USA Registration...State by State Issues.
 

To All USA Citizens

The Federal Government in the USA, the DOT [Department of Transportation} only regulate the Safety Portion of Road Worthy vehicles that come into this country and what road worthy means. Basically certain parts of any vehicle must meet DOT regulations to become road worthy.

The EPA {Environmental Protection Agency} Regulates weather a certain group/size of vehicles engines meet their specifications to come into this country. They must Pass EPA regulations to enter.

Each State in the Union makes it's own laws weather a vehicle is Street Legal or not and what the vehicle needs to become street legal. The Federal Government will not step in on this issue due to the fact of what is written in the constitution for each State. Each State is has it's own Government, therefore every State in The Union makes it's own laws on what is street worthy and what makes the vehicle street worthy.

My Suggestion to anyone that is looking at purchasing a vehicle from the internet, is to First GO to {not call} your local BMV Office and find out exactly what You will need to register the vehicle at that Office. Talk to the head person in charge of the office first, this person is responsible for knowing the laws. Don't talk to a counter person at the office as they are not usually enhanced enough to know all of the laws. Remember each any every office in Your State may not have the same answers, because this also goes by Jurisdiction in each State.

Buying from the internet can be a headache. You, the Buyer Must be Responsible. It is up to You to find out if you are going to get all of the correct paperwork from the seller. Yes there are a lot of internet sellers that are out there for the quick buck and will lie their pants off, on the other hand there are a few that do care and have a conscience that will go the extra mile to provide with all of the correct paperwork to register your vehicle, except what you are responsible for.

I hope that this helps and I will update it as needed.

Bruce

sadly, this should be common knowledge, but with the way information can be found on the net, it has made everyone even more lazy then normal :)

i know i am, why bother wasting gas and time i dont have when i can just ask bruce what i need to do :lol:

50 state registration information.
 

This site can get details on motorcycle registration in your particular state as well as links to state websites.

http://www.dmv.org/how-to-guides/other-vehicles.php

NET

My recommendation would always be to purchase from a licensed motor vehicle dealer in your state. They should handle the reg for you, and it should be no problem. If they want to hand you an MSO, then they are likely not a licensed motor vehicle dealer in your state, and you should consider purchasing elsewhere.

Hi Fresnomotorsports

That all depends, there are a couple States that The Dealer does give the MCO to the customer and the customer goes to the DMV and gets the title. .....Indiana is just one State that registers titles this way, a friend of mine {Cycle Analist} is a Dealer in Indiana that told me this.
http://www.cycle-analyst.com/

Bruce

For Tenessee:
http://www.tennessee.gov/revenue/vehicle/index.htm
http://www.tennessee.gov/revenue/veh...ortedmoped.htm

The second link states you need an HS-7, don't worry about it, apparently it's something the manufaturer and the state works out. You will need the bill of sale and MSO/MCO, without them no tags or registration! Nothing needs to be Notorized though, TN did away with that several years ago.
Also, for most of Tennessee, you can plate a dirt bike, you need a headlight and a tail/stop light. Turn signals and horn are optional. The larger metro areas like Memphis and Nashville are more strict and I think they have inspections and I think have their own requirements.

Im going to dig deeper in PA tomorrow
 

Im going to try to find someone woh really knows what gives. Im going to the source for help. Lots of nice china DP bikes out there but if you can't title them, well why bother!! :roll:

Follow up on registration for china bike in PA
 

I was told in PA by a notary place you need to purchase your bike from an in state dealer in PA so he can actually sign the MSO or MCO. Whether this holds true or not I don't know. The information was sketchy at best they being unsure. I talked to a former motorcycle dealer in PA as well as a notary.

They were not fond of china bikes or quads, they said they had a lot of electrical issues as well as issues with parts availability, and bolts breaking, such as the swing arm bolts.

I know they have nothing to gain bashing china bikes, but they were telling me about the issues that people who were looking for parts had.

These people in turn seeked them out in an effort to try to find parts.

Florida wants cc's
 

The only problem in Florida is the MSO must state the engine rating in CC's - not HP - So ask ahead of time if they can do it for you!

Look before you leap
 

Before you buy a mail order bike, please look through all the pages under registration issues for any postings that are pertinent to your state. It could save you some $ and aggravation.

NET

PENNSYLVANIA - NEW RULE.

NO VIN'S STARTING WITH "L" !!!

(sorry for yelling)


Link to story :

http://www.dealernews.com/dealernews....jsp?id=564901

Well, I hope this won't effect bikes already titled and registered. I got mine from out of state and only had minor problems. I can see what they're sayin' bout recalls, parts, warrenties, ect. But these china bikes have been around. We consumers should have the right to buy them and ride'em. I don't see the big deal, almost the same as building your own kit car, but way cheaper. Gotta love the Communistwealth of PA!

