Is it possible to buy a car in Oregon and drive it down to California?

Question

I was just wondering if it is a bad idea if say, I were to buy a car in Oregon and drive it down to California (Los Angeles) since Oregon doesn't tax. Are there any fees other than changing your license plate ? And if so, how much is that?

Answer 1

Again??!! I answered this question a couple of times already, but apparently you missed the answer.

Most States (particularly California) base their registration fees on the value of the car and you have to show State sales tax as being paid on it, no matter what in State it was purchased. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, California will charge the sales tax on it before you can register it. Good luck!

Answer 2

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Is it possible to buy a car in Oregon and drive it down to California?
I was just wondering if it is a bad idea if say, I were to buy a car in Oregon and drive it down to California (Los Angeles) since Oregon doesn't tax. Are there any fees other than changing your license plate ? And if so, how much is that?

Answer 3

The fact that OR has no sales tax won't save you a dime. You will still pay the CA tax when you register the car. There's no way around that. You should also make sure that the car you buy in OR meets CA emissions standards. If it doesn't, you may have problems getting it smog tested and registered.

Answer 4

You need to get approval from the finance corp. to keep the car in another state. A lot of places don't like to do that because it makes it harder to collect if you default on the loan. If the loan company is in Ca., they may have to collect the tax. Also, you have to transfer the title to Ca., and that involves a lot of fees. If you aren't financing the car, it should be a lot easier to do. good luck. hope this helped. :)