Classic Car Dealers in Nevada

In Nevada the state DMV issues the title, a private sale carries no sales tax, and the car's age decides most of the rest: plates, smog checks and registration cost all turn on it. Settle the title first, because the DMV will not register a car on a bill of sale alone.

Titling the car

Nevada has no county title offices; the DMV issues every title. Buying from a private seller, the seller signs the title exactly as the owner's name appears on it, and the buyer prints their name as it appears on their driver license. If the title lists two owners joined by "AND", both must sign; if it says "OR", either can. You then register the car at a DMV office, which the DMV puts at within 30 days of purchase, with Nevada insurance in the exact name on the title. A change of ownership costs about $28 in title fees, and the DMV does not say what happens if you miss the 30 days. You can drive straight home for up to three days on the signed title and Nevada insurance; after that a 30-day movement permit costs $1.00 online.

The DMV is blunt about missing titles: do not buy from a private seller who cannot produce a title in their name. If it happens anyway, Nevada has a bonded title. You apply through the Title Research Section in Carson City and buy a surety bond that is usually 1.5 times the car's original retail price, and the "Bonded" brand comes off after three years if nobody makes a claim. For a 2010 or older car last titled in Nevada, a bill of sale with an application for a duplicate title is also an accepted route. For 2011 and newer cars a paper title and odometer entry are required.

A seller may not sell more than three personally owned vehicles a year without a dealer license, so a seller with a steady stream of cars is a dealer skipping the paperwork.

Cars from another state

A car brought into Nevada needs a VIN inspection before it can be registered or titled. It is done at a DMV office, by a sworn law enforcement officer or by an authorized business using form VP 015. Bring Nevada insurance (out-of-state insurance is not accepted), the current registration, the odometer reading, the out-of-state plates and an emissions report if the car is based in Clark or Washoe County. New residents have 30 days to register.

Classic, Old Timer and Classic Rod plates

• Classic Vehicle plates are for a passenger car or light non-commercial vehicle made at least 25 years before the application, with only original or duplicate-original parts.
• Old Timer plates are for any non-commercial vehicle more than 40 years old, including motorcycles, and cannot be personalized.
• Classic Rod plates are for cars made in 1949 or later and at least 20 years old.
• The rules are the same for all three: insurance designated for classic or antique vehicles (a declarations page at the first application and every renewal), no more than 5,000 miles a year, and use limited to exhibitions, parades, tours, club activities and maintenance. General transportation and commercial use are not allowed. First-time applications are made in person at a DMV office.
• Fees: the application forms show $35 to start and $10 to renew on top of regular registration, plus a one-time $7 pollution control fee when the car is exempted from smog testing.
• Plates stay with the seller. The seller can pass classic plates to the buyer with a plate release form signed in person at the DMV, and registration credit does not transfer.

Emissions

Smog checks apply only to the urban areas of Clark County (the Las Vegas Valley) and Washoe County (Reno and Sparks), and only to 1968 and newer vehicles. Model year 1967 and older are exempt. A car with classic, Old Timer or Classic Rod plates is also exempt if the owner certifies 5,000 miles or less a year on form EC 018; go over that and a passing test is required and the car cannot be re-registered as a classic. In a private sale the test is the buyer's responsibility, and a test is valid for 90 days.

Sales tax and registration costs

• Nevada charges no sales tax on private party sales, family sales or gifts.
• Buying from a Nevada dealer, you pay sales tax to the dealer on the purchase price. The state minimum is 6.85% and local rates run higher, up to 8.375% in Clark County.
• Buying out of state, you must show sales tax was paid to Nevada or the other state when you register. If not, Nevada consumer use tax is due at the county rate, with credit for tax paid elsewhere.
• Registration adds a Governmental Services Tax, 4% of a value that starts at 35% of the original retail price and depreciates each year (minimum $16), plus a $33 registration fee. Clark County adds a supplemental 1%.

Salvage titles, dealers and private sellers

A car is salvage in Nevada when repairs would exceed 65% of its value before the damage, or when it is flood damaged or non-repairable. An orange salvage title cannot be registered, and the car cannot be sold to a private individual, until it is rebuilt, inspected and retitled as Rebuilt. Nevada dealers are licensed by the DMV. A used vehicle dealer selling a car with 75,000 miles or more must inspect the engine and drivetrain and disclose known defects in writing, and an "as is" sale removes implied warranties. A dealer who willfully fails to deliver a title risks its license. Check the VIN against the title, run a history report and never accept a bill of sale in place of a title.

Sources: Nevada DMV (title and ownership, bonded title, registering a vehicle, new resident guide, registration fees, classic plates, emission control program, salvage vehicles, Registration and Title Guide, plate forms SP 12, SP 20 and SP 34) and the Nevada Department of Taxation (sales tax, consumer use tax, rate components). Rules and fees change; confirm with the DMV before you buy.