Temporary tags in Mississippi

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I am seriously considering buying a car in the south and bringing it home. I am really considering one in Mississippi. But I have to get it home...my plan was to go down (probably on the train), and drive it back. Problem: tags. I cannot get plates here until I get the VIN checked. The dealer in Mississippi can't or won't give me a temporary tag. I no longer have access to a dealer plate.
frown.gif
Any ideas, or as I (as I expect) screwed?
 
Go to a different state. Rent a U-haul truck and trailer. Look for the cheap daily rate and bring a co-driver for that straight through run back home. Or bring your truck and trailer and do a round trip and take your time.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by sloinker
Go to a different state. Rent a U-haul truck and trailer. Look for the cheap daily rate and bring a co-driver for that straight through run back home. Or bring your truck and trailer and do a round trip and take your time.


I do not have a truck and haven't in years. Renting a truck and trailer will cost ~$1000. (I could probably have it shipped for that.)

Originally Posted by oldhp
Contact your DMV see what they have to say. Doesn't sound right that you have to buy 2 plates.


The only temporary tag I can get here is only valid for 5 days. That's not enough time to get to Mississippi, get the car, and get home.
 
Originally Posted by Jarlaxle


Originally Posted by oldhp
Contact your DMV see what they have to say. Doesn't sound right that you have to buy 2 plates.


The only temporary tag I can get here is only valid for 5 days. That's not enough time to get to Mississippi, get the car, and get home.


If you fly down to get it you don't have time to drive back?


Maybe then it's time to buy new and local.
 
Last time I bought a car out of state, it took two trips. One to check the car out and buy it. Then went back home, registered it and picked up plates. Then went back with the plates and drove it home. I just don't see how you get away with not doing two trips aside from buying it sight unseen and having all the paperwork done in advance so you can go to the registry and get plates and then just do one trip to pick it up.
 
Originally Posted by Wolf359
Last time I bought a car out of state, it took two trips. One to check the car out and buy it. Then went back home, registered it and picked up plates. Then went back with the plates and drove it home. I just don't see how you get away with not doing two trips aside from buying it sight unseen and having all the paperwork done in advance so you can go to the registry and get plates and then just do one trip to pick it up.


I cannot get plates here unless and until I get the VIN checked. I cannot register it here until the car is here.
 
Originally Posted by JLTD
Originally Posted by Jarlaxle


Originally Posted by oldhp
Contact your DMV see what they have to say. Doesn't sound right that you have to buy 2 plates.


The only temporary tag I can get here is only valid for 5 days. That's not enough time to get to Mississippi, get the car, and get home.


If you fly down to get it you don't have time to drive back?

Maybe then it's time to buy new and local.


Gee, thanks. That was quite helpful. Thank you so much!
 
You can get one from the MS DMV. It's called a "Temporary Drive Out Tag" and it's good for 7 days. A reputable dealer will be able to give you one.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by Jarlaxle
Originally Posted by JLTD
Originally Posted by Jarlaxle


Originally Posted by oldhp
Contact your DMV see what they have to say. Doesn't sound right that you have to buy 2 plates.


The only temporary tag I can get here is only valid for 5 days. That's not enough time to get to Mississippi, get the car, and get home.


If you fly down to get it you don't have time to drive back?

Maybe then it's time to buy new and local.


Gee, thanks. That was quite helpful. Thank you so much!


Calm down, don't get your axles in a twist. Use that barge in your signature as a tow rig. Get a tow bar and harken back to yesteryear and transportation solutions of your parents.
 
Go to Florida then.  They issue a temp plate for a month.  Find a dealer (or two) with a couple of cars you like in case one of your choices falls through. Look at their website first and make a couple of selections. When there, examine the title and throw a code reader to  check for stored codes. Taking  a train is ridiculous unless you have nothing but time on your hands because flying is so cheap these days and going  down twice is completely unnecessary if  you do your research on the dealer (web and call). Lastly, have fun with this and make  a great vacation out of it.

Where are you in "New England"? It would be helpful to know unless of course you are in a witness protection program.
 
Originally Posted by Nayov
Where are you in "New England"? It would be helpful to know unless of course you are in a witness protection program.

I'm guessing MA where they don't "do" temp plates. From what I can read, as a non-resident I can drive through MA with a temp plate, but dealers are not allowed to issue temp plates to MA residents.
 
Originally Posted by Jarlaxle
Originally Posted by Wolf359
Last time I bought a car out of state, it took two trips. One to check the car out and buy it. Then went back home, registered it and picked up plates. Then went back with the plates and drove it home. I just don't see how you get away with not doing two trips aside from buying it sight unseen and having all the paperwork done in advance so you can go to the registry and get plates and then just do one trip to pick it up.


I cannot get plates here unless and until I get the VIN checked. I cannot register it here until the car is here.