Better watch out! The Keystone Computer Cops might be watching :twisted:

Ride safely,
Tigertamer

Georgia wants nhtsa label, RPS magician vin number is invalid
 

Well. its a no go in Georgia now, they want an officer to verify the NHTSA label, My VIN number is invalid according to them and Gieco. TXpowersports was of no help at all. This brand damn new bike is no good to me now, nothing I can do. :doh: :doh: :doh:

Can you do a chargeback on your credit card? The owner of Txpowersports became a member here on chinariders a couple months back; perhaps you can revive one of the threads he posted on, and see if publicly bringing up the issue will get you a refund or a trade.

If worse comes to worse, since the bike(s) (plural bikes being the Magician and Hawk) are EPA certified as off-road, can you at least get a title if Georgia issues titles for off-road only bikes?

if you are up to it, you could also consider going the route of getting a SD title, registration and plate. I did that for my hawk, living in NC.

No title for off-road bikes in GA. and Txpowersports wants 30% restocking plus I pay return shipping. That's the fine print I did not read. I may start a thread "Don't buy in Georgia" or something, I asked and they only have 1 bike with a NHTSA label they sell. a little 125 or something.

I may try that, Georgia does require you change to a GA plate in like 30 days though, so that still may be no good.

Folks, for those of you having registration issues, specifically in Colorado, I just got mine done.

I had to register it as a custom built bike, and have a state assigned VIN. The NHTSA specifically lists this bike as off road use only.

I just finished the whole process, about 2 months end to end (wait times for paper work to be filed/returned and appointment scheduling).. Total cost to me (outside of time/gas) was about $100...

Not a huge deal, but I do wish that places like Texas Power Sports, and that dude from RPS specifically, would stop saying street legal... Technically it is correct, except the non-DOT compliant tires), however it is way misleading.. I think someone should look up the legality of what they are saying, vs. what is actually, legally, true....

Isn't there a form to fill out that lets you convert a dirt bike to street in CO?

That is essentially what I did - but it is more than a form.. It is actually several, a VIN inspection, a DOT/State Patrol safety inspection, more forms, waiting...waiting...waiting... and finally a VIN plate that gets issued and attached to your bike...

ripvw32 -

what bike did you register in colorado ?
a Hawk 250 is the one i want to but . and the holdup is not knowing
if it can be licensed at all here

I remember he has the Hawk

Florida - Titled 'n Tagged Magician 250 (RPS / Txpowersports)
 

It took the county clerk a while to complete the registration process (20 minutes me sitting across the desk/counter? With several back and forth queries and looking at MCO. Unclear if the "Make" of the cycle was in the database?) And a bit of a surprise; I thought we would need to walk out to the parking lot to validate the VIN, but no need. The stock cycle is now titled and tagged for street use in Florida. I transferred a tag from an earlier sold cycle.
My costs:
$24.60 - Tag fee for remaining 6 months of 2017
$76.14 - Florida sales tax
$73.50 - Florida title fee
$4.75 - Agency fee (county?)
=====
$178.99 - Grand Total

FL Motorcycle Registration Requirements:
MCO (Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin)
Bill of Sale
Drivers License
Proof of Insurance

Massachusetts - No problem!
 

Hawk 250 registered for road in MA. No problems at all!

Arizona No Problem 250 Hawk now titled and registered !
 

$88.68 paid title, sales tax and 1 yr registration. Clerk didn't even inspect the bike.........now street legal in AZ and titled as a 2017 RPS. Have insurance through USAA with Progressive for $68/yr

Jmcgee - I had a whole lot of back and forth with my DMV out here. PM me with where you live in GA and I'll do my best to walk you through the process. I have a Hawk with a title and tag, and it was only a little bit of frustration. Of course, I'm looking at it in the rearview mirrors of about 8 months now, so there's that... Let me know if I can help.

It was a few years back when I titled 'n taged my Qlink in rural GA. Registration was a breeze. However, the county did not collect sales tax... SOooo... the state of GA came back wanting the $75? in sales tax. I responded "it was an internet sale (from Columbus, GA) and thus not subject to sales tax" (note: since the sale was from an in-state vendor, I belatedly believe sales tax was due.) However, I did not hear back from GA... BUT... the state subsequently did place a lien on my house for the tax. Apparently the lien expired by the time I sold the house, no motorcycle / lien tax was taken during closing. (Anyway, GA if you are listening, I have you down in my will for those monies. :-) )

Shhh! Don't bring too much attention to us GA Hawk riders. There are only about three or four Hawks registered in the state, and we certainly don't want the officious red tapers and bean counters taking too close of a look, now do we? :ohno: I'm going out on the Hawk first thing tomorrow morning. I'm a little over two-thirds of the way through the stock rear tire, and I would like to get a new one hung on there before the move to Arizona.

