I sold my car with an expired registration in another state. Do I need to contact the DMV? In which state?

Question

I moved to CA in Jan 2006, I bought a new car and kept my old car which was registered in CT. My old car just sat around and before I could sell it the CT registration expired in May 2006. I then sold it more than a month later to a person in CA. Do I need to contact any DMV? Or can I just drop the car from my insurance without worry?

Answer 1

Follow the current procedures for informing CT DMV of the sale. Since you did not register the car in CA, Ca DMV knows nothing about that car, and you don't have to tell them anything about it.

Answer 2

As long as you are the legal owner of the car and the title's in your name, it doesn't really matter that the registration tag expired. Assuming the saledeal is done and the funds have cleared, etc. call your insurance man and drop the old car from your policy so you aren't paying premiums on a car you don't own. If it really bugs you, then you can call or email the CT DMV to notify them you no longer own the car, referencing the VIN, etc., but they should know once the CT title was transferred to the new owner and retitled in CA. The process varies a bit between states, so I'd go ahead and contact the DMV in CT and give them a notice of sale just to be sure; that way you'll sleep better.

Hope this helped.

Answer 3

Make sure you turn in the license plate before you drop the insurance. In SC, if you don't turn the plate in first then the DMV fines you $5.00 per day with a maximum of $400.00 for cancelling the insurance before you prove the vehicle is off the road. When you turn in the plate there is a form you can fill out informing them that the car has been sold to protect yourself further.

Answer 4

You should notify the dmv in the state that issued the TITLE I'm not sure about CT, but in WA, you have 10 days to turn in a notice of sale.

Answer 5

You have to contact the CT dmv, and tell them that your plate was lost, so they can cancel it. Otherwise, the new owner can rack up tons of parking tickets in YOUR NAME, with the old car!!

Answer 6

Different states have different requirements. I would contact the DMV and let them know you sold the car. It certainly can't hurt anything, and you can usually do it online.

Answer 7

contact the CT dmv to tell them you no longer own it

Answer 8

just drop the car and have a receipt of sale in case the new owner doesn't register the car in Calif. this way you are in the clear.