maggiemuggins
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posted on October 19, 2005 09:41:40 AM new
I am going to sell an old car of mine today.
I have the title ready to sign over.. my question is do I remove the license plate from the car? And when should I cancel my insurance on it? Thanks Maggie
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NearTheSea
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posted on October 19, 2005 09:53:52 AM new
In my state you don't take off your plates when you sell. The new owner has to go and register it with the title into his name, and depending, may have to pay for current tabs.
Take the insurance off when you hand the key over, I think? Not sure, last time we sold a car, it was sitting in the driveway, not being driven, so we had taken it off insurance
Though on the other hand, my daugther went to buy her 'classic' truck, the owner refused to let her test drive it, because it was UNinsured! She bought it anyway, when we told her repeatly she has to test drive the thing!
Turned out ok though.
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NearTheSea
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posted on October 19, 2005 09:55:53 AM new
Unless you have vanity plates, I think you take those off, and you can use them forever. Though I never had them, I believe you do keep those, otherwise don't take the plates off.
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piinthesky
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posted on October 19, 2005 09:57:18 AM new
License plates are issued to the owners of a vehichle not to the vehichle itself, so take the plate when you sell it. Cancel the insurance on the day that you sell it or at least on the next business day if you sell it on a weekend. But don't just cancell your insurance. If you have other vehichles insured by the same insurance company then transfer whatever credit you have coming to you from the car you are selling to a car that you are keeping.
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Linda_K
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posted on October 19, 2005 09:58:00 AM new
If I were you I'd make a couple of quick calls. One to my DMV/Dept. of Revenue/etc....and the other to my insurance agent. Trusting that someone here is aware of your state laws might not be in your best interests, maggie. Protect yourself.
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maggiemuggins
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posted on October 19, 2005 09:59:44 AM new
Thanks NTS.. I'm unable to find any information here.. the number for our local DMV isn't in operation.. They aren't vanity plates.. but the buyer will be from out of state..Louisiana not Mississippi...
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maggiemuggins
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posted on October 19, 2005 10:01:30 AM new
Okay, thank you all. I will call my insurance company since I can't get through to my local DMV office..
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piinthesky
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posted on October 19, 2005 10:01:50 AM new
You never want to leave the plate on a car that you sell because it is issued to you in your name, otherwise whomever buys the car from you can then go and illegally park all over the place and YOU will get the tickets, not them.
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chimpchamp
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posted on October 19, 2005 10:03:29 AM new
Take the plate off.
The title being in their name will give them a grace period to register the car in Louisiana and obtain proper plates for the car.
edited to add: use the old plate to re-roof the chicken house or well covering. If you trash the plate hammer out the numbers, i.e., destroy it beyond use so that its not used on a stolen car.
[ edited by chimpchamp on Oct 19, 2005 10:05 AM ]
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maggiemuggins
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posted on October 19, 2005 10:06:23 AM new
Thanks so much for the advice. I guess the phone lines are still down at my local DMV office.. called my insurance people ..State Farm and they said they didn't know.. !!
Thanks Pi and Champ.. I will go and remove them right away. Maggie
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NearTheSea
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posted on October 19, 2005 10:17:32 AM new
not sure we're talking about the same thing here. I know that we left the plates on. When we bought the new (USED) car, original plates were on. Here we go to the DOL with the cars registration and put it into your name. And buy current tabs if they are expired
damn has it been that long since I bought or sold a used car? yikes 
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Linda_K
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posted on October 19, 2005 10:19:40 AM new
edited to add: use the old plate to re-roof the chicken house or well covering.
OR bend them in 1/2 and use them as the roof for any kind of bird house you make out of other objects....old boots, etc. 
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piinthesky
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posted on October 19, 2005 10:20:47 AM new
Off topic, but this kinda reminds me of awhile back when i registered a van that i bought, the plate that they wanted to issue me was MRS 666 and i asked if i could get another number because i just knew that a plate with this number would be stolen so the DMV clerk wen't to another pile of plates and issued me one with a totally different number. As I left the DMV office i thought damm, i should have gotten that plate because i could have sold it on Ebay. I could have touted it, in the auction, as being the license plate for MRS Satan's car and no telling how high the bidding would have gone.
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Linda_K
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posted on October 19, 2005 10:25:31 AM new
lol piinthesky - Had it been MR 666 would you have taken it? 
I bought at least a 100 old plates off ebay....mostly from Indiana, CA and a couple from AR...but some vanity plates from other states too. Haven't checked the catagory in a couple of years now though....but some were getting pretty good prices at that time.
[ edited by Linda_K on Oct 19, 2005 10:41 AM ]
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piinthesky
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posted on October 19, 2005 10:33:20 AM new
Any plate with the number 666 in it is a sure bet that it will be stolen and end up on the bedroom wall of some 15 year old devil worshipper.
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fenix03
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posted on October 19, 2005 10:33:44 AM new
I don't think I have ever bought a car that did not come with the plates. I can't imagine all the fun I would have had driving home in a vehicle with no plates, especially since it is illegal.
The bill of sale and the date of the signature on the title excuses you from any incidents the new owner has in the vehicle.
