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I need your help! I bought a car and went to go get it registered. However, I didn't realize that both the buyer and the seller must be present at the DMV to transfer to title and registration. Apparently neither did the person that sold me the car because they have left island. Now I am stuck at the DMV with them saying I cannot register my car with out a copy of the sellers driver's license. Has anybody experienced this same problem? Any idea's on how to get around it? Anything advice helps!
I haven't experienced it but nothing surprises me at the BMV anymore (my pet peeve is them trying to force me into their preferred list of insurers when I have coverage from U.S. that covers me here and they can offer no logic as to why they're trying to make me switch for much higher costs.)
Are you able to contact the seller? If so then they can probably fax/scan to email and send you a copy of the license you can print out here and bring in (I'd be surprised if the BMV doesn't then insist you get it notarized though.) If you aren't able to contact the seller I'm not sure what you would do. I would suggest bringing a copy of Bill of Sale to them and if they won't take it you may then have to speak to a lawyer for options.
For what it's worth - if they won't take what paperwork you can give them you may well find you can luck out by coming back at a time when a different person is working the window (don't ask me how I know 😀 )
When I was in there the other day for something else, I asked them about the procedure and they gave me a copy of "the procedure for transferring a vehicle."
I quote:
Reg and Title must be signed by both seller and buyer and both notarized.
Copies of both seller and buyer's photo ID must be presented. (nothing about out of state license or whatever)
If vehicle reg is still valid, current plates and sticker must be turned in before to get reg stamped cancelled. And all tickets paid off.
Buy must have (proof of) insurance on new vehicle.
It also adds that if prev owner is deceased, you must have letter from probate with administrator's name OR a notarized letter from "the attorney if it is not worth going to probate."
"No exceptions."
Just went through this.
Paid for the vehicle and the travelling notary came to us. Seller paid her. I don't have her contact. She was 30 minutes late...but that's considered on time here.
Received the signed and notorized title and registration from the seller as well as a copy of his identification and biz licence since the vehicle was in a biz name.
I also had the old plates and registration sticker with me.
Left the vehicle to go get insurance card.
Went back for the vehicle with proof of ins.
Went to DMV "window 2", turned in plates, registration sticker, registration, and title. Also MUST have proof of ins.
Was told to go out and have the inspection done then return to window 2 with that signed form.
Then you wait for your number to be called. And wait............and wait...................................2 hrs later they called the number to window 6. Walked out with new paltes, sticker, and title.
All day ordeal!
I generally use an "expediter" for renewals but wanted to see this through personally for some reason. What was I thinking??
Yeah, this is one governmental side-cut that is appreciated, I sold my wrecked vehicle to an autobody shop and bought a used car from a local dealer, both times I had the opposite party deal with the BMV and I had all my papers given to me in a timely fashion for a nominal fee..The one time I went to transfer title from my own stateside car I ended up with a title with a non-existant model name and my last name spelled wrong, two trips later and a headache I finally got it straightend out.