Can't ANY police station or DMV in Miss. do that? Or does it have to be YOUR state? And why are you going so far. You can find rust free cars in Virginia, Delaware, Carolinas and you can hop on a Greyhound to pick up.
 
Originally Posted by CARJ
You can get one from the MS DMV. It's called a "Temporary Drive Out Tag" and it's good for 7 days. A reputable dealer will be able to give you one.


Yet again, from the first post: the dealer cannot or will not provide one.

Originally Posted by Nayov
Go to Florida then.  They issue a temp plate for a month.  Find a dealer (or two) with a couple of cars you like in case one of your choices falls through. Look at their website first and make a couple of selections. When there, examine the title and throw a code reader to  check for stored codes. Taking  a train is ridiculous unless you have nothing but time on your hands because flying is so cheap these days and going  down twice is completely unnecessary if  you do your research on the dealer (web and call). Lastly, have fun with this and make  a great vacation out of it.

Where are you in "New England"? It would be helpful to know unless of course you are in a witness protection program.


I'm in RI now. The car (an extremely difficult model and option list to find) is in Mississippi. I will ship myself LTL freight before I would fly.

Originally Posted by atikovi
Originally Posted by Jarlaxle
Originally Posted by Wolf359
Last time I bought a car out of state, it took two trips. One to check the car out and buy it. Then went back home, registered it and picked up plates. Then went back with the plates and drove it home. I just don't see how you get away with not doing two trips aside from buying it sight unseen and having all the paperwork done in advance so you can go to the registry and get plates and then just do one trip to pick it up.


I cannot get plates here unless and until I get the VIN checked. I cannot register it here until the car is here.


Can't ANY police station or DMV in Miss. do that? Or does it have to be YOUR state? And why are you going so far. You can find rust free cars in Virginia, Delaware, Carolinas and you can hop on a Greyhound to pick up.


The VIN check must be done in this state by the police. I am going to Mississippi because the car I am looking for is in Mississippi.
 
Stop by a large notary office in your location and talk to them, and phone a notary in the state your are going to be buying the vehicle from. Verify that a notary near where you will be buying the vehicle will issue the temporary plate and after you buy the vehicle go to that notary (pay attention to what days of the week and hours they are open) and get the temporary plate and take it to the vehicle so you can drive it home.
 
Also get things straight with your insurance company so you can call them to give them the VIN so the vehicle is insured so the notary will issue the temporary palate.
 
Originally Posted by JimPghPA
Stop by a large notary office in your location and talk to them, and phone a notary in the state your are going to be buying the vehicle from. Verify that a notary near where you will be buying the vehicle will issue the temporary plate and after you buy the vehicle go to that notary (pay attention to what days of the week and hours they are open) and get the temporary plate and take it to the vehicle so you can drive it home.

Wait...what? A notary cannot issue a temporary tag.
 
Depends make,model,year etc as I bought one from Mississippi then come to find out it was a truck with a lean that Mississippi washed title but La. caught it. It was such a mess I traded it in at a dealership that a salesman wanted truck and claimed he could straighten it out. Miss that truck ☹ï¸
I went to used car lot and bought K Car for wife 20 years later drove out with tags registered to me in Louisiana. Point is s dealership will register it in the state you live if not they will get you a tag so you can drive home. Call insurance company and insure before you leave
 
Originally Posted by tiger862
Depends make,model,year etc as I bought one from Mississippi then come to find out it was a truck with a lean that Mississippi washed title but La. caught it. It was such a mess I traded it in at a dealership that a salesman wanted truck and claimed he could straighten it out. Miss that truck ☹ï¸
I went to used car lot and bought K Car for wife 20 years later drove out with tags registered to me in Louisiana. Point is s dealership will register it in the state you live if not they will get you a tag so you can drive home. Call insurance company and insure before you leave


Yet again...third time: dealer can't or won't get a temp tag.
 
Originally Posted by JimPghPA
Stop by a large notary office in your location and talk to them, and phone a notary in the state your are going to be buying the vehicle from. Verify that a notary near where you will be buying the vehicle will issue the temporary plate and after you buy the vehicle go to that notary (pay attention to what days of the week and hours they are open) and get the temporary plate and take it to the vehicle so you can drive it home.


That won't work in Mississippi like it does in PA. I lived in Mississippi for several years and tags and registrations are issued at the tax assessors office in whatever county you lived in, usually in the courthouse. There is no temp tags at any dealer as it is up to the buyer to register and tag a vehicle within 10 business days. (that and MS does not recognize any temp tag from any other state, you will be penalized)

To the OP, you might contact the tax assessor in the county you found the vehicle. They might be able to assist you and point you in the right direction rather than just speculation around here. Information on those "DMV" sites are vague at best. Be prepared to pay some ridiculous fees: MS likes to charge out the ying-yang for anything automotive.
 
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