Im an ohioian, living in SC..
In Ohio, to register a vehicle, you get the seller to sign and notarize his section of the old title and take that to the OBMV to get a temp tag, then drive on that to get the car inspected, (smogged, if your in one of the few counties that requires it) and sign a form stating i had insurance on the car.
You pay sales tax based on a percentage set by the county you live in of the sales price you pay for the car. Your tag fees depend on what kind of plates you get. (Passenger, truck, disabed, etc) You don't even think of setting foot on a public highway without tags on the car... doing so, can get you a hefty ticket and the car impounded.
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Now on to SC. My last 4 cars were perchased in SC, and only one was bought from a dealer, who got the tag and title work done for me. I got a 'dealer' tag which was noithing more than a piece of laminated cardboard with the dealer name and address on it. Getting stopped meant you had to show proof of insurance, and show a bill of sale.
Temporary tags are seldom if ever issued...
When I bought my Malibu, I bought from a private seller in NC, who just happened to be a local cop. When I asked him about tags, he said, just go on, and take it easy, if anyone asks, just show em my bill of sale and my business card, you'll be fine... YEAH RIGHT...
Stopped at the SCDMV with the handwritten bill of sale which included date of sale, VIN number, miles, description, and name, address and phone number of both buyers seller and witness. was immediately turned away saying I needed the 'State Bill of sale" form filled out and notarized. Asked then for a temp tag, and they refused saying they couldnt do anything until the bill of sale was returned. a Sent that back to my sellers and waited 3 weeks for him to return it.
on the next trip with the notarized bill of sale form in hand, I drove my truck into town and left the malibu at the house... got to the SCDMV, and was told they needed the car there, so that they could do a 'VIN VALIDATION'. Went home, got the malibu, and drove back into town, only to get pulled over on the same block as the DMV for not having plates... When I explained what was going on, the cop laughed and explained it was a $237.50 ticket for not having plates... I said, well if you want people to not run without tags then stop making it so hard to get a car registered... He gave me a warning.
When I got back the the counter on this trip, now, they are starting to laugh at me, She askes me if I have paid sales tax on the car yet.. I say how can I pay sales taxes on something that isnt even in my name yet? I got turned away AGAIN and still no plates or title.
I get back in the malibu and dont make it a mile before i get pulled over again by another cop for the same reason, no tags.. he wastes another 20 minutes explaing to me thats just how things is done, and it aint up to him what happens but if i want to drive a car in this state I neeeds to pay taxes and gets tags, and I keep trying to tell him, that's all ive been trying to do... he warns me again, and lets me go...
I make it to county courthouse, and pay the taxes, without getting stopped, then back to the DMV which at this point, is about 30 minutes to close.. I barely get in the door when they are already locking up...
wow... After all of this, she finally smiles, charges me $187.50, for tags taxes and title feees, and gives me a new plate and sticker...
After all this, I still got pulled over on the way home, again by the first cop, "just to make sure" i had everything in order...
Man I hate south carolina...