How to immediatEly register your bus as an RV without conversion:

[tobeamiss]

I'm in NY

and I have no idea where to start.
So. I'm thinking that I call my insurance company and have it insured but I don't know if I should tell them it's a school bus that will be converted or RV...
Since my build will take at least 2 months (I don't even know at this point) then I'm hoping to get temporary insurance on it until I'm ready to drive it away.......(I really can't wait for that day!)
Once I get it insured, I'll head over to DMV and get it registered. Hoping that if they see it's insured as an RV that they'll register it as one?????

Clueless!!!

 

[warewolff]

and I have no idea where to start.
So. I'm thinking that I call my insurance company and have it insured but I don't know if I should tell them it's a school bus that will be converted or RV...
Since my build will take at least 2 months (I don't even know at this point) then I'm hoping to get temporary insurance on it until I'm ready to drive it away.......(I really can't wait for that day!)
Once I get it insured, I'll head over to DMV and get it registered. Hoping that if they see it's insured as an RV that they'll register it as one?????

Clueless!!!

Probably not but depends on where you live.

 

[johnbloem1974]

and I have no idea where to start.
So. I'm thinking that I call my insurance company and have it insured but I don't know if I should tell them it's a school bus that will be converted or RV...
Since my build will take at least 2 months (I don't even know at this point) then I'm hoping to get temporary insurance on it until I'm ready to drive it away.......(I really can't wait for that day!)
Once I get it insured, I'll head over to DMV and get it registered. Hoping that if they see it's insured as an RV that they'll register it as one?????

Clueless!!!

I would check with your county motor vehicle tax department. Here in Texas (Kerr county) to get it registered as a motor home, I had to have it weighed and show pictures of the conversion. Also had to have the safety inspection(any state inspection shop will do it - they just check the lights, horn, wipers, etc). They did not care what type of insurance I had just as long as there was the minimum liability on it. I went in there, told them what I was doing and I had a really nice lady help me out. She called the headquarters of the Texas DMV to make sure we were doing it right and she even filled out the forms for me! I now have my bus registered as a motor home and should be receiving the corrected title in about a week!

Long story short - go to your county tax assesor and check with them. They will know the laws and what needs to be done!

John

 

[warewolff]

I would check with your county motor vehicle tax department. Here in Texas (Kerr county) to get it registered as a motor home, I had to have it weighed and show pictures of the conversion. Also had to have the safety inspection(any state inspection shop will do it - they just check the lights, horn, wipers, etc). They did not care what type of insurance I had just as long as there was the minimum liability on it. I went in there, told them what I was doing and I had a really nice lady help me out. She called the headquarters of the Texas DMV to make sure we were doing it right and she even filled out the forms for me! I now have my bus registered as a motor home and should be receiving the corrected title in about a week!

Long story short - go to your county tax assesor and check with them. They will know the laws and what needs to be done!

John

The advantage to out of state registration, like described on this thread, is you can bypass all that. Even the inspection. Nobody in my home state knows what a Vermont inspection looks like and they've never busted my chops. I've never had an inspection performed on any of these vehicles. I didn't have to talk to anyone or meet any arbitrary RV requirements.


Then again, I prefer my privacy. I work primarily from home now in solar sales and I'm becoming a total recluse.

 

[AlleyCat67]

You and I got that in common Warewolff..... I'm not a TOTAL recluse yet but might as well be. I hardly ever go out anywhere if I don't have to, prefer to just sit at home and do things.

 

[Azuleslight]

okay im filling this out now, where do i find the VA fee for new motor homes?

 

[AlleyCat67]

$76 for one year registration, $140 for two years. $35 title fee. $6 warranty fee (required for first-time registration on a vehicle).

I had to pay that title fee because my bus is only 12 years old. If yours is 15 or more years old all they give you is a registration so you may not have to pay that $35 fee. I'd check with them if you have any questions about that.

Oh, and make sure if you paid tax on it, you include proof of that. Otherwise take 6% of the purchase price and add it to the above fees.

Full instructions here:
Instructions for DMV-VD119

 

[Azuleslight]

$76 for one year registration, $140 for two years. $35 title fee. $6 warranty fee (required for first-time registration on a vehicle).

I had to pay that title fee because my bus is only 12 years old. If yours is 15 or more years old all they give you is a registration so you may not have to pay that $35 fee. I'd check with them if you have any questions about that.

Oh, and make sure if you paid tax on it, you include proof of that. Otherwise take 6% of the purchase price and add it to the above fees.

Full instructions here:
Instructions for DMV-VD119

what if i already have a title? or do i just pay the fee and pretend the first one doesn't exist? lol I already paid 6.25% tax here in illinois, so ill send them a photocopy of the bill of sales.

 

[AlleyCat67]

You include a copy of the title when you send everything in. According to the OP, they don't issue titles on a vehicle >15 yrs old so you get what they call a transferrable registration which can then be used to retitle in IL (or wherever you choose to call home if you're gonna be on the road a lot), if it's gonna be a big deal. When you transfer at the DMV in any state they're gonna collect the old title and issue a new one anyway, VT apparently is an exception to that rule, at least on older vehicles.

