Risks with Registration out of state

Pretty much every state I know of. There are very few exceptions.

You missed the point. MA may tell you that you need to register in MA since the vehicle is primarily used in MA. NH may try to force you to register in NH if they see the car in NH. Since NH is you place of residence, NH assumes that the car is primarily used in NH.

You will never get in trouble if the car is registered in the same State that it is being operated in, regardless of where you live.

I wonder if you could have dual registrations? Just stuck on the MA plates over the NH plates when you cross the border!

No. In fact I CAN’T register my car in MA unless I reside in MA. It’s the LAW. There are exceptions if I’m in MA for extended period, but my residency is in another state. College students is a big example. Visiting doctors. Some people do have summer homes on the cape, and during the summer months they register their vehicles in MA.

1 Like

Does MA have lower registration fees, or less strict proof of ownership or emissions testing requirements that might encourage people register vehicles in MA for use elsewhere?

There is nothing easier or cheaper in MA :grinning: They had a big effort to crack down on people registering their cars in other neighboring states to avoid MA registration fees and taxes.

1 Like

What is the actual MA law that says you have to reside in MA to register a vehicle in MA? This is unuasual as States usually do the opposite since vehicle registrations are a source of revenue.

Vermont recently restricted non resident registrations since people were registering vehicles in Vermont to take advantage of their reduced proof of ownership requirements for vintage vehicles, when the vehicles were never used in Vermont. I don’t know what happens if you actually go in person to the DMV in Vermont.

It’s not unusual. It’s the norm. That’s that allow it are unusual. States that Allow Nonresident Registration | Credit Karma

I didn’t realize so few States allow people with out of State driver’s licenses or residence to register vehicles. Obviously this is to prevent people from taking advantage of fewer restrictions that certain States have, even though it means lost revenue. Some States issue temporary registrations for people staying for an extended period.

Funny thing is, Massachusetts (MA) is one of the States in your list that does allow out of State residents to register vehicles in MA.

Contractor’s Fraudulent Registration Of Mass. Vehicles In NH Leads To Multiple Felony Charges | Agency Checklists

If I wanted to register a car in MA, then I’d have to pay MA sales tax. NH doesn’t have a sales tax.

To register a car in MA, you need a MA address for that car. Not sure how you do that if you don’t live there. Maybe a relative. Not sure it comes up often because of all the taxes and registration fees you’d have to pay in MA that are significantly higher then most other states.

               The [[[ SNOWMANS MOTTO ]]] don't let facts get in the way of nonsense.
2 Likes

When you 1st register your vehicle in TN, you have to register the vehicle in the county you live in, NOT the county you work in, you can not register a vehicle here in TN without showing 2 profs of residency… Most people that work in Nashville live in 1 or 2 county’s away… Nashville and all surrounding county’s used to have emissions testing, but 2 county’s over had NO testing… Now the county I’m in cost about $85.00 a year to get your tags, but 2 county’s away it only cost about $25.00 a year to get your tags, but again, unless you show prof of residency you can not register your vehicle there…

Meaning, you can not live in KY or any other state and register your vehicle in TN…

1 Like

Each state that mandates insurance has an insurance commission that sets the rules. States tax the vehicles registered in several ways and don’t want to see that money going elsewhere.

I have a feeling you’e NOT joking . . . :roll_eyes:

6 Likes

[quote=“db4690, post:53, topic:193921”]
I have a feeling you’e NOT joking .e[/quote]

Would the [[[ SNOWMAN ]]] even know a joke from nonsense?

1 Like

Actually there was a case a while back. Don’t know how it ended. A guy from out of state was parked in Boston I think for beyond 30 days. Neighbors or somebody reported him. Evidently staying over 30 days required registration in mass even though he lived elsewhere. The dmv wanted him to have two registrations. He fought it quite a bit and think they finally backed off but don’t remember the end. Sticky questions involving state reciprocity, residency, and hungry dmv officials. Don’t stay in mass more than thirty days or you can become a resident. Might have some tax implications too.

Minnesota tried that with snowbirds with some tax issues. Stemming somehow on pensions that were earned in the state regardless of current residency. There was a big hullabaloo that I think got changed but when they see money signs don’t expect common sense to resolve it.

We had a cabin on a border lake with Mn and sd. You could use either fishing license, but if you had a boat registered in Mn but at the cabin in sd, it was supposed to be hauled back over the line every 90 days, as I read the law. Guns were a different matter. Didn’t need a permit in sd but bring it to Mn was a different matter. Just nuts. Hand guns that is.

That is done with commercial vehicles. “Apportioned” license plates are displayed on vehicles that pay registration fees based on the amount of use in each state.

Let’s keep it simple for the common motorist; vehicle is registered in the state of residency.

3 Likes

Folks are actually risking a criminal felony charge for using out of state license plates? That’s interesting. .

The felony is when it is a commercial vehicle.

Had my WI boat in MN 15 years or so, never a problem, though neices hub got ticketed for casting off the dock without a fishing license,

It usually takes some busybody to report you. The authorities have no idea if it’s been 15 days or 15 years as long as the registrations are current.

The NE states are small and close together so there are a lot of reciprocity laws here. The big issue is the disparity in fees and taxes so there are lots of people looking to leverage the lowest cost state. When I lived in MA, you could find NH plates on a huge number of vehicles that obviously resided in MA. NH has lower fees and no sales tax. It got so ridiculous they started advertising an anonymous reporting scheme to help curtail it.

1 Like