Title and bill of sale proving that you just purchased the car, plus proof of insurance, and drive on home. Even if you drive through a state with particularly strict rules what are the odds that any LEO that pulled you over would actually know the rules in either the state where you purchased it or the state where you will register it? In this case confidence and boldly ignoring that you might be wrong is the right answer.
Title + bill of sale + insurance = no plates are fine. I got pulled over in the polka dot car and after showing the cop those things, I was on my merry way. If I wasn't driving a clapped out Saturn with no exhaust covered in polka dots, I wouldn't have been pulled over at all. 
Whatever you do, do NOT use a tag from another vehicle!!! You WILL go to jail. Please don't ask me how I know.
I looked into this a few years back trying to get a car from Ohio to Michigan. At times I would have needed to pass through Ohio, Michigan and Indiana. Since a misdemeanor ticket would cost me my job, I had to be sure it was done legally. Unfortunately, EVERY state had different set of rules. If memory serves, to be legal, I would have had to drive from the seller's home to the Ohio/Indiana line with the seller's plate, put a plate that belonged to me for the trip through Indiana, then driven it from the Indiana/Michigan line home with no plate on it. I ended up passing on the car, but had decided the answer is:
A woman got busted in NYS for having a cardboard plate.
She got caught because she forgot to do a front one.
Y'all do realize that interstate commerce requires that other states honor the requirements of your home state? If your home state doesn't give you a trip permit, you're golden. Just don't be a dick and don't do anything shady, like put on fake plates/plates from another car/anything that makes it look like you're "hiding from the cops."
I drove a car 1,300 miles (L.A. to Austin) with just one of those plastic plates that had the name of a dealership on it. Got a little bit of static outside of El Paso. Highway patrol was tailing me for a a while, pulled beside me, gave me a once over, then went on his way.
Sounds like it's prefectly do able. Wife really not thrilled about idea of another toy..... It's 2700 miles away.
Been in jail, you won't like it.
My sister-in-law drove from Idaho to Illinois to Alabama, Florida, the Carolina's, back through Illinois, back to Idaho in a clapped out Exploder, two dogs, and a shady looking boyfriend WITH an expired temporary plate sticker from Idaho and only got tickets in South Carolina and Florida for having expired plates. She hasn't paid either and has no plans to stop in those states again. Nobody else pulled her over in all this driving.
In reply to 914Driver:
Exactly what I'd like to avoid!
In reply to Datsun310Guy:
Sounds like a lovely SIL..
Why are you asking all of us "experts"? Just call your insurance agent and ask them what you need to do. Your going to register and insure it anyway, right? And this is the main reason I, a hard core sportscar guy, owns a truck and trailer. Spend 17 hours in it yesterday retrieving that Rover V8 powered go cart thingy posted in the classifieds early last week.
In reply to tr8todd:
Well the hive mind has a lot of experience with this thing, hence asking. I will deal with the insurance agent when the time comes, I just wanted some input as to the possibility.
Since this is GRM, im cheap, flying and driving the car back is the cheapest way to do it. Period. Adding costs of a truck and trailer, and then I have to drive both there and back doesn't make sense. I can ship it for less than the costs to drive it there and back with truck and trailer. My trucks MPGs while towing is not stellar, I could borrow a trailer, or rent one there, but again added costs.
And we are going to need a build thread on the "go kart" !!
In reply to kazoospec:
Ohio & Indiana will recognize your states laws....should be zero issue there.
I drove a temporary plated car from Oregon to Alaska via Canada, and I figure if customs didn't care, nobody does
java230 wrote: In reply to Datsun310Guy: Sounds like a lovely SIL..
She has majors issues and is checking into an 8 month rehab program this month.
I rented a car from a major airport rental place and the car didnt have plates. Drove from Vegas to San Fran. Didnt care, had rental paper, had no problem.
