How to Buy a Car Out of State

When buying a used car from a private seller, you might want to shop across state lines to find the perfect vehicle. We’ll show you how to handle your cross-state transaction.

Buying a car remotely seems intimidating. People can think of all sorts of reasons why it’s a bad idea:


Each of these points is easily solved, and you can often get a much better deal with when you buy a car long-distance.

Shop private-party used vehicles for sale by owner on PrivateAuto. We simplify what was a complicated process and make it easy for you to buy an out of state vehicle securely and quickly.

While the process can vary slightly depending on your state’s unique requirements, here is the standard buying process for an out of state vehicle purchase:

1. Find your dream car at a reasonable price and make an offer (PrivateAuto, lets you offer less than the asking price, and the current owner can accept, reject, or counteroffer).
2. Have your funds ready (if you need to apply for used car financing, you can do so right in the PrivateAuto app; when approved, your profile will show “Verified Funds” so that the seller knows you mean business).
3. Get a vehicle history report (included in the seller’s PrivateAuto listing if they’ve opted for Premium).
4. Arrange a trusted car inspector to act as your agent and schedule a meeting between the inspector and seller. PrivateAuto has integrated Lemon Squad into our tech stack, so you can order a car inspection as a step within your PrivateAuto dealflow.
5. Order car transport. PrivateAuto has integrated with RunBuggy, so you can schedule secure vehicle shipping from within the PrivateAuto app as part of your transaction flow.
6. The inspector will perform a pre-purchase inspection and test drive the car on your behalf.
7. After the vehicle inspection turns up no issues, you and the seller sign the bill of sale in the PrivateAuto app. You’re now safe to pay since the seller has signed a legally-binding contract.
8. Pay for the car. Transfer any amount to the seller instantaneously via our integrated banking gateway, PrivateAuto Pay (works any time of day, any day of the week).
9. The seller signs the vehicle title over to you and hands it to the inspector, who will send it to you by certified mail.
10. The inspector ensures the car is loaded onto transport and shipped off to you.
11. You insure the vehicle. You can compare policies and get car insurance from your PrivateAuto dashboard, thanks to our Insurify integration. Or, you can call your insurance company and have them add the car to your existing policy.
12. Complete the registration process with your local DMV. You’ll also finish the title transfer, get new license plates, and pay any applicable vehicle sales tax.
13. Enjoy your car!

Find a car to buy. This is your first step, and it can be easy if you’re looking for a mass-market vehicle such as a Toyota Corolla. If you are looking for enthusiast, custom, or classic vehicles, you may need to expand your search nationwide and do a bit more digging.

You’re better off purchasing from a private party than from a dealership. Dealerships have the incentive to buy as low as possible and sell as high as possible; it’s how they make a profit. Plus, they charge additional fees, such as the “documentation fee” that’s usually a few hundred bucks. Avoid dealer fees and markup when you buy from a private seller.

Lucky for you, PrivateAuto has a wide selection of used vehicles for sale across the US. We offer security and many convenience features no other competitor has.

The best way to find used cars for sale by owner: go online and start browsing any of the many car-listing websites. Here are just a few examples of websites with cars for sale.


While these websites may have a lot of vehicles, they have serious shortcomings. Most of them mix dealer inventory with private sales, making it difficult for you to know whether you’re getting a private-party car or not. Even more importantly, all of them lack basic transactional infrastructure.

We call them "meetingplaces" because they introduce you to a private seller and leave the two of you to navigate all the complexities of the transaction on your own.

PrivateAuto is the world’s first and only fully transactional automotive marketplace, offering self-service technological solutions for every stage of the deal.

We have nothing against other listing sites. If you find the perfect car on one of them, good for you. But we want you to have the transactional security and convenience that our users enjoy.

That’s why DealNow was created. DealNow is the easiest way to close your own vehicle deal, anytime. It’s the safe and simple way to avoid fraud, sign documents, and instantly transfer money, all in one app. Invite the seller to DealNow and fast-track your transaction.

Some states have different requirements for an out-of-state car than one purchased in-state. When you buy an out-of-state vehicle, check with your local DMV for additional out-of-state paperwork and other requirements.

Almost every state will require the following at a minimum for out-of-state vehicle registration:


Many states require you to fill out an additional form for out of state purchases. Some will mandate an emissions test, while others won’t. Check with your local Division of Motor Vehicles (or equivalent organization in your state) to see what you need to do.

When buying an out-of-state car, you’ll need a plan for how to transport the vehicle legally to your home state. Options include:

1. Pay a professional transporter to ship the car to you (order RunBuggy shipping from your PrivateAuto service hub)
2. Travel to the car’s location and drive it home

The latter option gets tricky with interstate laws. Most states require the seller to remove the license plates from the car. You’ll need to research whether temporary license plates (temporary tags) will allow you to get the car home.

For example, in the state of Arizona, you can get a 3-day permit to drive an unregistered car after a private party car sale. But, some states don't allow this. As long as you are passing through states that allow temporary tags, the “drive the car yourself” option is doable—but it’s still a time-consuming hassle.

Car shipping allows you to save the money you would have spent on travel costs, and skip the hassle of interstate transport. Shipping costs money, sure, but it’s probably less than you think. Get a shipping quote from RunBuggy and see how easy it can be

Most states will require your vehicle to pass a safety inspection before you can drive it legally.

Safety testing is almost universally required, but different states have different emissions standards. In some states, you can't register your car until it passes an emissions test. Other states have eliminated emissions testing. Still others have emissions requirements for some classes of vehicles but not for others.

If you’re looking at a car that is subject to emissions testing, you may want to make sure it’s going to pass before you commit to purchasing it.

Talk to your local Department of Motor Vehicles or equivalent agency to make sure you’re covering your bases.

For obvious reasons, electric vehicles are exempt from emissions requirements.

A smart buyer will try to find out as much as they can about the car they’re getting in a private sale. A vehicle history report can help you avoid buying a bad used car.

PrivateAuto has partnered with AutoCheck, which delivers the best value for the price. AutoCheck gets its data from Experian and includes a host of data sources, such as the following:


Collecting from all these sources, AutoCheck reveals a wealth of info about the car’s history.


You could say we’re big proponents of buyers getting a vehicle history report.

Long-distance car transactions have historically relied on a third-party escrow service to ensure that neither party takes advantage of the other. When you use PrivateAuto, we give you escrow-like control and protection. Unlike an escrow service, PrivateAuto Pay is fee-free and instantaneous.


With PrivateAuto Pay, you act as your own escrow agent.

When buying a car out of state, you shouldn’t worry too much about asking the “right questions,” as a vehicle history report and a good inspection will bring hidden issues to light. If you’d like to, you can ask the previous owner the same questions you’d ask if they lived in your area.


You can communicate with the seller via the PrivateAuto app without ever revealing your contact info. This safeguard goes a long way toward protecting you from car-buying scams.