I want to sell my Honda Civic Hybrid 2007, regsitered in CA to my sister in New Jersey. I vaguely remember hearing that cars sold in CA meet certain emissions requirements that make them more expensive, and due to that, it is illegal to sell them second hand to someone in another state. IS this true? What about for a Hyundai Santa Fe 2007?
No, it’s not true. Cars are bought and sold across state lines, including CA, every day.
To the best of my knowledge both Honda and Hyundai build their cars to meet the emissions requirements of all 50 states.
Emissions testing varies from state to state, but if the car passes in CA I’m sure it will pass in NJ.
The Santa Fe does not have optional emissions systems, so it must be 50 state legal. The Civic hybrid had no manufacturer optional equipment at all, so it is also be 50 state legal.
Sell. You will hear all sorts of things about emissions that are really crazy.
thank you for your replies.
So nobody heard of that case where the guy who sold his CA car out of state was billed for some crazy charge?
Do I need to collect and pay tax on this?
Nope, never heard of anyone paying a crazy charge for selling a car out of state.
Contact the California motor vehicle bureau, or whatever they call it. They will have answers about transferring the title and any taxes due on the sale.
Usually it’s the buyer’s responsibility to pay sales tax. Your sister should ask the authorities in NJ about this, too, since they may want to collect sales tax on a vehicle brought into the state.
How are you planning to get the car, or cars, from CA to NJ?
She’ll drive it back.
Interesting fact- on the CA DMV website, it says it is “unofficial” information concerning the tax on a sale of a car. I guess they have the details on transferring title, and such, but the tax laws come from a hgigher authority.
I have purchased 3 cars out of California and aside from having to pay state sales tax (Utah) each time everything else was routine–nothing shady or illegal about it. (I also purchased a car from my brother in Arizona and again had to pay the Utah sales tax.)
New Jersey may have different rules for sales taxes, but the Utah DMV told me that if at any time in the past someone else had paid the Utah sales tax on the car I wouldn’t have had to–but because no one had tough luck (and it did cost a bit).
Thanks for that update.
has anyone heard that if you sell a car to an immediate relative that they don’t have to pay the tax?
I suppose that would vary from state to state.
All your information seems to be false. Be sure to mail your disclaimer that it attached to the title.
That was true for me. I live in Georgia and purchased a car from my sister-in-law who lives in Florida. The clerk at the tag office started to charge me the sales tax and I reminded her I didn’t buy it from a dealer and she agreed that I didn’t have to pay the sales tax.