Easy easy...register it in VT..mail in papers and check...no problem

Maine
 

Maine - Successful (note, in Maine bikes can be registered via the local town office if they are authorised to do so). Mine was a used but unregistered bike bought in New Hampshire, and I just presented the cert. of origin, insurance binder and bill of sale. Walked out with a plate and a registration tag, but still had to get its annual inspection, as I would with any other bike.I keep thinking it must have been illegal, because it was much too easy:)

I got my Pitster Pro LXR250 titled & tagged in NC a couple of months ago. :)

I was afraid it might not go through, but the nice lady at the DMV said "no problem".

Maryland MVA registration and titling for the Bashan Storm 250.

The company I bought it from "Smart Deals Now" in TX, goes by about 30 names it seems, was able to fax a "new" Bill of Sale to the MVA. My guess is that they wanted to see if it was a real company and not just some person selling them.

Long and short 304 bucks later and three trips (one of them my fault) I was able to get it registered.

Maryland needs:
1. Good MCO/MSO. Ask your seller for a good MCO not the one that ships with it.
2. Bill of Sale on Company letterhead. Best to have them fax them to your MVA office.
3. Proof of Insurance.
4. Your Class M license.

Wisconsin DMV
 

If anyone is buying a Hawk 250 in Wisconsin don't bring your paperwork to the DMV. They tried looking it up in their system and told me it was an ATV and it could not be licensed in state. Fortunetly Q9 Powersports in Madison, which is where I ordered mine online, is currently working on getting me plates now. I would encourage anyone in Wisconsin to buy directly from them and let them handle the registration process.

It was funny. The lady at the DMV told me I should return the bike.:hmm:

Pennsylvania
While I have not tried to register a bike with PA as of yet, I have done a lot of talking with PA, inspectors, and with others that have registered bikes with PA. However, that only makes me someone with an opinion and not of authority. Even so....

1. A number of folks in my area have been looking to convert their quads into street legal reverse trikes, or as PA calls them: autocycles. PA has repeatedly stated that if a vehicle has a VIN or certificates that desginates it as an off-road vehicle, no amount of modifications will allow you to make it a street vehicle. In short: You purchased a quad, it still remains a quad and cannot be used on roads (and other places).


2. Getting a bike from an online dealer or via overseas via some place like alibaba.com is going to be next to impossible to register in PA. Three things you'll have to do:


a. Have the sales receipt, b. Have the MSO/MCO, c. Have the California Carb compliance certificate.



Now regarding CARB, PA has recently gone to CARB compliance. This caused problems with some cars that were registered in the past year in other state having to get a firmware upgrade in order to comply (Kia being one of them - it happened to me). This CARB mandate also affects all imports such as bikes and reverse trikes. I have talked to three bike inspectors and they all say this is required.


3. Save up your bucks - its going to cost you! PA is terrible with registration fees, fees for this, fees for that, fees for being ugly (just kidding, but they would if they could and boy would I be in trouble). In short: having to register your new bike in PA could cost you hundreds of dollars. If you build a bike with imported parts you'll need MSO/MCO for each and every part, evidence you actually built the vehicle, money for the state police to verify everything and insure your ride is road worthy, and that is all before you even talk about getting it titled and tagged. One guy in New Castle, PA built his own and it cost him over $1,500.00 to get through the whole process.


4. You can't ride/drive it there. They will report you if you drive your ride to the inspection place or to the state police inspector's place. So be sure to have a friend with a truck and/or trailer to get it to each of the places.


5. If by astronomical chances you survive all of this, is it really worth it?? For me: No. While there are some nice looking Chinese bikes and reverse trikes I'll either buy one that is already in the state and titled and tagged, or I'll get the Can Am Ryker - which is where I'm leaning right now.



Closing:
Your ride must be CARB compliant. Have tons of paperwork, depending on what you bought and how you bought it. If you have to assemble it things will only go from bad to worse for you. The best way to get a chinese bike is to find one already tagged and titled in another state and buy it. PA then says thats OK as it has already passed some form of government approval and can be registered in PA. However, if the VIN is screwy, regardless of tags and title, you'll might hit a snag in PA.

I must be lucky then. I was out the door in 10 minutes with my tag. My MCO was from a Texas dealer, so they didn't even blink. My PA title came in under 2 weeks. L vin didn't matter my bike was in the computer and populated the info for the lady. I watched over her shoulder. That was a surprise !

But I've only done this once :D

Can anyone tell me if I am able to register my RPS Magician 250 in the state of Kentucky?

Is it a problem to get title in the state of Arkansas

2020 TBR7 registered in Indiana
 

I had no problems getting a 2020 TBR7, bought from txpowersports titled, plated, and registered here in NE Indiana. Just handed them the BOS, MCO, and my (progressive) insurance card. The lady did look at me funny and asked if it was a scooter, told her "Nope, it's a 250cc motorcycle." Took about 20 minutes, we verified the VIN and I was on my way. Do be aware though that you will have to pay Indiana sales tax since it was purchased from other than Indiana.

North Dakota all I needed was MSO and Bill of Sale. Took 10 minutes for my Magician.