I don't know about yours Mags but in the three states where I have purchased cars, the plates go with them.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
An intelligent deaf-mute is better than an ignorant person who can speak.
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Linda_K
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posted on October 19, 2005 10:37:46 AM new
That's why I said each state has their own laws.
When we moved here...with our CA plates...and went down to the Dept. of Revenue....they handed us two AR plates for each car....right then and here.
Maggie, are you're saying your insurance agent doesn't know if you cancel your car insurance on the day you sell it, who is responsible for any accident that may occur before the new owner registers and insures it? Or...maybe you were talking about the plates and not your possible liability?
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NearTheSea
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posted on October 19, 2005 10:39:23 AM new
Thank you fenix, I thought I lost my mind there!
Though I know you can get a 3 'trip permit' to tape to the back window, that are usually used when buying a brand spanking new car off the lot.
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NearTheSea
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posted on October 19, 2005 10:41:30 AM new
That sounds right Linda. Mike flew to Los Angeles to buy his freaking 'dream car' had CA plates, had to get WA plates in a certain amount of time.
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piinthesky
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posted on October 19, 2005 10:42:03 AM new
'The bill of sale and the date of the signature on the title excuses you from any incidents the new owner has in the vehicle.'
Allthough this is correct, you still have the hassel of going to court and proving this after you get the tickets in the mail and they may even issue a warrant on you for unpaid parking tickets and you could even be arrested.
Bottom line here is; Never leave the plates on a car that you sell, in any state you're in.
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Linda_K
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posted on October 19, 2005 10:47:20 AM new
Also when we lived in CA....we sold 4 or 5 cars....and the plates stayed on the cars. And since fenix mentions it's because it's illegal there....that's probably why the plates stayed with the cars/trucks. Even the dealerships we sold to didn't say anything about removing them...and I KNOW with a truck we traded in, the dealership sold the car with the same plates we had.
So....maybe call another DMV Maggie...there has to be one still open in the whole state who could advise you on your state laws. OR look them up on the internet.
I'm sure their laws/regulations would be listed there.
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maggiemuggins
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posted on October 19, 2005 10:52:00 AM new
I was finally able to get through to my Tax office and motor vehicle department... they told me to take the plates off of the car..they belong to me.
Linda.. State farm was not sure about the plates. I will cancel my insurance and transfer the balance onto my other policies.
I hope the buyer knows he will be driving it back to Louisiana without plates!
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crossroadstrader
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posted on October 19, 2005 10:54:42 AM new
Maggie....The laws are different everywhere it seems. When you buy a new car in my state it comes with a temporary tag that you tape in the window, if it is a used car then you go to the DMV and they can give you one. It is good for up to 30 days. You can take your plates from your trade in vehicle and transfer them to your new one cheaper than buying new plates. The plates are registered to the owner for a specific vehicle. They are not good for anyone else once you have transfered title. If you can not get an answer from your DMV then I would definitely keep the plates. Good luck.
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MAH645
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posted on October 19, 2005 10:57:43 AM new
In the State of Kentucky you pay the taxes on your vehicle when you buy your tag. So in this state when you sell your car you have to call the tag office and tell them you are no longer the owner,or they continue to sent you tag re-newals and won't let you put a tag on any of your vehicles until the taxes on every vehicle in your name has been paid. I some states when you insure a car they list the tag number on your insurance,so if the tag is put on another vehicle and is involved in an accident your the sucker who gets hung even if the tag was stolen. You do need to cancel your insurance right away after selling you car,or transfer it to another vehicle.
**********************************
Two men sit behind bars,one sees mud the other sees stars.
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piinthesky
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posted on October 19, 2005 11:01:10 AM new
Tell the buyer all he has to do is to make a copy of the bill of sale and tape it to the back window. This will save him from driving illegally without a plate until he gets home.
I've sold several cars on Ebay to buyers from all over the country and this is how i've allways done it, without any hassels whatsoever.
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MAH645
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posted on October 19, 2005 05:49:02 PM new
When I buy a car,I have the person go with me to the tag office to trasfer everything before i drive the vehicle home.
**********************************
Two men sit behind bars,one sees mud the other sees stars.
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fenix03
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posted on October 19, 2005 07:51:22 PM new
You get people actually willing to go to the DMV for no reason other than to hold your hand? I take it you find your vehicles in the classifieds of Masochists Weekly.
If it was a choice between selling the car or going to the DMV for no justifiable reason, I'll keep the car.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
An intelligent deaf-mute is better than an ignorant person who can speak.
[ edited by fenix03 on Oct 19, 2005 07:52 PM ]
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maggiemuggins
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posted on October 19, 2005 09:11:09 PM new
Well..he finally showed up at 7 PM..pitch black out, with no street lights in the country and three big black men come to my door.........and I couldn't see a foot in front of me..but all went well...He paid me cash and I gave him a bill of sales and one for the back window..stating in transit. Signed the back of the Title etc..the only thing I didn't do was cancel my insurance on the car.. I didn't want to do it in case he didn't show up.
So I will do that first thing in the morning.
I have to agree with Ms.Fenix, Mah.. if it meant having to go down to the DMV with him, I'd have kept the car.. LOL..
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