On Feb 18, 4:51 pm, "stuffthejubilee"
wrote:
> I'm wondering if anybody could possibly give me some advice and help
> me out. I live in the UK and am travelling to the US in December this
> year and staying for 5 months(dependant on visa). I thought rather
> than hire a car I'd buy a crappy old mini-van and drive across America
> sleeping in it to save cash.
> I was gonna try and buy one in Seattle and drive all over and sell it
> around Miami, possibly to a dealer.
> Is this possible? I've read that you have to have a permanent US
> address to have plates to put on a car but is there a way round this
> for foreigners?
>
> I know a bit about cars and thought I could always get breakdown cover
> if I'm desperate.
>
Of course you can buy a car in the manner that you describe.
However, you do need a US address. The best thing for you to do is to
contact a dealer in Seattle and tell him what you want to do. They
should be able to set you up, probabaly saying you "live" at the
dealership or at a private postal location. There might be some
issues with insurance, because you will not "exist" as far as the
North American driving records computers go, but there are companies
that will take care of you, albeit at a somewhat higher cost.
Remember that in the USA (and Canada) car liscenses are issued by the
state (provence, territory, district) not the national government, so
selling a Washington car in Florida requires a few extra paperwork
steps, but is really no big deal either.
Certainly, there is no reason you should not do this. It is the best
way to see the USA.
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