If I go buy a car from a person.... can I drive it home the same day?

Question

Or will I have to wait to get insured.

Answer 1

You MUST have valid insurance to drive on public roads, if you don't have cover ask the seller to drive it to your house to complete the sale.

Answer 2

You don't have to get it insured before you buy it. If you buy it and get pulled over on your way home, just show the cop the title, and he will see that you just bought it and will let you go.

Answer 3

Legally, you should purchase the car, get the insurance and title transfer done before you drive it. If you got into an accident driving it home, or stopped for no plates it would mean a fine for no tags/insurance. Buy the car when you have time to do this before the DMV and insurance office closes. you can call your insurer to tell them you are purchasing a different car an see what they tell you.

I have purchased cars and motorcycles and driven them home without plates but its a risk.

Answer 4

I think you're supposed to leave it sit for a day. Then, stick a tooth pic in it. If it comes out clean, you can drive it. If not, stir in more cash. Seriously, if you have proper insurance, you should be covered to drive it for a few days without notifying the insurance company. This is to allow people to buy cars over the weekend or holidays. Ask your insurance agent and they'll tell you the same thing. If you want, you can call your agent on the phone while you're buying it and tell them right away if they're open. Just have your bill of sale with you. The police won't hassle you. It's not like they never heard of anyone buying a car before.

Answer 5

Sure, but in the event you are stopped or get into an accident, you will be ticketed for no insurance, perhaps for no tags depending on what they do with tags in your state, and in the event you lock your keys in your car you can't get it opened (since you can't prove ownership).

Best to take care of insurance before you pick up the car.  Just get the VIN from the seller and contact your agent to get it taken care of.  Then, once you pay for the car and get your signed title, if you do need to get plates you can go directly to the DMV and show the title and insurance card and take care of that.

Now you're safe and legal.

Answer 6

Have the car delivered to your home (accompanied by you of course), complete the insurance and registration formalities and then take it for a drive. That's when you fully own it.

Answer 7

tags and insurance would be smart and cheaper than a ticket

Answer 8

After you pay for it, lock the doors & take the keys so the previous owner won't get any bright ideas. Take the title over to the dmv & get it placed into your name, get tags while your there, & on the way back to pick up the car, stop by an insurance agency & get that taken care of. Now your completely legal to drive the car home.