Buying a car

[Ariel & Claus 0]

I dont know if this is the right place to post this.

I have my consulate interview tomorrow and hopefully everything will work out fine. I then plan to arrive in the US on June 1 and one of the first things I plan to do is to buy a car. Is there anything I need to know?

I know my Danish driver's licence makes it legal for me to drive a car in the US - but do I need to get a US driver's licence before I can buy one? How about insurance? Etc.

So I guess my question is: Where do I start if I want to buy a car?

Ps. It's of course always an option just buying it in my wife's name, but I wanna be all manly and get it in my name. Hehe. :-)

[dreed 4]

I dont know if this is the right place to post this.

I have my consulate interview tomorrow and hopefully everything will work out fine. I then plan to arrive in the US on June 1 and one of the first things I plan to do is to buy a car. Is there anything I need to know?

I know my Danish driver's licence makes it legal for me to drive a car in the US - but do I need to get a US driver's licence before I can buy one? How about insurance? Etc.

So I guess my question is: Where do I start if I want to buy a car?

Ps. It's of course always an option just buying it in my wife's name, but I wanna be all manly and get it in my name. Hehe. :-)

The answers to your questions depend on which state you're in. But, most states have adopted the "Model Vehicle Code" to one degree or another, so state laws are somewhat uniform with respect to motor vehicles and drivers. My answers below are based on my knowledge of the states I've most recently lived in: California, Nevada and Washington.

First, your Danish driver license makes it legal for you to drive in the US up to the point you become a resident of a US state. At that point, you need to have a valid driver license from the state you are resident in. In other words: your Danish license is good as long as you are a tourist, but it is not valid once you move to the US. Fortunately, many states have a simplified driver license process for those who have held a valid license elsewhere, even internationally, so hopefully your state is one of them. Download the driver guide from your state's DMV website, read it once then go take the test. It's easy.

As for insurance, if you finance any part of buying a car, the dealer (on behalf of the lendor) will require proof of insurance before they allow you to drive the car off their lot. Insurance is generally required by state law anyway, so I recommend contacting an insurance agent and have his number programmed into your cell phone. If you make arrangements up-front, you may be able to call and get a policy issued on the spot once you settle on which car to buy.

So, where do you start? Here's my advice: (1) get a driver license in the state you become resident, (2) discuss your plan to purchase a car with an insurance agent and they will tell you the best way to proceed in your state, then (3) go buy your car. I am suggesting this order because it is likely you will not get insurance with a foreign driver license, and it is also likely that the dealer will not let you take the car without providing proof of insurance.

Remember - the laws on this can be a bit different from state to state, so the first place you should check is your state's DMV (department of motor vehicles) website.

[Ridcully41 1]

i'm pretty sure that your danish licence will not be valid once you become an LPR in the USA. i know that my UK licence will not be valid once(if ever, come on NVC sort it out)i become an LPR .i was informed of this by my wifes aunt who works for the DMV as my UK licence is only valid if i enter the USA as tourist not as an LPR, apperently once you become an LPR you have to have a licence for the state you reside in. Of course i'm only going by what my wife's aunt has told but considering she works there i'm pretty sure she is right.

[CarrieC 7]

And the US does not recognize foreign licenses so be prepared to pay a pretty penny for auto insurance. In NC, it is extremely expensive so be prepared.

[AllYouCanEat 3]

Yeah, with a foreign driver's license insurances will pretty much treat and charge you like an inexperienced driver. So be prepared to pay a lot.

I would also start with the driver's license and then buy a car.

We paid cash for ours so we didn't have to deal with financing, which made things a little easier.

Once you're ready to buy, I recommend to contact dealerships per email first to tell them what you're looking for, playing each other out.

If you just go into the dealership to buy you will experience the typical game that they play with all customers that can last half a day. Better take the short cut online.

Good luck!

[Ariel & Claus 0]

Thanks everyone for your answers! Will definitely get the driver's license taken care of first!

