Registering an RV as a non-resident

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Caerl:

As Ned mentioned, Oregon requires an Oregon DL to register a vehicle and to get a DL it requires proof of residency including a copy of a utility bill, etc. They are quite adamant about it.
 
Jeff Cousins said:
Caerl:

As Ned mentioned, Oregon requires an Oregon DL to register a vehicle and to get a DL it requires proof of residency including a copy of a utility bill, etc. They are quite adamant about it.
Click to expand...

For non-resident foreigners with a foreign passport?  Could be but I suspect there are code sections that provide for them.
 
I can confirm Jeff's reply. I contacted Oregon Vehicle registation section and they said a drivers license is a must and you cannot get that without a fixed residence. They were not very helpful in finding a way around their regulations for a foreign national who wants to support Oregon trade by buying a vehicle in their state and using it - so we went the Montana route. No problems so far but we register in a few days!
 
Ian - Thank you for the well wishes :)  We're hoping that we will have a great time!

Tom - I think you're absolutely right - we didn't think too much about tax before planning this trip, and by good luck we'll end up spending less than 180 days in the US - another 3 months in Canada and Mexico to make up the full time in North America.  Had it been longer than that, and we'd be facing another headache!  We've already had an experience of working overseas, so we are familiar with the general rules, but the IRS takes it to another degree!

Al - I'm dying to know what you have done with Montana.  Did you go through an LLC?  I didn't think I would need that, as we don't have residence in any state at the moment.  Can you tell me (and probably all of us) what you needed to do, any restrictions, and if you manage to get your registration?

Thanks.
Nathan
 
Nathan,

Well we have managed to purchase our rig. It is registered temporarily in Ohio where we bought it, or rather our Montana LLC bought it. It is now in process  of being registered through our LLC in Montana and we should get all the paperwork and the plates through in a week or so.

Not only did we get a good deal in Ohio, we saved paying any sales tax by using the Montana LLC route. We set up a Montana LLC using New Horizon RV but there are several companies who do the same thing. Since we are not US residents or citizens we have no problems with our state of residence (the UK), we used a UK drivers license plus an International Drivers License, which is needed in the USA and our UK passport number served as equivalent to a US Social Security Number to get temporary registration.

I understand that US citizens can have problems with this route as their "home state" may view the Montana LLC as a tax evasion loophole, but as a non US citizen this does not affect us as we have no residence in the US. Can't see why it should not work for any foreign national. Of course it costs about $850 to set up the company so this has to be offset against any potential sales tax saving.

Insurance costs as far as I can judge are no different between Montana and Texas, the only comparison I made - can't see any other state insurance being much different. For what its worth we went with Progressive but Explorer had a similar deal.

Hope this helps and good luck.

Alan
 
Nathan

we've registered and insured our motorhome and toad thru an LLC in Montana, easy to do, no need to go there to do it.  Oregon is absolutely out unless you have a fixed permanent residence there; if Tom doesn't mind me doing this, e-mail John Bennett at [email protected] - he just called me to say he's putting my new registration plates on overnight delivery tonight. 

Terry (flying back to UK tonight from Seattle, back end of June)
 
All paperwork done and dusted. Plates fixed to vehicle and we are enjoying our trip. No problem at all.
 
Hello Alan

I was looking at your postings in RC Forum, and was compelled to register. My wife and I who live in the UK are planning a trip from January for about 6 months and would like to purchase a new class A. Obviously we would like to do this with the least amount of tax etc., and I can see from your posts that you may have found a way to do this. I am in the US at the moment looking at RV's and tow cars, so would really appreciate your help.

Many thanks

Jeremy Hill
 
Hi Jeremy

Please take a look at the Library, as mentioned by Tom.

The first thing I would say, is that you MUST be out of the EU for 12 months before you can claim the tax-free allowances.

Good Luck

Paul
 
Hi Jeremy,

Please be sure to report back on your progress.

We're about 6 months behind you ;)
 
The first thing I would say, is that you MUST be out of the EU for 12 months before you can claim the tax-free allowances.
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Sorry, I was refering to tax free import into the UK.

I believe you are refering to tax free purchase in the US - in which case you will want to go down the LLC route (as long as your purchase is above a certain $$).

Paul
 
This is probably a silly question but is sales tax applied just to new vehicles or does it apply to used rigs as well?
 
Here in California sales tax is levied on both new and used vehicles. Sales tax is collected by the dealer or, if you buy from a private party, the sales tax is collected by the DMV when you change the title to reflect your ownership.
 
Thanks Tom

I am retiring next year and will be hoping to make a couple of extended visits a year for a couple of years.  Thanks for your prompt reply. I am sure to have other questions as my research progresses 
 
Another difference in sales tax handling that varies by state is when you purchase from a dealer with a trade in.  Some state will tax on the gross sales price while others will tax on the net (after trade in).
 
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