Buying a vehicle from out of state doesn’t have to be a complicated process if you’re living in Idaho. The biggest factors are ensuring you correctly title the vehicle, pay enough sales tax, and register the vehicle in Idaho.

Purchasing a car is a lot of work, and if you live in

Idaho

and purchase a car from out of state, there’s a little more work involved. But it shouldn’t deter you from finding yourself the best deal possible.

Nobody ever said that buying a car was easy. But

Jerry

is here to help explain the process of buying a car from out of state when you live in Idaho.

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How to buy a car out of state as an Idaho resident

Just because you live in Idaho doesn’t mean that you have to buy a vehicle in Idaho. That process is easier, but Idaho makes it fairly simple to buy a car from out of state. There are a few steps to the process including transferring the title to Idaho, ensuring that you’ve paid the appropriate taxes, and

registering the vehicle in Idaho

The process is slightly different depending on whether you’re buying a car and using a financial institution, which is recording a lien. If that’s the case, that institution will file the paperwork for your title, which makes the process simpler.

However, if you’re purchasing a vehicle without the help of a financial institution, you’ll be responsible for titling the vehicle in Idaho yourself. You must complete this process within 30 days or you’ll be charged a $20 late filing fee.

When titling your car yourself, you’ll need to provide the following to the Idaho county assessor’s motor vehicle office:

The original title of the vehicle: if previously owned, the title must be properly released by the previous owner and lien holder (if any). If it’s a new vehicle, the Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin must be properly released by the dealership and assigned to the new owner.

Bill of Sale

: must have a vehicle description, sales price, buyer’s legal full name, original signature of seller, and date. This is not required if the seller has entered the sales price on the title on a space dedicated for this information.

Odometer Disclosure: required for a transfer of any motor vehicle less than 10 years old and under 16,000 pounds. The gross vehicle weight disclosure must be entered on the title.

Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Inspection): this is completed by an officer of the law, DMV employee, military police officer, or Idaho licensed vehicle dealer.

Tax fees: sales tax equal to 6% of the purchase price of the vehicle (minus trade-in value if purchased from a licensed dealer), or documentation that at least 6% sales tax was paid to the state of purchase or that the vehicle was purchased at least three months prior to the date the purchaser moved to Idaho.

Title fee: $14.00

Registration fee: depends on a number of factors. See below for more details.

Power of Attorney: only required if applying for the title through the county assessor’s motor vehicle office via mail. This allows the County Assessor to sign the application for the owner. The Power of Attorney must fully describe the vehicle and be signed by the owner/applicant.

Title Application (optional): out-of-state dealers, lienholders, and leasing companies may prepare.

The annual Registration fee for a non-commercial vehicle depends on the age of the vehicle, the type of vehicle, and the weight of the vehicle. If the vehicle is up to two years old, the standard price is $69. Vehicles 3-6 years old cost $57 dollars to register, and it costs $45 to register vehicles 7 years old or older.

There’s an extra fee for

electrical vehicles

of $140 and plug-in electrical hybrids will cost you an extra $75 annually.

If your vehicle weighs more than 8,000 pounds, the prices vary as well:

Vehicle weight (pounds)	Annual cost
8,001 to 16,000	$73
16,001 to 26,000	$86.08
26,001 to 30,000	$116.68
30,001 to 40,000	$155.08
40,001 to 50,000	$212.28
50,001 to 60,000	$336.88

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If your non-commercial vehicle weighs more than 60,000 pounds, you need to contact Motor Carrier Services at cvs@itd.idaho.gov.

MORE:

Car inspection in Idaho

How to buy a car in Idaho if you live out of state

While buying a car can be a difficult process, it’s usually simpler than transferring the title to a new state. This means if you’re buying a car in Idaho, the hassle will come when transferring the title to whichever state you live in.

Here are some things to remember when you bring your car home from Idaho:

Make sure you receive a valid bill of sale for the vehicle (some states require that this document be notarized)

Different states will require different information for titling, but the general materials are listed in the above section. Check the specific guidelines of the state you live in to streamline this process.

Complete the registration for your vehicle in the state you’re living in.

You’ll be paying sales tax of 6% in Idaho. Some states have higher vehicle sales taxes and you’ll likely be required to pay the difference if there is any for your state of residence.

What if I don’t have a physical title?

In Idaho, lienholders are given an electronic copy of the title to your vehicle. Once that lien is removed, you will receive a paper copy of your title. However, if you’ve purchased the vehicle out of pocket, you’ll need to have a physical copy of the original title.

Some states rely solely on electronic titles. If that’s the case for the state you’re purchasing from, you’ll need to request a paper copy, which may take some extra time and require you to get a temporary registration to drive the vehicle home to Idaho.

Tips for buying a vehicle out of state

There are a number of reasons to

buy a vehicle from out of state

. You can get cars at a cheaper price, get cars that aren’t available in your state, or—if you live near a state border—get to and from the point of sale more easily. The process can be challenging, so here are some tips to keep in mind:

Don’t skip the vehicle history report. This is particularly important if you’re buying from a private owner because it can reveal accidents or other issues in the vehicle’s past that may not have been disclosed.

Schedule the vehicle inspection in your state of residence. Different states have different inspection requirements, so don’t pay for an inspection twice if you don’t have to.

Find out about your home state’s vehicle sales taxes. As noted above, if you buy a car from a different state, you may have to pay the differential when you transfer the title of your car to your state.

Buy car insurance before leaving the dealership. You’ll need to have car insurance to drive your vehicle home, and it needs to meet your state’s minimum insurance requirements.

MORE:

Idaho car insurance laws

How to save on car insurance in Idaho

Now you know how to buy a car from out of state if you’re living in Idaho. But no matter where you buy a car, car insurance is a necessity.

Idaho car insurance costs

average between $97 and $145 a month.

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