[Ariel & Claus 0]

I'm reading on the Oregon DMV website about the drive test. It says they want proof of insurance before I can take the drive test. It's like a catch 22. "Get driver's license to get cheap insurance. Get insurance to get driver's license." Haha. Do you have any experience with this?

[milimelo 4,481]

Does your wife have auto insurance? Have her put you on the insurance as a driver. Then get a drivers license.

I'm reading on the Oregon DMV website about the drive test. It says they want proof of insurance before I can take the drive test. It's like a catch 22. "Get driver's license to get cheap insurance. Get insurance to get driver's license." Haha. Do you have any experience with this?

[Ariel & Claus 0]

That's a good idea! Thanks.

[milimelo 4,481]

That's a good idea! Thanks.

When I first got here my husband added me to insurance and then we went to buy a car (had DL 6 months before). In my own name, I could not get a car financed so my husband co-signed it with me. Back then we got 4% APR from Toyota financing and both our names on the credit so it was useful for both credit reporting and for ROC time. We also made sure to have extra two payments paid so if anything happened we wouldn't fall behind on the car rate and then we'd pay more whenever we had some extra money. This in turn helped us pay off car in 3 yrs vs 5 yrs originally financed.

You can get lower rates from a credit union but as I was brand new as an immigrant the rate was higher.

One thing I learned - the dealership will try to sell you things you don't need - upholstery and paint protection (around $900 which you can do yourself for a lot less), extended warranty - car is already under 5 yr manufacturer warranty - be very careful what is listed and thoroughly research and google before car buying. Try with "things car salesman won't tell you", "unnecessary dealer add-ons", car buying advice...

Try here - it's a myfico forum and there's a member who I guess works in auto loan industry or is in a dealership and can tell you what sort of financing you can get based on your situation. Members on this forum will tell you to never co-sign a loan but my husband and I knew we'll both be responsible and would not get another in trouble with credit.

http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/Auto-Loans/bd-p/autoloans

[AllYouCanEat 3]

Probably too late for you, Ariel & Claus, but one of the blogs I'm reading just posted an article about this topic.

http://liveworktravelusa.com/how-to-buy-a-car-without-the-hassle/

[NickD 203]

Like it or not, your wife is your sponsor, have to rely upon her, maybe a difference if a man is a sponsor. Wife wanted to bring her beloved Toyota here, but with two strikes against that. First, did not meet our EPA emission standards, second, Chavez wouldn't let her do that. No problem, will buy you a new car.

In checking with Wisconsin DMV, would never issue her a license until she received her green card, but she good drive her with an international license, so she got that from her home country. Next issue was insurance, that surprised me, getting married our rates went down. Guess they figured as a married guy would no longer be attending bars getting drunk and chasing wild woman.

In buying a new car, no problem with adding her name to our title, only wanted to see one driver's license, mine. And in the future with the USCIS they want to see legal evidence with joint names on it. On the title was Mr OR Mrs. that was very good evidence. When she finally got her green card, she could then apply for a Wisconsin drivers' license, but even though accident free, was only issued a probationary license.

Ha that was a fiasco, DMV closed down many local offices, had to get on the internet to make an appointment as far as 120 miles away for a reasonable date for the driver's test. Wife was a manual transmission girl and that is what she wanted. Flunked her first test, shifted into second gear making a wide left turn. After waiting several weeks, tried again, this time she let the engine rev to 7,000 rpm, but didn't use hand over hand steering. Could see that driving an old Cadillac with 12 turns lock to lock, this car only required 1 1/2 turns lock to lock, barely had to turn the wheel 20 degrees to make that turn, but flunked again. Finally convinced her to drive one of my automatic transmission cars, we went over the same route several times, then she finally passed.

Then when her licensed expired was during the removal of conditions stage, and all she had was an expired conditional green card with that crazy one year extension notice. DMV agent said, and I quote, "what in the hell is that"? Took a week of me explaining to our new state immigration officer that didn't know a darn thing about immigration, before that finally let her get her eight year permanent drivers' license.

[markonline1 11]

I bought a car before I had a CA license. I also took insurance through Geico who accepted my NCB as proof of my driving record and ended up with a reasonable premium.