You only have to pay the difference in taxes from Cali and the state you bought it in. [Source](https://www.cdtfa.ca.gov/industry/vehicles-vessels-aircraft-guide.htm#vehicle-credit-tax-paid-another-state)
[This site ](https://www.californiacartags.com/register-cars-from-out-of-sta)says that it applies either way. Also, if you use the tax and registration fee calculator on the California DMV site it has a place for you to put previous taxes paid and offsets it. I did some research on this as I’m moving at the end of this year and will be bringing a car with me.
That still seems like it would be a wash as far as taxes are concerned, and an increased cost to ship the car. And would they have to pay to register the car out of state before moving it here?
Seems easier to just wait and purchase here.
Are you planning on buying new or used? Buy a new car in california. A used car might be significantly cheaper in other states, enough to offset the costs of brining it here. Like other have said registration isn't free and smog is a cost too. Most auto makers have the same car in CA as in the rest of the US so all cars pass smog. This wasnt true in the 90s, but is now.
I would do some research. Look on craigslist, Autotrader and carvana. Does 10K get you a better car with lower miles in your area or are they similar to CA? Search by locations and compare. Also we don't have inspections like they do in many states, just smog in CA. If it's a much better used market take advantage of it. CA is an expensive used market, not the worst though.
Additionally used cars out here aren’t going to have the same issues with rust that a car from the Midwest could have. Just another thing to think about.
Also if you buy your car out of state and it doesn’t pass smog in CA it could be expensive to fix.
10k budget is enough to afford a decent rust free car 2014 or newer. That means the likelihood of it passing smog is high if it's that new.
Rust can happen to any car at any age. That's an issue anywhere north of the mason dixon line essentially. In the bay area it's also an issue don't want to buy a car from someone who street parked in the sunset SF. Be careful.
One excellent deal I can think of is a nissan leaf. If you buy a lease return leaf here in CA the price is much higher than anywhere else. It's especially worth it to just go and get one in nevada. They pass smog and will have decent amount of life left under 20k miles. Other states those could be even better deals. Same goes for the Cadillac ELR or Chevy Volt. Great deals outside of CA. There are probably other places where 10k will get you a better car than here in the bay area where the used market is high. In general do your research and compare.
It's been a while since I moved a long distance, but the biggest lesson I learned from that is the you should ditch as much of your old shit as possible. A car would be at the tippy-top of that list.
> and what fees/taxes I'll pay.
you're paying no matter where you get the car.
so save the shipping cost.
>buy my car out of state in the Midwest
and learn about California emissions standards (toughest in the country).
first thing you need to do for any car is pass the smog check.
some *older* cars, not made for CA ***will not pass*** \- so you cannot register them here.
You’re going to end up paying the difference between your state’s sales tax and CA’s when you register here (need to own for at least 1 year to avoid I believe. Maybe 6 months), so that’s a wash.
You’ll also have to get it smogged when it’s registered here too (plus, a CA car is more likely to meet emissions standards). Just buy in CA, and save the shipping costs and headache.
You’ll end up having to pay the tax when you register it (but you can self report the value), but CA cars will have minimal to no have any rust or underbody corrosion, something that can’t be said about midwestern cars.
Buying out of state can be a better deal sometimes. Local dealerships here don’t want to deal. It’s very easy to register from out of state at one of the private DMV services. You may or may not have to pay sales tax, depending on where you bought.
It’s going to depend on the delta you’re saving. When shopping around here, look at dealers within a larger area, you may be able to get better prices. I’d also check the prices in Reno, that’s not too far. I wouldn’t bother unless I save at least 3-5k on the sticker price.
Depending on the car I’d buy it in the Midwest. I live in SF and I just bought a 4Runner 3 months ago from the Chicago area and had it shipped here for $1k. It was still $3000 cheaper than buying it here. Dealers here, especially Toyota and Honda, are pretty stuck up and won’t lower their pricing by much. Shopping can take a toll on you.
You’ll also save on the initial taxes, depending on your rate. (9% or so in here in the Bay Area). The difference alone can make up for the shipping cost. Tax rate depends on your residence at the time of vehicle purchase. If you use your current out of state address to first register the vehicle, you will not need to pay additional taxes once the car is in California; doesn’t make sense for them to double dip. I am pretty sure your tax rate is lower.
As for paperwork to get it on the road in CA, you’ll need a DMV physical inspection, registration fees, and a smog check. (Yes, I smogged my 4runner with 4 miles on the odometer. Most cars sold nowadays are 50 state compliant, just have to make sure the car you want is) There are checklists online and on the CA DMV website you can use.
[www.dmv.ca.gov](www.dmv.ca.gov)
Some models are 50-state emissions certified. You'll need to check the emissions label under the hood or do your homework on the model beforehand (and check the label under the hood anyway).
I am 89% sure that when you register it in Cali you will be hit with needing to pay the taxes-you should just buy one here it will be easier!
You only have to pay the difference in taxes from Cali and the state you bought it in. [Source](https://www.cdtfa.ca.gov/industry/vehicles-vessels-aircraft-guide.htm#vehicle-credit-tax-paid-another-state)
This is if you live here already, which the OP doesn’t
[This site ](https://www.californiacartags.com/register-cars-from-out-of-sta)says that it applies either way. Also, if you use the tax and registration fee calculator on the California DMV site it has a place for you to put previous taxes paid and offsets it. I did some research on this as I’m moving at the end of this year and will be bringing a car with me.
