using privately bought vehicle before registering

[injb]

Not sure how this works in Indiana...I just bought a motorcycle, and I brought the old title to work today with the intent of going to the BMV after work, but they're closed. Can I legally drive on the street before I've registered it? The BMV website says I have 31 days to do it, but it doesn't actually say that I can use it during that time. If I had the title with me as proof of ownership, would that be ok?

 

[SSGSAD]

Not sure how this works in Indiana...I just bought a motorcycle, and I brought the old title to work today with the intent of going to the BMV after work, but they're closed. Can I legally drive on the street before I've registered it? The BMV website says I have 31 days to do it, but it doesn't actually say that I can use it during that time. If I had the title with me as proof of ownership, would that be ok?

AFAIK, IANAL, if you have plated it , YES .....

I am sure one of our motorcycle guys will be here any minute ..... or LEO .....

 

[injb]

AFAIK, IANAL, if you have plated it , YES .....

I am sure one of our motorcycle guys will be here any minute ..... or LEO .....

I have no plates - the previous owner kept the old ones. I presume I get my new plates after I register it.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I'm guessing if there's no plates, you'll get pulled over, if seen. Make sure you have your bill of sale and title.

 

[Harleyrider_50]

No plate?......I'd leave it park'd till ya had'em.....

 

[Leo]

That wait time is only when you buy from a dealer who gives a temporary plate. A Private party purchase makes it an unregestered vehicle, not to be operated on public roads. Do NOT be tempted to borrow a plate from a buddy. That will make WAY more problems than you want, including having the bike towed and impounded.

 

[HoughMade]

I say this in my capacity as a person who has bought many a vehicle from private parties....and in no other capacity.

Keep the bill of sale with you, make sure it is insured and ride for a day or so until you get to the BMV, but get there soon. Be advised that you will have to explain and produce the documents if you get pulled over. If you're out in a rural area and are unlikely to even see a cop, you are unlikely to get pulled over. If you are in a populated area crawling with them, it may be too much of a hassle to not just wait the day or so.

 

[HoughMade]

That wait time is only when you buy from a dealer who gives a temporary plate...

Citation please.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

No plate, no ride. Surely you can wait until 9am tomorrow to ride it without fear of getting stopped, ticketed, and towed.

 

[injb]

Yep if there is a risk of ticketing or towing then I won't be doing it, just wanted to know that for sure. Thanks for the info everyone

 

[Leo]

Citation please.

Call the police department of your choice. They will tell you that you cannot operate it on public roads until you have it registered. A motor vehicle dealer gives you a tempory registration. Paid the ticket for operating otherwise. Had to pay towing and recover a bike with an improper plate. Not too hard to understand. Not uncharted legal territory.

 

[ghuns]

Call the police department of your choice. They will tell you that you cannot operate it on public roads until you have it registered. A motor vehicle dealer gives you a tempory registration. Paid the ticket for operating otherwise. Had to pay towing and recover a bike with an improper plate. Not too hard to understand. Not uncharted legal territory.

So when buying from a private party, the only options you have to keep from breaking the law are: leave car with previous owner until you plate it, or tow/trailer it home?

Not nitpicking, but what if you buy out of state and have to take it to a local PD to have them do whatever they do so you can title it in Indiana? Trailer it there too?

 

[eldirector]

If folks want the IC:
Indiana Code 2015 - Indiana General Assembly, 2015 Session

Specifically:
Indiana Code 2015 - Indiana General Assembly, 2015 Session

Gotta be registered to operate on the road, and there doesn't appear to be a grace period.

 

[joncon]

I have bought and driven back two trucks from Phoenix over the years and have used my plates. Both times I was stopped by police on the way home. In East St Louis by Ill. State police for 60 in a 55, ( go figure ) and in Amarillo by Tex. state police for loud mufflers. Received a warning ticket in St Louis and was told I could've gotten a paper from the AZ license branch to make it OK to drive it on my plates, not sure what paper he meant. In Texas when I informed him I'd just bought it and was taking it home to IN, he just said have a nice trip and let me go. I also was told this year by my local license branch it was legal to use my plates for 31 days if the vehicle the plate came from had been sold or traded for the vehicle I now had. If you don't have a motorcycle plate to put on it you're pretty much out of luck until you get to the license branch.
Indiana Code I.C. 9-18-6-5 Sections a,b & c states you have 31 days and must have bill of origin or title with you at all times while operating current vehicle.

 

[jkaetz]

Can you drive/ride a private purchase, yep. Will it be a hassle, yep. Will you get ticketed/towed, probably depends on the circumstances and the LEO who stops you.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

Can you drive/ride a private purchase, yep. Will it be a hassle, yep. Will you get ticketed/towed, probably depends on the circumstances and the LEO who stops you.

If I stop you and you have a plate on the vehicle that isn't registered to the vehicle but have a title (filled out correctly and signed) or bill of sale showing you bought it within the last 31 days, I won't cite you or tow the vehicle. If you are out just driving around without a plate, here's your ticket and the address for the impound lot.

 

[injb]

If I stop you and you have a plate on the vehicle that isn't registered to the vehicle but have a title (filled out correctly and signed) or bill of sale showing you bought it within the last 31 days, I won't cite you or tow the vehicle. If you are out just driving around without a plate, here's your ticket and the address for the impound lot.

I don't quite get this - how does one get a plate that isn't registered to the vehicle?

 

[Brandon]

Plate off a second vehicle/friends car. If you had a car and sold it but kept the plate and use it on a new car you bought privately.

 

[injb]

So it's worse to drive with no plates than it is to pretend your vehicle is a different vehicle? Lol...it never would have entered my head to use plates from another vehicle. I just assumed that would be a more serious crime.

 

[SSGSAD]

So it's worse to drive with no plates than it is to pretend your vehicle is a different vehicle? Lol...it never would have entered my head to use plates from another vehicle. I just assumed that would be a more serious crime.

I would think, it would have to be a plate for a bike ..... JMHO .....