Owning a Vehicle

Rules may vary from State to State

Like having a driver's license, owning a vehicle means you have many responsibilities.

Your vehicle must be registered, inspected and insured.

Step One: Find a vehicle you can afford. This includes the Car Insurance, Gas and Oil, and normal maintance.

CAR INSURANCE will add a monthly cost of between $100 to $200 or more per month to that dream car of yours. $100 to 200.00 minimum a month just to be able to drive a car. If you want to drive to school it will be even higher.

This is just the beginning -You will be paying Automobile Insurance for the rest of your life.

OK so now you are sorry for backtalking your parents. Or you now have a part-time job to pay the insurance.

The old days of buying a "junker" are over.

States are passing laws in the name of the environment that will affectivley remove old cars from the road.

Here is what New York did so your state will not be far behind.

Inspection Station Customer Inspection stations are required to conduct a complete New York State (NYS) Vehicle Inspection in compliance with the NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law. As required by the federal Clean Air Act of 1990, NYS has implemented a new emissions test for most 1996 and newer vehicles.

This new test is part of the "Drive NY Clean" program and is designed to identify potential problems with your vehicle that might result in excessive and harmful exhaust emissions. With this new program, the state, inspection stations and motorists can work together to reduce vehicle emissions and promote healthier, cleaner air for the residents of New York.

The NYS Department of Motor Vehicles, in compliance with the US Environmental Protection Agency, has incorporated a nationally recognized test of the On-Board Diagnostic II (OBD II) system as part of your yearly inspection. The OBD II system is an electronic monitoring and warning system built into your vehicle that drives the Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) on your vehicle's dashboard. It is required by the Clean Air Act to be standard on all 1996 model year and newer light duty vehicles with a weight less than 8,501 lbs.

With the aid of electronic connections to your vehicle's OBD II system, a certified inspector will collect the results of the electronic monitoring and provide you with a report of this inspection. If your vehicle requires further service to pass inspection, the report provided to you will help a qualified, trained service technician determine the necessary repairs or adjustments to perform on your vehicle. You may have this work completed at the inspection facility or take the vehicle to a repair facility of your choosing.

You may request a written estimate for any work before it is performed. The repair shop may charge a reasonable fee for the estimate. Federal law requires vehicle manufacturers to provide warranty coverage on emissions components for two years or 24,000 miles and on the catalyst and computer for eight years or 80,000 miles. Check your owner's manual before having repairs performed.

If you choose to remove the vehicle from the inspection facility to make the repairs, a re-inspection fee may apply.

Basiclly - All of that save the rain forest and earth day religion stuff your 16 year olds have been getting since they were in Kindergarten is now paying off for the enviornment.

Cars with over 80,000 miles between 1996 ann 2005 models will be removed form the road.

But there are still some cheap used cars to be found.

REgistration:

A registration allows a vehicle to be driven on public highways. A title proves who owns the vehicle.

You must be at least 16 to register a vehicle. A new resident must obtain a registration within 30 days of establishing residence.

To register a vehicle, you must prove that you own the vehicle or that the owner authorizes you to register it, that the vehicle is insured, and that state and county sales taxes have been paid.

To Register a Vehicle

Be sure you have proper proofs of ownership, insurance and sales tax payment before you try to register a vehicle. If the proofs listed below are not available from the seller, contact a motor vehicle office before buying the vehicle.

When you register your vehicle, you will receive license plate(s), a registration receipt, and a sticker for the windshield or license plate. If you bought the vehicle from someone other than an auto dealer, you will also receive a ten-day inspection extension sticker. You must then have the vehicle in spected within 10 days after it is registered. If you bought the vehicle from a dealer, it should al ready have a valid inspection sticker.

When you buy a new or used vehicle from a dealer registered with DMV, the dealer may register the vehicle for you and give you a temporary registration and, if you need them, new license plates. The dealer may charge $10 for this service in addition to registration, plate and title fees.


Proof of Ownership

The proof of ownership for a brand new vehicle is a manufacturer's certificate of origin and a dealer's certificate of sale.

If the dealer does not register the vehicle for you, make sure you receive the ownership documents listed above. In any case, examine the ownership documents carefully before closing the deal.

When you buy a vehicle from someone other than a dealer, you should receive one of the following proofs of ownership

A Title or *Registration Receipt signed over to you.

*depends on the the year of the car and State Law.

You will also need proof of Insurance and Sales Tax.

Sales Tax will be collected by the car dealer or paid by you at the license office when you register the vehicle.

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This site is meant to enhance your learning of the Rules of the Road and is not intended to replace the Drivers Manual supplied by the Motor Vehicle Department of your State. Send mail to web master with questions or comments about this web site.

Copyright © 1998 GoLocalnet Last modified: July 1, 1999