My bus is only 12 so I will get a new title. as well.

So when you get ready to send it off....

- VD119 form
- Copy of title, front and back
- Copy of bill of sale showing tax paid
- VIN verification, if needed (with a bill of sale and title, should not be)
- Check or money order for fees

Mail to Montpelier office (address shown in original post or in instructions I linked previously).

My tags could conceivably come tomorrow, if they processed it as soon as it arrived in their office (doubtful, but anything is possible). I figure one day this week, or maybe early next week I'll have tag in hand if nothing goes awry.

 

[Azuleslight]

You include a copy of the title when you send everything in. According to the OP, they don't issue titles on a vehicle >15 yrs old so you get what they call a transferrable registration which can then be used to retitle in IL (or wherever you choose to call home if you're gonna be on the road a lot), if it's gonna be a big deal. When you transfer at the DMV in any state they're gonna collect the old title and issue a new one anyway, VT apparently is an exception to that rule, at least on older vehicles.

My bus is only 12 so I will get a new title. as well.

So when you get ready to send it off....

- VD119 form
- Copy of title, front and back
- Copy of bill of sale showing tax paid
- VIN verification, if needed (with a bill of sale and title, should not be)
- Check or money order for fees

Mail to Montpelier office (address shown in original post or in instructions I linked previously).

My tags could conceivably come tomorrow, if they processed it as soon as it arrived in their office (doubtful, but anything is possible). I figure one day this week, or maybe early next week I'll have tag in hand if nothing goes awry.

so i'd get 76 + 6 in fee's and then need the rest of that? also i dont know my empty or gross weight and my bus is out there i think my max is 27,500 as a 33+1 bus. can i just put anything? lol

 

[GypsyBell]

Sounds good to me!

Any reason to retitle in my own state? I live in North Carolina. Can I just continue to use the VT plate and renew the registration with VT every year or so?

Bell (my skoolie gets here Wednesday!)

 

[AlleyCat67]

Azule: You don't need to worry about any of that if you specify motor home/19, the weight block is only for trucks.

Bell: that's what the OP said he does, he's in NY. If you plan on moving around a lot it shouldn't be an issue.... if you stay close to home most of the time sooner or later someone may catch on unless you have a place to park it where the back end with the plate is not visible.

For myself I will likely be moving around, not a lot but enough to stay under the radar.

If you want to retitle/register in NC that's entirely up to you... you're paying for a year on the VT plate so might as well get that year out of it before doing anything.

 

[GypsyBell]

Thanks... I think I will try it.

 

[AlleyCat67]

Good luck and let us know when you get 'em!

 

[warewolff]

so i'd get 76 + 6 in fee's and then need the rest of that? also i dont know my empty or gross weight and my bus is out there i think my max is 27,500 as a 33+1 bus. can i just put anything? lol

I have never paid the $6 warranty fee. I don't know what Alleycat is referencing but I have had multiple successes without including that extra $6. You also need to include sales tax (6 percent of your purchase price) OR proof that you already paid sales tax.

I'm real glad so many people are taking this route!! Don't forget to post your successes. My plates were back 2 weeks after I mailed the application and the registration took an extra 2 or 3 days to arrive, as they ship them separately.

 

[Gazolba]

Any reason to retitle in my own state? I live in North Carolina. Can I just continue to use the VT plate and renew the registration with VT every year or so?

<snip>

Check your state regulations. Here in AZ, if you live here you have to register your out-of-state vehicle in AZ immediately. They don't give any grace period. Before you can register, you must pass emissions (this depends on your county). They have a snooper program so anyone passing by that sees your plate could report you.

 

[Azuleslight]

I have never paid the $6 warranty fee. I don't know what Alleycat is referencing but I have had multiple successes without including that extra $6. You also need to include sales tax (6 percent of your purchase price) OR proof that you already paid sales tax.

I'm real glad so many people are taking this route!! Don't forget to post your successes. My plates were back 2 weeks after I mailed the application and the registration took an extra 2 or 3 days to arrive, as they ship them separately.

so will i get the new RV title or the title and the plates? I R

 

[AlleyCat67]

I have never paid the $6 warranty fee. I don't know what Alleycat is referencing but I have had multiple successes without including that extra $6. You also need to include sales tax (6 percent of your purchase price) OR proof that you already paid sales tax.

I'm real glad so many people are taking this route!! Don't forget to post your successes. My plates were back 2 weeks after I mailed the application and the registration took an extra 2 or 3 days to arrive, as they ship them separately.

It's right there in the instructions..... new registrations are supposed to include that. I guess I could have misinterpreted it and that's only for registering a NEW vehicle from a dealer.... but all the same it's only 6 bucks, not like I'm really gonna miss it.

 

[jugganaut]

Any news guys?? I'm about to try this myself!

 

[Justin McCormick]

It worked for me. I received plates in the mail last week.