Buying out of state & registering in California

[PRSNCAT]

By request, I am starting a new thread for discussions related to buying out of state and registering in California. I have been through this process twice since November 2023. In both cases, I purchased a Ford Maverick from Long McArthur Ford in Salina, Kansas. Tim Bartz, or @FordVideoGuy, is the Internet Sales Manager at Long McArthur, and he and Sarah have a great YouTube channel on all things Ford if you are interested.

There are three things I think you need to know:

1. California's consumer protection laws now require the vehicle to be physically available for inspection and delivery.
   • Let's say you wanted to buy from Long McArthur, but didn't want to fly out to Kansas to purchase it and drive it home. There are 2 ways they can arrange for you to do this, and neither one is a good option for Long McArthur.
   • The first option is to deliver the Fathom to a Ford dealer near you, with a deal between them and Long McArthur, to perform the Pre-delivery inspection and deliver it to you for a small fee paid by Long McArthur. This is unfavorable for Long McArthur because if you, the buyer, back out, Long McArthur now has to pay for the transport to Salina, Kansas. Or they can do a dealer transfer (not a trade), in which the local dealer then gets credit for selling it to a consumer (important for sales figures used to determine allocations).
   • The second option is to deliver it directly to you. Once again, they have to pay to ship it back if you decide not to purchase it.
     
     In summary, the best and maybe only option an out-of-state dealer may be interested in is to have you fly to them and drive it home.
     
2. California's consumer protection laws (which are actually dealer protection laws) require you to purchase Ford extended warranties from a dealer in California. If, however, you purchase from an out-of-state dealer, you can purchase the extended warranty from that dealer at the time of purchase. What you cannot do is buy the vehicle and shop Ford dealers outside of California. For example, Granger Ford in Granger, Iowa, is well known for offering discounted Ford factory extended warranties. They cannot sell to you if the registered address is in California.
   
   
3. California's title transfer and registration process is defined well here: How To 9 Register a Vehicle From Out of State As I stated above, I have been through this twice with Ford Mavericks purchased at Long McArthur Ford in Salina, Kansas.
   • I flew to Wichita, KS, and I made my own way to Salina, KS. Long McArthur will, however, arrange to pick you up from Wichita (or Kansas City). I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn since it is a nice place to stay. It is also within walking distance of the dealership, although my salesperson arranged for someone to pick me up.
   • The process of working with the finance person was straightforward.
   • I drove both Mavericks the 1,450 miles home.
   • You need to wait for Long McArthur to send the Ford Manufacturer's Statement of Origin (MSO).
   • Since this is an EV, you won't have to provide a valid smog certificate. Both Mavericks have internal combustion engines (ICEs) and need smog certificates.
   • I used a local AAA office for both transactions. They will have someone to do the verification inspection (Form 31).
   • The finance company will provide instructions on how to include them as a lienholder on the Title or Registration form REG 343, which is completed and signed as needed. Note that the purchase documents may include dealer add-ons that are factored into the financing, but they should not be included in the registration and sales tax figures. For example, do not include the warranty cost in the sale price determination. You might need to complete a Statement of Facts (REG 256?) to explain how the purchase price was determined.
   • Note that the Fathom is considered a commercial vehicle since it is a pickup with an open bed. This means you will need to provide a California public weightmaster's certificate. Ford supplies this value on the MSO. AAA/DMV accepts the value on the MSO.
   • I kept and shredded the Kansas temporary tags instead of turning them in.

Feel free to DM me if you have any questions.

 

[commadorebob]

Wow, what a hassle. Hopefully your fellow Californians find your post helpful.