the VIN isn’t formatted the way they expect.
In the end, going this route can mean frustration and wasted time. So, while it’s not impossible, it’s definitely a path that requires patience, persistence, and a lot of paperwork.
Dirt Legal has titled and plated thousands of strange vehicles. From ATVs to golf carts, if you can drive,t we’ve been known to make it street-legal. As red-blooded Americans ourselves, we’d be proud to work with you to obtain a 50-state title and license plate to operate your military vehicle on public roads.
Not to mention, if we fail to make your military Humvee street-legal, you will get 100% of your money back.
You won’t find an option for this service on our website, so call or email us to start the conversation today and be rolling around town in the most patriotic vehicle ever made before the season is over.
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