Washington Out of State Car Purchase: 3 Points to Use to Your Advantage

Purchasing a car out of state is only a means to widen the currently available opportunities. The research and shopping around for models should of course be parallel to efforts you would take to purchase a car in your own state. However, navigating through different laws of different states can get tricky. Fortunately, for residents of Washington, there are only a few things to keep in mind before they make an out of state car purchase.

With over seven million people, Washington ranks as the thirteenth most populous state, among the 50 states of America. Also, being the 11th richest state in terms of income, sixty percent of Washington’s population resides in the metropolitan areas of Seattle. Therefore, having a heavy population and a large portion of that population earning comfortably, it is easy to run out of options when one goes to purchase a car within Washington.

When you are on the lookout for purchasing a car, it is always a good idea to branch out your search limit and cast a wider net by considering cars that are out of state. In the state of Washington, out of state car purchase is always beneficial option. Consider the following points that you can use to your advantage as you cross the Washington State boundaries and make an out of state car purchase.

Be Aware of the State Specific Certifications

Different states have different safety requirements for approving a car purchase; while some of them might be stringent, others may be lenient. For instance, California Air Resources Board (CARB) took the initiative of reducing emissions of cars by adopting a few set standards. The ‘CARB States’ that follow these standards include California, Arizona, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington – to name a few. Therefore, having complete knowledge of the state specific certifications becomes a prerequisite for an out of state car purchase.

Check Registration Information

Always make it a point to cross check with your auto dealership whether the car that you wish to purchase, can be legally registered in Washington. Some cars are designed to be used only in certain states, thereby, limiting their purchase. Only cars that are eligible to be sold in the 50 states of America and which have been certified by the Californian emissions standards can be registered in Washington. Asking your auto dealership in advance about the details of car registration can surely help you stay on the right side of the law.

Keep a Record of Sales Tax

Even though it is an out of state car purchase, you will be entitled to pay the sales tax that is prevalent in your native state, since that is the state that the car is registered in. Washington requires you to pay 6.8 percentage of sales tax on the purchase of a car. Therefore, if you happen to buy a car from California, the sales tax of which is 7.5 percentage, you will still pay 6.8 percentage of sales tax that is prevalent in Washington. Additionally, you should maintain a copy of all the sales tax receipts that are paid to show the Title and Registration office, if required.

Purchasing your dream car is a personal and expensive decision. Settling for another car, simply because of the unavailability of your dream car is no more a limiting boundary. Widen your options beyond Washington and keep the above points in mind as you set out to make an out of state car purchase.