US documentation lead times (Title & tags)

[Famous Graham]

Hey folks,

I'm currently travelling through the US and I bought myself a beater in Seattle about a month ago. I gave the dealership my mum's UK address for the title, and the address of the hostel I'm in, in LA, for the new tags (old ones ran out a week ago and they included renewal in the sale).

Neither have arrived, so my car is currently "untagged" and languishing in a carpark. I also have a limit to how long I can stay here (not to mention the fact it's costing me money) as the hostel has limits on continuous stays.

So, can anyone give me an idea of how long it usually takes for a title to get processed and mailed out? And how long it should take tags to get generated and mailed?

Also, can I contact (the DMV I guess?) someone somewhere directly to try and sort it out or do I need to keep hassling the dealership?

Cheers for any help that anyone can give.

[Matt Harper]

You might have a bit of a problem here - In FL the tags go to the addy on the title - always.
How do you insure a car in the US when the title's been sent abroad?

[Famous Graham]

You err don't.

As I've discovered.

Which is why it's languishing in a car park while I frantically try and get hold of everything

In a delicious slice of irony, the carpark it's in, is above a police station

[Matt Harper]

I'm not trying to be a smart-ass, but I think that without a US address, you're somewhat fukced. DMV won't issue tags without an insurance policy on file. I don't think you can get insurance without a US address on the title document. I think you're going to have to get the title back from Blighty and find someone with a CA postal address to do all this through.
Finally, sacrifice a day and take a US driving test. There are but few insurance companies that will cover a non US license holder. Lack of a US social security number is yet another issue.
However, driving a clunker on out of state plates with expired tags and no insurance will have five-oh all over you like a cheap suit.

[Famous Graham]

Tis all sorted - spent an instructive half an hour with the plod (of my own volition, I might add - the station is across the street from the hostel).

New tags were included in the sale of the car - they just haven't reached me yet. So as I have that on the invoice from the dealership, that's fine for at least a couple of months.

Insurance is sorted via an independent local broker that's sourced me a month by month policy of the mandatory minimum at 58 bucks a month.

So now I'm legal, the only embuggerance is to get the actual title and tags to me so that I can sell the car on in a month or so.

[K50 DEL]

Famous Graham said:

Tis all sorted - spent an instructive half an hour with the plod (of my own volition, I might add - the station is across the street from the hostel).

New tags were included in the sale of the car - they just haven't reached me yet. So as I have that on the invoice from the dealership, that's fine for at least a couple of months.

Insurance is sorted via an independent local broker that's sourced me a month by month policy of the mandatory minimum at 58 bucks a month.

So now I'm legal, the only embuggerance is to get the actual title and tags to me so that I can sell the car on in a month or so.

Graham

Can you let me have the name of the broker please as I'll be doing the same as you shortly.
I assume that you stayed on your UK license?