Driving home a car bought on the weekend?

I am thinking about buying a car this weekend. I would HAVE to drive it home. 

How do I drive it legally without being able to register it?

I have been pulled over with the PO's plates, but with the signed, notarized title, and the cop let me go.

You can get temp plates pretty easily in most states. Also you could use the valid plates off another car (depending on state).

If you can prove to a cop you're from Alabama, just put a piece of cardboard in the rear window with "Tag applied for" scrawled on it in sharpie.

It varies state by state.  Hopefully, you don't have to cross state lines.  Pretty much EVERY state will require that it be insured, but your policy SHOULD have a rider for newly purchased vehicles.  (Check w/your agent)

IIRC, in Michigan, for example, you can drive the vehicle without a plate IF you drive directly from the place of purchase to your home and you have a signed title or bill of sale.  In some states you can drive the vehicle home with any plate registered to you.  In others, you use the seller's plate.  In short, read up via your state's DMV/Secretary of State/whatever they call it.  If you are crossing state lines in your trip, be aware the rules may be/are different state to state.  

If you post up the state/states you need to cross, someone on here will probably know the rules. 

Depends on the state. In minnesota, the plates stay with the car and you have something like 72 hours to get to a DMV and do a title switch. In Florida I'm not sure exactly what happens- because they keep the plates. I bought a jeep and registered it before I took it home- otherwise I would have driven it home on a bill of sale with no plate and hoped for the best. 

Temp plates. Or signed and properly filled out paperwork will usually get you off.

I drove Sanford from Wisconsin to South Carolina without plates and never got stopped.

I will add, get a insurance binder emailed to you if possible. Making an effort goes a long way with the police.

I live in SC. I do have a registered vehicle i could take the tags off of to use in the new one. Car is in NC. Best bet to use my other car's tag?

Toyman01 said:

I will add, get a insurance binder emailed to you if possible. Making an effort goes a long way with the police.

I can get one from my insurance company website?

I've been stopped twice driving home with no plate, but a bill of sale/signed title and proof of insurance and not gotten a ticket either time.  I was on the most direct path between purchase location and my home and paperwork was dated that same day.  I  just told the nice officer the truth and after looking at my paperwork and running me for valid license/warrants I was allowed to go on my way both times. YMMV.

Private sale or dealership sale? 

In reply to Daeldalus :

I'd just go with no tag.  Putting a tag from another vehicle looks like you are trying to get away with something in my mind.  As I posted a minute ago, I've been stopped twice with no tag once was in NC and once in SC for what it's worth.

Daeldalus said:

Toyman01 said:

I will add, get a insurance binder emailed to you if possible. Making an effort goes a long way with the police.

I can get one from my insurance company website?

You will probably have to call them with the vin number.

Some states using plates from another car is considered "misuse of plates"  and gets you in more trouble than no plate. So I'd check the SC/NC laws. Yes, I have personal experience and the car was towed away.

John Welsh said:

Private sale or dealership sale? 

Would be private sale

Toyman01 said:

Daeldalus said:

Toyman01 said:

I will add, get a insurance binder emailed to you if possible. Making an effort goes a long way with the police.

I can get one from my insurance company website?

You will probably have to call them with the vin number.

Not an option. They are completely closed till monday but i just checked my company website and i am automatically covered for new purchases

NOT A TA said:

Some states using plates from another car is considered "misuse of plates"  and gets you in more trouble than no plate. So I'd check the SC/NC laws.

Do you know how i might check those laws? My google fu has been coming up empty

I think most traffic stops break down to 3 thing

1. Is the car stolen?  The simple measure here is to run the plate and verify who the car is registered to. With no plate and no registration then have with you proof of ownership such as title or bill of sale. 

2. Is the car insured? Have with you proof of insurance. 

3. Is the driver a "bad person"? Have driver's license and expect it to be run. The only ticket you are likely to get is if there was a real moving violation. 

NOT A TA said:

Some states using plates from another car is considered "misuse of plates"  and gets you in more trouble than no plate. So I'd check the SC/NC laws. Yes, I have personal experience and the car was towed away.

That’s the Connecticut way.

No plate = Driving an unregistered vehicle —> misdemeanor

Driving with the plate from another car = Misuse of plates AND driving an unregistered vehicle —-> felony

Based on Woodys comments I would grab a plate from one of your other cars but put that plate inside the new car but not mounted. 

If you find yourself roadside with an officer then ask pointing out that you do have a plate present if he would rather you mount the plate. 

As for insurance, bring a valid insurance card from something you own and print off what you read from your website that says your covered.   

This is directly from SC website of registration laws. Sounds to me like it is telling me i need to put my current car plate on it with the current registration in the car.

(G) If a person intends to transfer a license plate from one vehicle to another vehicle, he may place the license plate to be transferred on the newly acquired vehicle on the date of its purchase. The bill of sale and a copy of the registration which corresponds to the license plate must be maintained in the newly acquired vehicle at all times to verify its date of purchase to a law enforcement officer. The purchaser must register the vehicle with the department within forty-five days from its purchase date. A person who transfers a license plate or allows a license plate to be transferred in violation of this subsection is subject to the vehicle registration and licensing provisions of law.

This is from a section dealing exclusively with newly puchased vehicles.

State Farm gives you automatic 24 hours of coverage for a purchase, even if you don't tell them you're buying a car until after the fact. 
 

In Delaware there's a form you download and print out that is a 24-hour transit tag. It's free. 
 

In reply to Daeldalus :

I agree with what you posted. Mount plate, bring registration of old car, bring insurance card of old car, bookmark the SC website in case you need to read that to a NC officer (or even a SC officer.) 

Daeldalus said:

I live in SC. I do have a registered vehicle i could take the tags off of to use in the new one. Car is in NC. Best bet to use my other car's tag?

Put insurance on the car before you buy it and print out an insurance card for it.

You should be able to add a car on your insurance website OR call them up. 

In reply to Brett_Murphy :

My insurance is a small town place. They will not answer on weekends at all. Literally no one there to pick up the phone.

The most recent fly 'n drive, I drove it all the way from Arizona back to PA on the previous owner's license plate.

I'm trying to remember how I did it the first couple of times. I think one time I sent the guy payment, then he mailed me the title, then I was able to get a temp registration and a plate that I took with me and put on the car when I got there. I think the first one was probably similar. Both of those, I was buying a car out of state and needed a PA plate for it.

I guess it depends on how much the buyer and seller trust each other to do payment/title exchange stuff before the car physically changes hands, or trusts each other to not abuse the privilege of leaving the old plate on there. (Don't rob a bank with the seller's license plate on the car to lead it being traced back to them and make them a suspect, is what I'm saying.  )

For insurance, well, if they won't pick up the phone and they don't have a website for self-service, I think you're out of luck. Drive without insurance at your own risk...I can't say it would give me the warm and fuzzies, so to speak. ("Friendly" cops might cut you a break if you have the insurance card from your other car, but...what if you don't get a friendly one...)