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I'm slated to drive to SC tomorrow to buy a car. Has anyone bought a car from a private party out of state? Does it work much like buying a car in state, i.e. get the title notarized and filled out and take that to a NC DMV to register it? Or is there some horribly convoluted paperwork to contend with?

Thanks!

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"Build a man a fire and he'll stay warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he'll stay warm the rest of his life."
'93 Subaru Legacy DIRTBOMB
'98 BMW M3
2013 Rallyx Co-VP

Should be very straight forward. I'm not sure SC requires a title to be notarized. I'd just get the seller to fill out the seller's portion of the title (on the back) and make 100% sure that all the info requested is on there, then take that to NC DMV and they should be able to handle it as per usual.

Thanks Bret, that sounds easier than I had imagined for the DMV.

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"Build a man a fire and he'll stay warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he'll stay warm the rest of his life."
'93 Subaru Legacy DIRTBOMB
'98 BMW M3
2013 Rallyx Co-VP

It might be that simple, but if it's an older car from another state things can get weird. What I generally do is get the seller to send me a copy of the front and back of the title. Take that to the DMV and show it to them and ask what you'll need. In the past they flipped through a big book that had each state's info in it and could tell you exactly what you'd need if it was anything odd.

Out of state antique vehicles now need an inspection by a DMV officer in person, for example. Too many people were building clones and registering them as the real thing (in states like Georgia, where that's easy) and then selling them to unsuspecting buyers.

Note that NC has no transportation plate they can give you (like some states), so you either drive it with no plate and your signed title and bill of sale and whatever other paperwork you found you needed -or- you carry all that *and* take a plate with you from another vehicle. I've always done the latter, even though it's technically not legal and just figured if I do happen to get pulled, I'll come clean and beg forgiveness. Or for 100% legality, trailer it.


--Donnie

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Yes. And to be clear on the notary thing -- NC follows the rules from the state you buy it from. If SC requires a notary, get it notarized. If SC does not require a notary, then NC will accept the title with just a signature.

I just did a GA title with no notary. No Problem*

*No problem except that some idiot er DMV person transcribed the VIN wrong, and I got a letter in the mail a few weeks later that "there is a problem with your title, you will need to schedule an appointment with a License Theft and Fraud officer". Lump was in my throat for a while thinking I had bought a stolen car or something. Felt better when I compared the DMV letter with the car and found a "J" had turned into a "3". Was literally a 30 second inspection, followed by 15 minutes of paper work. Got to talk "cop" with the guy for a while, got to hear some interesting stories ... these guys like helping out "normal people" (us).

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Mike Whitney
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