MT plates for AZ.....Any members?

Let me know what ya find out…..AZ VLT fees getting very old!

 

Any issues rolling around AZ with the MT plates? Hassles from LEOs, especially with an AZ DL? Thanks, getting ready to make the move….

 

Don't know what you are driving.... but the AZ plates on my '99 Modena were nothing to worry about. Newer cars.... yes the tag fees can be pretty steep.
There are so many "snow-birds" here that I don't think you'll have any problems with Montana plates on your car. No experience on my part, however.
Getting stopped by LEO's with Montana plates and an AZ DL may be a problem. Cops here have better things to do than hassle people with out of state plates. There are many of them.

 

Thanks for the response, 2020 F8 with modified exhaust. So first year it has to be emissions tested, aside from the VLT fees; an additional hassle. So considering the MT holding company, title and plates. Always thought doing that was a bit “ douchy” but looks like my best option unless I want to trade to car, or put the factory exhaust back on the car every year…

 

One has to be the guy driving 115MPH to get the grasshopper off the windshield to get pulled over here in Phoenix! Out of rush hour traffic, the average speed on any highway here is around 80+.Ya, cops don't care as long as the drivers are staying in their lane and not doing the dart in and out thing.

 

Going with this company, unless anyone has any other recommendations:

https://www.dirtlegal.com/

 

I went through the MT plate process recently after purchasing my 458. I used "5 Star Registration". There are multiple benefits go going this route. Montana state has zero sales tax on cars and a handful of counties also have zero sales tax. These are the counties the registration businesses are located in. If your car is over 11 years old you can apply for permanent plates and registration. I applied for that and was approved. Never have to pay registration again. Montana requires no inspections of any kind and the car never needs to be present in Montana.

I spend time between Hawaii, Arizona and Washington and do not have an Arizona license. If I did have an Arizona license I would not be that worried. Is there a violation a police officer can cite you for while driving a car with out of state plates?

The biggest issue I have run into is financing. I tried every option out there and nothing worked out for me to get a loan on a car registered to a Montana LLC. So for now just a large chunk of cash wrapped up in the car. Total cost with perm registration was about $1,300 and then $49 a year to keep the LLC open with a registered agent.

 

Do you know if the permanent registration that you have would roll over to a buyer if you were to sell the car?

 

Just speculating but if you could buy the LLC the car is registered to then there would be no change in ownership of the car and no reason to change plates. If you purchased the car from a Montana LLC and put it in your name or your own Montana LLC then that brings up a good question.

 

I CGTP'd this one:

Scenario 1: You buy the Montana LLC (that owns the car)

• LLC ownership changes, but the car remains titled to the LLC.
  
  
• In this case, there is no change in ownership of the car on paper — the LLC is the same legal entity, even though it has a new owner.
  
  
• As a result:
  • No need to change plates.
    
    
  • No need to retitle the vehicle.
    
    
  • This approach is sometimes used to avoid triggering sales/use tax or DMV fees, especially for expensive vehicles (though this is subject to scrutiny by some states).

Scenario 2: You buy the car from the Montana LLC and title it in your name (or your own Montana LLC)

• This is a clear transfer of ownership of the vehicle.
  
  
• In this case:
  • The vehicle must be re-titled in the name of the new owner (you or your LLC).
    
    
  • New plates are typically issued (even if registering in Montana again).
    
    
  • Sales/use tax obligations may be triggered, depending on your state of residence and where the car is used.

Key Considerations:

• Montana LLC registration schemes are popular for exotic/luxury vehicles to avoid sales tax in high-tax states. Search this on www.ferrarichat.com.
  
  
• However, many states (like California, Colorado, Washington) have cracked down on this — if you live and use the car in another state, you may still owe use tax and need to register it locally.
  
  
• Just owning a Montana LLC doesn’t make you immune to registration laws where the car is actually used.

 

I know many RV'ers - full-timers - register in SD.
There are a few companies that specialize in getting your vehicle titled in SD,
AND you must come to SD - ONCE - to get an SD Driver's license - AND they get you
an actual, real, bonifide street address - and anything sent there gets forwarded to
wherever you want.

Just think - there ARE full-time RV'ers that do not have a concrete residence anymore -
they live in their RV full-time, and move around so they don't stay in any one place more than
maybe 6 months - even if they move just across the street (to satisfy some States' requirements).

Consider that?

PS - there may be SOME states - or Judges - that order you to produce a utility bill from
your 'residence' in another state, from what I have read. Folks then just say they live in
that other state, but someone else pays the bills - kinda like a college student still living 'at home',
or a relative, or a 'girl friend', or a friend from college - anyone.
If that happens it just requires that you 'know someone' that resides in that state that can
vouch (lie) for you.

 

I am just ticking off all the boxes here. I have 2 RV's that are registered in SD just as you described. There is one adjustment to the information you provided. You never actually need to be in South Dakota. On paper they say this but there is zero enforcement or care. If, and only if, you want to get a South Dakota license/ID then you need to spend at least one night in South Dakota. If you want to keep your out of state ID you simply supply your SSN and they say you are "supposed to" get a SD ID within so many days, but even advise you they have NEVER seen this enforced. I am 5 years in to SD RV life and have not been to SD since the 80's.

One of my RV's is housed in a RV storage lot in PHX as my current base of operations there prior to buying some land and building and RV barndo near my relatives.

I have been very transient since about 2018 and these strategies really work for me. I do see the application and benefit deteriorating if you are not as least somewhat transient. My current interest in taking it to the next level is buying a cheap piece of land in Montana that has an actual address and using that going forward for the car collection. Potentially even changing from a Hawaii ID to a Montana ID. If I did I could avoid all the "LLC" stuff with Montana and have legitimate Montana registration for everything. The one downside is you need to physically be in Montana for registering the purchase of any car in Montana.

 

That's true, but it 'looks better' if you have an SD driver's license if the vehicle also has SD plates on it,
and since it is more steered to full-time RV'ers that DO NOT have a 'brick and mortar' home, that's why
you may want an SD license as well, plus, it looks/works better with your vehicle insurance.

I looked at buying one acre, or even 1/4 acre of land in AZ, and the price was nuts, for what I wanted to do,
which was just have a 'street address'. However, one acre in New Mexico was something like $100.00...
(The advantages afforded to retirees that actually 'live in' AZ are a zillion percent better than if you 'live in' New Mexico,
so much so that it isn't worth it to own land in NM - no matter what it costs)