markpenske

Hey,
I've never bought a car from out of state before & I'm looking for a little help.
Can I get a NY state title if the car is from PA? If so, how?
If the car has a lien on the title, how can I make sure the loan has been paid off before buying the car?
How can I legally drive the car how without being registered?
Mark

brent_strong

The DMV will take care of the title as long as you have the PA state title, properly signed and and lien releases that go with it. You turn this into the NY DMV when you register the car and they'll send a title in your name in like 6-8 weeks.

For a lien, ideally, you go to the bank when buying the car, pay off the person's loan and get the release on the spot. If you trust the person, you can have them give you a bill of sale and title when you buy the car and then send a lien release when they pay off the loan, but that puts you in a bad position if they decide to not pay it off. Until you have the lien release and signed title, the car isn't fully yours.

So, do your best to get a lien release when you buy the car or (if the person can swing it) before you buy it. It'll give you less heartburn down the road.

As far as legally driving the car back, most states have an option to get a temp tag with proof of ownership (title to the car you bought), ID (your license) and proof of insurance (NOT necessarily for the car you bought, but any car you have insured in your name - most or all insurance companies cover new purchases for like 10-15 days). I would look into PA requirements, but they're probably similar to that.

NNY S2k

Just remember you'll have to pay NY sales tax when you go to register it in NY.

Testut

Both EricN and I bought our Hondas in Pennsylvania and it was a painless procedure. Of course, the Pennsylvania dealer handled all of the paperwork, which helped.