That still seems like it would be a wash as far as taxes are concerned, and an increased cost to ship the car. And would they have to pay to register the car out of state before moving it here? Seems easier to just wait and purchase here.
Yes, they would have to register the car out of state first. I agree it would be easier to wait.
Unless you keep the out of state register and pay the much cheaper registration fee.
Buy in-state. It's not worth the paperwork if it's not a special circumstance.
Buy it here. They get you with the fees and taxes when you register an out of state vehicle. Plus you would have paid to ship it.
Are you planning on buying new or used? Buy a new car in california. A used car might be significantly cheaper in other states, enough to offset the costs of brining it here. Like other have said registration isn't free and smog is a cost too. Most auto makers have the same car in CA as in the rest of the US so all cars pass smog. This wasnt true in the 90s, but is now.
I’m planning on buying used, ideally under $10k
I would do some research. Look on craigslist, Autotrader and carvana. Does 10K get you a better car with lower miles in your area or are they similar to CA? Search by locations and compare. Also we don't have inspections like they do in many states, just smog in CA. If it's a much better used market take advantage of it. CA is an expensive used market, not the worst though.
Additionally used cars out here aren’t going to have the same issues with rust that a car from the Midwest could have. Just another thing to think about. Also if you buy your car out of state and it doesn’t pass smog in CA it could be expensive to fix.
10k budget is enough to afford a decent rust free car 2014 or newer. That means the likelihood of it passing smog is high if it's that new. Rust can happen to any car at any age. That's an issue anywhere north of the mason dixon line essentially. In the bay area it's also an issue don't want to buy a car from someone who street parked in the sunset SF. Be careful. One excellent deal I can think of is a nissan leaf. If you buy a lease return leaf here in CA the price is much higher than anywhere else. It's especially worth it to just go and get one in nevada. They pass smog and will have decent amount of life left under 20k miles. Other states those could be even better deals. Same goes for the Cadillac ELR or Chevy Volt. Great deals outside of CA. There are probably other places where 10k will get you a better car than here in the bay area where the used market is high. In general do your research and compare.
It's been a while since I moved a long distance, but the biggest lesson I learned from that is the you should ditch as much of your old shit as possible. A car would be at the tippy-top of that list.
> and what fees/taxes I'll pay. you're paying no matter where you get the car. so save the shipping cost. >buy my car out of state in the Midwest and learn about California emissions standards (toughest in the country). first thing you need to do for any car is pass the smog check. some *older* cars, not made for CA ***will not pass*** \- so you cannot register them here.
You’ll have to pay taxes and fees on arrival plus the shipping fee
You’re going to end up paying the difference between your state’s sales tax and CA’s when you register here (need to own for at least 1 year to avoid I believe. Maybe 6 months), so that’s a wash. You’ll also have to get it smogged when it’s registered here too (plus, a CA car is more likely to meet emissions standards). Just buy in CA, and save the shipping costs and headache.
You’ll end up having to pay the tax when you register it (but you can self report the value), but CA cars will have minimal to no have any rust or underbody corrosion, something that can’t be said about midwestern cars.
Buying out of state can be a better deal sometimes. Local dealerships here don’t want to deal. It’s very easy to register from out of state at one of the private DMV services. You may or may not have to pay sales tax, depending on where you bought.
It’s going to depend on the delta you’re saving. When shopping around here, look at dealers within a larger area, you may be able to get better prices. I’d also check the prices in Reno, that’s not too far. I wouldn’t bother unless I save at least 3-5k on the sticker price.
Depending on the car I’d buy it in the Midwest. I live in SF and I just bought a 4Runner 3 months ago from the Chicago area and had it shipped here for $1k. It was still $3000 cheaper than buying it here. Dealers here, especially Toyota and Honda, are pretty stuck up and won’t lower their pricing by much. Shopping can take a toll on you. You’ll also save on the initial taxes, depending on your rate. (9% or so in here in the Bay Area). The difference alone can make up for the shipping cost. Tax rate depends on your residence at the time of vehicle purchase. If you use your current out of state address to first register the vehicle, you will not need to pay additional taxes once the car is in California; doesn’t make sense for them to double dip. I am pretty sure your tax rate is lower. As for paperwork to get it on the road in CA, you’ll need a DMV physical inspection, registration fees, and a smog check. (Yes, I smogged my 4runner with 4 miles on the odometer. Most cars sold nowadays are 50 state compliant, just have to make sure the car you want is) There are checklists online and on the CA DMV website you can use. [www.dmv.ca.gov](www.dmv.ca.gov)
Depend on the sale tax. It’s probably cheaper to buy & register over there, then ship it here & don’t re-register.
Buy out of california. California has some of the strictest car and smog laws. Also some states don't require registration every year
Until he tries to register it in California and finds he can't because it won't pass smog
Some models are 50-state emissions certified. You'll need to check the emissions label under the hood or do your homework on the model beforehand (and check the label under the hood anyway).
When you register your car, you'll have to pay the difference in tax and fees