Bought a car 250 miles from home. Running no plates but had signed title, insurance card, and I look like white, middle class engineer. Got pulled over for no plates, office ran my license and the title after asking if i just bought it. Yes officer. And i was free to go. No big deal.
Whatever you do dont put plates that dont belong to the car on it. One texting teenager and a bent fender, and you lost your car, and it wasnt even your fault.
I had a similar issue last Fall. I drove across several states, into Canada, and back to the US in a red Porsche 911. It was the same circular problem of one-way permits so I stuck the plate from my Honda on the 911 after I bought it and just went for it. As a back up, I photoshopped a full-scale replica plate from the home state of the 911. I did have insurance and proof of ownership for the 911 and Honda just in case, but it worked out just fine.
This and other tales can be found in my latest book: Your Mileage May Vary
I've driven a car with no plate from Alabama to Michigan. Never got pulled over. As others said, you can get insurance ahead of time, and check with your home state, but I know in Michigan there's at least a 24 hour window of legality with title in possession to transfer ownership where it can be driven unregistered.
I have also put the "wrong" plate on a car, but it was still insured. I wasn't doing this to scam anything, as it was the plate that would be transferred to the car upon the registration process anyways, so I didn't see this as being any more illegal than the title transfer window anyways. That said, I could see how this would be frowned upon.
every state should just have laws like we have here in MN regarding license plates: they stay with the car. also, we don't have those stupid laws about getting the title notarized or anything silly like that: just sign the thing and it's legally yours. no driving around with no plates on it just because the state says the old owner gets to keep them for some strange reason.
RossD wrote: Whatever you do dont put plates that dont belong to the car on it. One texting teenager and a bent fender, and you lost your car, and it wasnt even your fault.
Lost your car? Where does this happen? I've driven through multiple states with new purchases and throw a tag on regardless of whether it belongs on the vehicle or not. I never had an issue other than being told to get the correct tag on.
The one time I ran with no tag I got pulled over, in Indiana, and was told any tag is better than no tag and was given a warning.
I know I'm not necessary doing it right, but I have not been to jail yet or lost A car....maybe I've just gotten luck, but to me it seems like states vary wildly with when, why, and how this is enforced. Now I did always have my title, Bill of sale, etc and that paperwork was always 'good enough'. To keep me out of big trouble.
I'd also like to hear the jail stories because surely there was more going on than just a registration issue.
Drove my Miata all the way from Alabama up to Ottawa (about 1,200 miles) with no plates. Stopped in Binghampton, NY to register with the DMV and didn't put the plates on until I got home. Somehow managed to cross the border without any issues too. Not sure how I managed that, but I'd rather be lucky than good. Had a few butt clench moments with cops behind me but wasn't pulled over. Looked at all the options for temporary or transit plates and the state of NY didn't have any options, so I YOLO'ed it all the way up. It would probably be a lot easier if your state could issue a temporary plate, but there were only a few that did that.
Just keep all the paperwork from the sale in the front seat and be on your best behavior if you get pulled over and hope for the best!
novaderrik wrote: every state should just have laws like we have here in MN regarding license plates: they stay with the car. also, we don't have those stupid laws about getting the title notarized or anything silly like that: just sign the thing and it's legally yours. no driving around with no plates on it just because the state says the old owner gets to keep them for some strange reason.
I paid for my license plate. I paid for my registration. I keep them when I sell my car and get a refund or apply them towards a new car. Easy!
Cotton wrote:RossD wrote: Whatever you do dont put plates that dont belong to the car on it. One texting teenager and a bent fender, and you lost your car, and it wasnt even your fault.Lost your car? Where does this happen? I've driven through multiple states with new purchases and throw a tag on regardless of whether it belongs on the vehicle or not. I never had an issue other than being told to get the correct tag on.
In California I know someone who watched someone lose a VW rabbit with a dash swap outside a car show. Not entirely the same thing, but it does happen if you attract the wrong attention.
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