My husband and I are returning to the US from abroad. Our final destination will be Atlanta, GA. We will be landing in Washington DC where we lived before moving abroad. We still have Maryland driver licenses. We want to buy a car in Maryland and drive it along the east coast down to Florida and ultimately to Atlanta. Can we buy a car in Maryland and register it in Georgia even though we are not officially Georgia residents? What about insurance? Can we buy that in Georgia as well? Will we be taxed twice on the car if we buy it in a different state then where we plan to register it?
We kind of feel like we are in limbo, as we do not consider ourselves residents of anywhere.
The exact details regarding registration are best obtained from the Georgia DMV, via their website, but–in general–anyone who plans on buying a car and then driving it long-distance without insurance is just asking for trouble. You really need to have the car insured from the first moment that you get behind the wheel.
You’re right about insurance. I guess I should have been clearer. We do intend to have the car insured right away, but i was wondering about obtaining insurance in Georgia vs. Maryland
Several extra details may be needed before you get some complete answers.
The best approach may be to purchase Maryland insurance with a company that also does business in Georgia and transfer it to Georgia when you settle there. As to sales tax on the vehicle, those questions are best answered by each state DMV. Many times the tax paid is computed and then credit for taxes paid the other state is taken off the final tax bill.
You may also be able to obtain a 30 day temporary registration in the state where you purchase your car, avoiding the hassle of returning the Maryland plates after settling in Georgia.
If your intent is to settle in Georgia permanently, then you basically become a bona-fide Georgia resident in about 90 days or less. This situation affects your driver’s license as well as other taxation issues. An exception would be if you are in the military and can register your vehicle in the state that is your home of record.
The best approach may be to purchase Maryland insurance with a company that also does business in Georgia and transfer it to Georgia when you settle there.
Insurance is limited to state borders. There may be companies that sell insurance in Georgia and Maryland…but you can’t just transfer the insurance. What they’ll have to do is cancel your maryland insurance buy the new Georgia insurance.
As for registration. You should be able to buy the vehicle in Maryland and get a temporary tag (usually 10 days) to drive the vehicle to Georgia. Then register it there. And that’s where you’ll pay the sales tax (or what ever Georgia’s tax is called - if it has one).
In the past I had Allstate car insurance. I moved to the other end of the country and had no problem transferring the insurance, but had it adjusted for the new location.
. I moved to the other end of the country and had no problem transferring the insurance
They may have called it a transfer…But it was actually a drop and add. Insurance is limited by State boundaries since each state has their own laws governing insurance.
You need an address to get insurance in MD. It is probably the same in GA. Contact your last auto insurer when you lived in MD and see what they can offer you.