Buy car for exchange student summer work and travel J1 visa

hi

Iam from jordan ,can I buy used car in verginia(richmond) by my International Driving Permit and my Licens jordanian ?

and whats is the process to do?

I will work in kings dominions for 4 month , I have SSN

Thank you

It’s not a problem, it’s just a matter of money…Your drivers license should be okay, the tricky part might be insuring the car which connects your license and the car. Check with an insurance agent first. Ask if they will insure you and how much will it cost. There are three kinds of automobile insurance in the U.S. Liability, which is mandatory, Collision which pays to repair YOUR car in the event of an accident, Comprehensive which covers the theft of your car, it’s contents, damage from storms, fire…If you finance or lease the car you must have all three. If you own the car only liability is mandatory…In many cases, the insurance costs more than the car…Cost is usually based on your driving record and age and of course you have no record here…If you buy the ca from a dealer, they can handle all the paperwork. If you buy from a private party, (person) you must be SURE to obtain the TITLE for the car from them, a document that allows you to register the vehicle (buy license plates).

Owning and operating a car in the United States is a MAJOR expense especially if you don’t know any of the money-saving shortcuts that natives take for granted…

Your first issue is registering the car when you buy it. The rules are set by each state, so you’ll want to look at Virginia’s DMV web site at http://www.dmv.state.va.us to find the process and the costs. As you’ll presumably have a Virginia mailing address, there shouldn’t be any major issues, although you may need to assemble some documents that prove your address.

The second issue is paying taxes. I don’t know Virginia’s rules specifically, but typically you pay sales tax through the dealer if you buy the car from a dealer or directly to the DMV when you register the car if you buy it from another person. In addition to the sales tax, I believe Virginia has a personal property tax on the value of the car each year, so possibly you’ll have to pay that also.

The third issue is getting insurance. As Caddyman says, you’ll be contacting an insurance agent for that, so that should be easy. Just make sure you don’t drive the car at all until insurance is in place.

Your fourth issue is selling the car when you’re done. If you can’t find a buyer before you leave, handling the paperwork from another country may be a pain.

Considering the time and expense here, you should definitely consider doing a long-term rental instead of buying a car. As another alternative, if you can use public transportation most of the time, you could use Zipcar for those times when you really do need a car.