How to Buy a Car Out of State From a Dealer

The checklist below is for a U.S. dealer purchase. Use the copy-and-paste email to collect the answers in one reply.

Ask for an itemized buyer's order for the exact VIN

Confirm the dealer's name and location, the car's availability, VIN, mileage and title status. Call the dealership using a number you find independently before relying on payment instructions. Ask for an independent inspection near the dealer and confirm access before booking it. Compare pre-purchase inspection costs

Ask for the vehicle price, mandatory dealer charges, optional products, each tax collected and where it goes, title and registration charges, shipping if applicable, and the total due to the dealer. Ask which costs remain yours after payment. Compare the full cost with a local car, including inspection, shipping or travel and the charges you expect to pay separately.

Put the deposit terms in writing

Ask the dealer how long it will hold the car, how it applies the deposit to the balance, and what qualifies for a refund. Spell out what happens if the independent inspection finds a material issue, the dealer can't deliver the paperwork, financing falls through or the terms change. If a condition matters to your decision, ask the dealer to include it in the written agreement before paying.

Give each document a person and a deadline

Ask who will file the title and registration and who will receive the originals. For a used car, ask the dealer to identify the existing title or other ownership document, how the assignment to you will be completed, and whether a lien release is needed. If the purchase is financed, ask how the lender will be recorded and who will hold the title. Request the signed buyer's order or invoice, applicable odometer and other disclosures, and proof of tax collected or filed. Your destination agency can tell you which originals or certified copies it accepts.

If the dealer files for you, get the name of the title clerk, the filing date it expects and the proof it will send. If you file, ask when the packet will be ready. Ask what happens if the title is delayed past the temporary permit's expiry.

Check the destination state's rules before committing

These examples show how the paperwork differs. State sources checked November 4, 2026. Confirm what applies to your car, destination and pickup or delivery arrangement.

• Illinois. The Department of Revenue's instructions identify RUT-25 for vehicles titled or registered in Illinois after purchase from an unregistered out-of-state dealer. If the retailer already reported tax on ST-556, that changes the filing path. Ask which form the dealer filed, request documentation, and keep the bill of sale. Check the title application requirements separately. Illinois tax reporting guidance · RUT-25 instructions · Illinois title and registration
• New York. For a used vehicle from a dealer registered outside New York, the DMV describes a chain of ownership from the previous owner to the dealer, supported by the dealer invoice or bill of sale and other dealer documents. Before paying, ask to see how that chain is documented and confirm which tax proof your DMV office needs. New York DMV ownership guidance
• California. The DMV's out-of-state checklist lists the REG 343 application and vehicle verification. It says out-of-state smog tests are not accepted when a smog certificate is required. Ask about emissions eligibility before paying, especially for a low-mileage vehicle, and confirm what verification and smog steps your car needs. California out-of-state checklist · California DMV emissions and verification guidance

Settle pickup or shipping before you pay

If you plan to drive home, ask the dealer what temporary permit it can issue and what proof comes with it. Verify whether it covers your route, dates and destination with the relevant motor vehicle agencies. Confirm with your insurer when coverage begins. If you plan to ship, get the carrier arrangement, price, timing and condition handoff in writing. Make a separate plan for lawful use once the car arrives.

Copy and paste this email to the dealer

Subject: Written purchase and registration details for [year / make / model / VIN]

Hi [name],

I'm considering the [vehicle] and will register it in [state, ZIP]. Before I send a deposit, please confirm the VIN and availability, whether an independent inspector can see the car, and the title status or any lien or title delay.

Please send an itemized buyer's order with the total due to you and anything I'd pay separately. Include mandatory fees, optional products, taxes by jurisdiction, registration charges and delivery. Please explain the deposit amount, hold period, how it applies to the price, and what happens if the inspection finds an issue or the paperwork can't be completed.

Who files the title and registration, and which documents will you provide? Please include who gets each original, when it will arrive, and whom I should contact about delays. If you collect tax, what form or receipt will I receive? If I drive home, what temporary permit can you issue and when does it expire? If I ship the car, who books the carrier and what is the price and timing?

Thanks, [Your name]

Use the downloadable email for the expanded version. Once the dealer replies, compare its answers with your state's requirements before you commit. For the overall vehicle, cost and handoff decision, use the out-of-state buying checklist.