Fly-and-drive question regarding license plates

I'm about to fly out to Rhode Island on Friday and drive home in a 2005 GTO. Since I don't officially own the vehicle yet (don't have the title), the state of Michigan won't give me a plate. They told me to check with Rhode Island and see if they do temporary "drive away" permits, but it doesn't look like they do.

Now, granted, I can just keep the seller's old plate on until I get home and send it back to him, or take a plate with me, but I have to think there's some legal way of doing this. Main reason I care is that the shortest way home is through Canada, and I don't want to run into any issues at the border crossings if the car, the plate, and myself don't match.

So, those have you that have done this kind of thing, what did you do?

Borrow a shops "In transit repair" plates?

I've done a couple things here.

At least once I flew out w/ a current plate from another vehicle. Maybe not ideal, but I figured it would eliminate getting pulled over for not having a plate, and I could attempt to explain the situation if I got pulled over for something else.

On several occasions I've mailed the plate on the car back to the owner after I got home. This is what I'd actually recommend.

And once I just took a piece of paper, wrote something like "Purchased [today's date]" on it and taped it in the back window.

I've never been pulled over or had a problem while on any of these trips.

Michigan won't issue any sort of temporary plate? They have to have a solution for this. At the very least, carry a bill of sale and the old title and a valid current insurance in your name.
Texas issues a point to point tag for just this situation if you have valid insurance and a VIN.

This is exactly what I got from Michigan:

Mr. Spangler, Thank you for using the Department of State's web site. You will not be able to register your vehicle in MI until you present the title. You should check with the state of RI to see if they offer a temporary drive-a-way permit. If you have other questions, feel free to contact us at 888 SOSMICH (888-767-6424). Sincerely, R. Baker Department of State Information Center

In other words, no title, no plate. RI isn't any better, either.

I would go talk to a real person at the Secretary of State office. Tell them exactly what you're doing. It sometimes surprises me how many different answers there are to questions.

I say that because you're not actually trying to register it, just drive it home legally. Different situation than what they replied to and there may be a possible solution.

I know in MO (was just told a few days ago but the officer that pulled me over) You can swap a plate you own onto a new vehicle and you have 7 days to register that plate to that car. However, I don't see any reason why you can't use a current plate you own and then when you get back, just put a new plate on the GTO and put your old plate back. I think that would be better.

photocopy bill of sale and title (front and back signed over into your name) into the back window and drive it home

Just an FYI, Massachusetts does not recognize paper plates as valid, particularly from other states. They will pull you over and not let you drive away.

You may want to drive back through CT.

Such a tough situation. I've never done it across multi-state. It's hard to do, even just inside Florida.

I would avoid driving with no plate. I got pulled over trying that in NC once. The cop was NOT happy.

Looks like Rhode Island only issues temporary (5 day) plates to state residents and not to those leaving; further, the owner is supposed to keep the plates and give you a Bill of Sale and the signed title. Just keep both on your person, have printed proof of insurance with the new car's VIN, and head straight home.

A lot of other states are the same way (cough Iowa cough). You don't need plates, but if you get pulled over, you better have proof that you bought it within 30 days. They don't target cars without plates; just jackass/speeding drivers (the usual).

If Michigan doesn't give temp plates until you have title in hand, you're in the clear, the whole constitutional right to interstate commerce and all. Just say "I'm headed straight to the Michigan DMV."

I know the Canadian border can run a stupid fast check of the plates. I used to go to school there and their cameras would grab my plates when crossing and I got the super extra good talking to. It was as quick as "hello, please pull over to that door". You may end up losing as much time at the border as you gain by taking the shortcut.

In Michigan you're legal to drive a freshly purchased car straight home without plates/regs/insurance(though you should be able to call your insurance co with the VIN and get the proof emailed to you). If RI has similar laws and wont issue a 3 day tag, I'd think reciprocation laws would keep you legal on the trip. The police will be far more concerned about insurance anyways. IDK about the border though, I'd stay in the US, I just kinda automatically expect trouble with those guys, especially reentering the states.

Been there done that with my bus. Guy sold it from Michigan but neglected to mention he had just moved from Colorado where the bus was still registered. The Dmv would not budge and I wasted a day of valuable travel time trying to figure it out. The owner had been paid by then and left me and the bus at the flint DMV and went home. The official answer was that I should low bed it to Colorado and get a permit there. Right. For a 34000 pound motor coach. So I hung some bicycles strategically over the plate holder and hit the road. Dropped into a little town in Colorado and had my permit in 5 minutes from the courthouse. Ironically, when I got home I realized that I had put the permit on the inside of the smoked glass window and it could not be seen anyway. I should point out that I did have insurance which I bought in bc before I left.

The "drive without a plate" option seems to be a "safe" bet for travel within the US.

I remember this story: http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/19/2-guys-an-audi-s4-blue-tape-and-the-coolest-road-trip-ever/

The VWVortex thread seems to be messed up due to formatting, though.

I just got my car home from Detroit last Fall. It was a fly and drive just like you are proposing. Michigan gives residents three days to drive the car around without a plate until you can get the title taken care of, so the law makes sense there. Since Maryland would not give me temporary tags, I may or may not have just driven the car home with the seller's plate and then mailed it back that Monday.

Can you avoid Canada and just take I-80 through PA and enjoy the LOOOONG ride home?

I think most states follow the 3 days rule (meaning you have 3 days after purchase to drive without plates before you must register). I know colorado is like that, sounds like others are as well.

No idea about canada.

i don't have much to add, other than to say that here in MN the plates stay with the car so these things are never an issue with cars that are registered here..

Datsun1500 wrote: In reply to confuZion3: And that Maryland seller took a huge risk. He can't cancel the insurance until the DMV has the plates or it's a $150 fine on the first day, and $7 a day after the 30th. If you did not return the plates he would have to keep insurance on the car until they expired. Even if he proved you registered it in another place, he's on the hook.

I drove from Michigan to Maryland. Maryland is very strict about your insurance though, that's for sure. I just dealt with that issue last week.

Datsun1500 wrote: You are better off with no plates then plates from a different car.No plates, with a bill of sale is easily explained. Plates registered to another car is a crime.

Agreed, 2nd degree misdemeanor in Florida I believe. I made that mistake once, luckily the officer said he can rip the tag off the trailer and place it in my back seat and instead write me a ticket for not having a tag.

No used car lot people that will fake you a 15 day paper temp tag? Or use their dealer plate?

Just do a screwdriver transfer and don't get pulled over.

Someone did tell me you could put an "in transit" sign in the back window and run with that to your destination.

I wouldn't advise bringing it up here with no plates. Stay in the U.S.

I asked this same question a couple of months ago. I was looking at a Subaru in Maryland. The owner informed me right up front that there was no way he would let me use his plates. I was told to drive it without them. Deal ended up not happening.

Had I done so, I would have brought my ON plates and stopped before the border and put them on. The car happened to be a silver 2002 Subaru which is the same as my car.