using privately bought vehicle before registering

[Frank_N_Stein]

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.

If you purchase a vehicle, you have a 31 day grace period to transfer the plates to the "new" vehicle. By not having a plate on the vehicle you are negating that grace period.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

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

Well, yeah.

 

[injb]

If you purchase a vehicle, you have a 31 day grace period to transfer the plates to the "new" vehicle. By not having a plate on the vehicle you are negating that grace period.

OK thanks...I guess I don't really understand any of this as well as I thought. What plates would you transfer to the new vehicle? I thought you had to get new plates for the newly acquired vehicle. In my case it doesn't matter as I now have a temporary plate and temporary registration for the bike, but I would like to understand it more if anyone can explain.

I'm not originally from the US, but where I'm from the plate identifies the car and owner to the police, so to my mind putting the plates of a different vehicle on there is a bit like showing the police someone else's driver's license. I would expect more lenient treatment if I was honest and admitted I simply didn't have one.

 

[Donnelly]

Ok Frank, hoping to pick your brain one more time. We are thinking of buying a Ford F150 from a private seller. Can I simply take the plate off my Ford Fusion and leave it parked at the curb in front of my house while I put the car plate on the truck to drive it home? Once the truck is home one vehicle (probably the truck) will be left unplated for a day or two until we can get to the license branch. Is the truck legal as long as it's not moved until plated?

 

[Hoosier8]

From DMV.org

Vehicles Purchased from a Private Party

If you are buying from a private individual, you will need to do the paperwork and register the vehicle yourself. You may do so:

Online, if your vehicle was purchased within the last 45 days AND your title application has already been submitted.
OR
In person, if you purchased your vehicle over 45 days ago.

You may also title your vehicle by mail.

Indiana Car Registration Guide - Renewals, Online & Mail Options, Forms, & Fees | DMV.org

 

[RobbyMaQ]

I don't do motorcycles. But if I did, I would outrun the cops. And I gather it'd be way easier on a bike when compared to a boat, tank, or rascal!

 

[eldirector]

The law assumes you are selling an old vehicle, keeping the old plate, and putting said plate on a NEW vehicle. Kinda like a "trade in".

The only mention of buying a new (or used) vehicle WITHOUT transferring plates, is that it must be registered to operate.

So.. bring a trailer. Or roll the dice.

Maybe slap an INGO sticker on it?

 

[churchmouse]

MC endorsement on your license.
You have to have one in Indiana.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

Ok Frank, hoping to pick your brain one more time. We are thinking of buying a Ford F150 from a private seller. Can I simply take the plate off my Ford Fusion and leave it parked at the curb in front of my house while I put the car plate on the truck to drive it home? Once the truck is home one vehicle (probably the truck) will be left unplated for a day or two until we can get to the license branch. Is the truck legal as long as it's not moved until plated?

I will have to research it, but I don't believe a car plate can be put on a truck.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I will have to research it, but I don't believe a car plate can be put on a truck.

I had one of those "In God We Trust" plates on my truck for years...or were they somehow numbered differently to designate it was on a truck?

 

[Brandon]

I have a custom plate on my truck, In God We Trust - no TK as a normal truck plate would have.

 

[mom45]

You can have a car plate on an SUV but not a pickup truck. My suburban has a car plate because the title says it has a "station wagon" body. It is an older (1989) one so I don't know if the newer models are described that way on the title.

We have never put any kind of plate on a vehicle purchased from a private party to drive it home. We make sure we have the appropriate paperwork with us in case we are stopped but it has never been an issue.

 

[churchmouse]

You can have a car plate on an SUV but not a pickup truck. My suburban has a car plate because the title says it has a "station wagon" body. It is an older (1989) one so I don't know if the newer models are described that way on the title.

We have never put any kind of plate on a vehicle purchased from a private party to drive it home. We make sure we have the appropriate paperwork with us in case we are stopped but it has never been an issue.

Our van appears to have a standard car plate on it but the Pick up has a truck plate as there is an extra tax involved.
Of course, our BMV system is so totally screwed who knows.

 

[mom45]

Our van appears to have a standard car plate on it but the Pick up has a truck plate as there is an extra tax involved.
Of course, our BMV system is so totally screwed who knows.

I believe a van can have a car plate since it is a "passenger vehicle" rather than a truck.

 

[churchmouse]

I believe a van can have a car plate since it is a "passenger vehicle" rather than a truck.

Custom Van.......only hauls butts not cargo.

 

[mom45]

Custom Van.......only hauls butts not cargo.

Yep...I had one of those several years ago.

 

[churchmouse]

Yep...I had one of those several years ago.

We have had a few and the spouse loves them.

Happy partner you know the rest.

 

[mom45]

We have had a few and the spouse loves them.

Happy partner you know the rest.

 

[Hogwylde]

I have a car plate on my pickup truck. Specialty plates are allowed on any vehicle.....car/truck/suv/van/RV. Indiana Veterans plate. Doesn't look like a truck plate at all.
https://secure.in.gov/bmv/3040.htm

"Vehicle Types
You may display this plate on passenger cars, trucks up to 11,000 pounds, motorcycles, and recreational vehicles."

 

[Donnelly]

So it appears to me that if one were to buy a truck from a private party seller that you would have to go to the BMV to procure a temporary tag after providing funds to the seller before you could even move it away from the seller's property, if you wanted to stay strictly within the law. That sounds rather dumb. Actually, it's probably dumb enough to be what the actual law says.