Need help with unregistered car!

[DarkoNova]

Long story but I'll try to cut to the key points.

I bought a used car a few years ago, and it wasn't smogged or registered, but it had one of those big squares in the back window. So I drove it until that thing expired. Then I found out that it hadn't been registered since 2007 so I'd have to pay a ton of back fees just to get it current. I didn't care enough about it to do that, so it's been sitting in the driveway ever since. Fast forward a few years and one of my friends said he wanted it so I basically just gave it to him and said pick it up whenever you get a chance.

Problem is, somewhere in the last 4 years I lost the pink slip/title/basically all the paperwork. No idea how, but I did. Now I'm in California and my friend moved to Tennessee, but he says he'll be coming out here in September and driving the car back. He says it won't be a problem registering it out there (not doubting him since I've never been out there, but I still find that hard to believe).

Basically, I'm wondering if it's even legal to drive the car cross-country with 4 year old tags? He says as long as I write up a bill of sale, everything will be fine if he gets pulled over, but I don't want anything to happen and then he tries to pin it on me...especially since it's his birthday next month and he wants me to ride back with him so we can party, lol.

Anyone know how this whole situation would work?

[fbody_mike]

Can not legally operate it without registration, even with a bill of sale (I've tried that one). He may be able to get another temporary permit that will let him legally operate it.

[novaderrik]

did you ever transfer the title to your name?
if so, file for a lost title. when you get it, sign it and send it to your buddy to transfer to his name and register it. when he comes to get it, he brings his shiny new plates and puts insurance on his car and drives it home.

[DarkoNova]

Nope. I tried to register it but since the guy I bought it from hadn't smogged it in years, I had to do that before I could even register it. So I basically just drove it until the sticker in the window expired and bought another car and it's just been sitting here ever since.

I figured it was still illegal to drive it with a bill of sale. So basically if we just got one of those window stickers with the number it'd be legal to drive it? Even without registration?

[MIGOAT]

Have your bill of sale at the minimum have your proof of insurance with you if you try to travel to tenn. In reality if you got one ticket for expired tags and he can get it registered by the time of court it will get dismissed.

Legal No, however you can make it easier to speak to the cop that is going to pull you over. It's one thing to drive around in the city another to move the car to different state.

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[DarkoNova]

Good point. I told him what you guys said and that it's still illegal even with a bill of sale, but he still says it's perfectly legal and people in California are just stupid. :slap:

I don't really want to risk anything, I made some stupid decisions in the last few years and I'm just about to get my license back. I think any traffic violation in the next few years can put me behind bars, so either way, I doubt I'll be going with him. He can risk it if he wants.

[novaderrik]

you can't even transfer ownership into your name without a smog test?
tell me again why people live in that state- and please let it be something besides "the weather".

[shep]

Do you have a way to contact the previous owner. If so get him to file for a lost title.

[406 Q-ship]

If it has been sitting for the last 4 years, the information on the car should be out of the California DMV system. I would have your friend go down to his "DMV" (whatever it is in TN) and tell them he is being given a car in CA that the title/certificate of ownership has been lost. He should explain that the car will be driven from CA to TN and what will need to be done to make that happen. Your friend is the idiot if he thinks a Bill of Sale will get him across country without any other paperwork on a car that has been out of the system and is not registered. I don't care what state your in when the cop sees a car with plates that have not been renued since 2007......unless you find a really nice cop that car WILL be impounded (especially if it has no paperwork in his name!). He wants you to go to cover his butt when he gets stopped and then he lets you explain this f-ed up situation. Remember the governments are broke and there is no way they will let a juicey opportunity like a car that has tags 4 years out go on down the road.

Another solution might be to go to the CA DMV tell them that you need a temp tag to take the car to be smogged......then he high tails it for the state border.

[zombiekiller]

This is what you'll need to do.

1. Mail him a bill of sale which clearly states the VIN, Make, Model and mileage on the vehicle. This bill of sale should have your full name and address, as well as his full name and address.

2. He needs to add the vehicle to his insurance.

3. He needs to go to his county clerk in Tennessee with the bill of sale and proof of insurance. A printed from the internet insurance card is not sufficient. He will need the proof of insurance doc from his insurance company or a legit insurance ID card that they've mailed him.

4. He should request a temporary operating permit and Temp Tags. He should also do the title work at this point, they may however require a VIN rubbing. To be safe, I'd put a sheet of paper over the VIN plate and use a pencil or crayon to get an imprint.


If he attempts to drive the car with merely a bill of sale across the country, he is a moron. That whole scenario screams " stolen vehicle" to me and I'm not a cop. Some state trooper in Oklahoma will be happen to bend him over and ram some jail time up his ass.


Lots of states surrounding Tennessee are non title states - i.e.- you do not need a title . TN is not one of them. The county clerk will do a VIN Look up to ensure it is not stolen. any vehicle in someone's possession , on a highway, etc MUST have a title in TN. No exceptions, not even for tractors.

HTH.

P.S.- your buddy is an idiot if he thinks that a bill of sale is sufficient in any scenario. You aren't even supposed to MOVE a vehicle that you bought without a temporary operating permit. The only state that I know that does not require some sort of operating permit on a newly purchased vehicle is Delaware. In Delaware the provisions of the law allow you to drive a vehicle without tags directly to the DMV for inspection and registration. If you purchase a vehicle from out of state and do not get a temp tag, you are at the mercy of the local and state police in the states which you drive through that are not Delaware.

[dropit69]

heres his best bet pay the money to have it shipped then you wont have to worry about it..itll prolly be same as gas money anyhow..unless its a 6 cyl..as far as driving on just a bill of sale..it depends on what kinda cop stops you..some will leave ya be some wont..