Non-Resident Vehicle Registration - Which States Can I Use

[Pascal666]

My question involves vehicle registration or title in the state of: Illinois/Colorado/some third state?

I have a Colorado driver's license/real ID. I would like to purchase a used minivan in Illinois for my use in Illinois. I do not intend for it to ever see Colorado. The Illinois DMV says I cannot register a vehicle in Illinois without an Illinois driver's license. The Colorado DMV says I cannot register a vehicle in Colorado that currently has an out-of-state title until it is inspected by the Colorado State Patrol, in Colorado.

Are the people I spoke with at the Illinois and Colorado DMVs correct in their assertions?

Are there any states that do allow non-residents to register vehicles without the vehicle being present in that state? Would I be breaking any Illinois, Colorado, federal, etc. laws by registering the vehicle in a third state (one I and my vehicle will never visit)?

Any other suggestions for how to get around this bureaucratic conundrum? Surely there must be some way to own cars in two different states. I know lots of people have multiple homes, live and work in different states, buy cars for dependents in other states, etc. What am I missing here?

Thank you in advance for any assistance you can provide.

[Taxing Matters]

I have a Colorado driver's license/real ID. I would like to purchase a used minivan in Illinois for my use in Illinois. I do not intend for it to ever see Colorado. The Illinois DMV says I cannot register a vehicle in Illinois without an Illinois driver's license.

There is nothing in the Illinois statute for registration of vehicles nor in the state regulations for registration that requires an Illinois driver's license to register a vehicle in that state. The statute does allow the state DMV to require such information as may be needed to determine that the vehicle is eligible for registration, however. That said, the statute expressly requires that out-of-state owners who use vehicles in Illinois for intrastate commercial purposes must register their vehicles in Illinois. That means that the DMV must have some way to register those vehicles since an out of state owner would not have an Illinois driver's license as he or she would not be eligible for one. The online system for registration asks for an Illinois driver's license, so you may need to find a way to apply by paper to do it. You may need to find someone at the DMV who actually knows how the state registers vehicles with out of state owners. A lot of the front line clerks may not know that process since they rarely, if ever, see it.

One other possible alternative to get it registered in IL would be that you could form an Illinois LLC to own the vehicle. That would result in some extra cost to form and maintain the LLC and the registered agent, but might allow you to get registration without the need for a driver's license since an entity wouldn't have a driver's license. I don't know what the application for LLC requires, though.

The Colorado DMV says I cannot register a vehicle in Colorado that currently has an out-of-state title until it is inspected by the Colorado State Patrol, in Colorado.

The requirements to register an out of state vehicle in Colorado include an inspection by certain persons to verify the VIN and, if the vehicle is to be used in an area where emissions testing is required (e.g. the Denver metro area) then the emissions test must be done. However, that VIN inspection need not be done by the Colorado State Patrol. Indeed, out of state law enforcement may do that. See the Form DR 2698, which is the VIN certification form you need. You'll also need the out of state title and proof of insurance, too.

Remember, if you are registering the vehicle in Colorado the assumption is that you are going to be using it in that state, so Colorado will expect you to meet the same requirements as any other in state vehicle for insurance, emissions control, etc. So if you live in a county were emissions control rules apply, you can expect they'll want to see that emissions test.

[adjusterjack]

I would like to purchase a used minivan in Illinois for my use in Illinois.

Why do you want to do this?
Where would you keep it?
How often would you use it?
For what purpose?

Not only do you have a title and registration issue but you might also have difficulty buying insurance on it. You would have to have an auto policy written by an insurance company licensed to do business in Illinois. You aren't likely to be happy with the rates as there are underwriting issues that might not qualify you for preferred rates and might even put you in a high risk class.