I have no desire to drag GP through the mud on this, although I don't feel knowledgeable enough to know one way or the other. They got me a clear GA title just like they said they would, and I don't think it falls on them to make sure my state isn't a bunch of idiots. I think it could have gone smoother with them, and I have my criticisms of how they handled things, but overall the job got done.
I will say that when I filled out the title form three of the spots were: Sales price, processing fee, sales tax.
When I put GP's transaction fee in the box that said processing fee, that was a big thing that made the DMV clerk's eyes pop open, probably since that was a much higher "processing fee" than she's used to seeing. She asked to see the invoice, upon receiving the invoice and seeing GovPlanet on the letterhead they started changing the conversation to "DMV headquarters says all GovPlanet vehicles must go through them".
It's my opinion that I'm up against a DMV that is trying to declare all Humvees as "Off Road Use Only" because they've read papers like the one Michigan put out. When I challenged them on that and could show them that my truck was never "Off Road Use Only" they are being stubborn and wanting to stick to their original word, so they took a day or two and came up with the FMVSS excuse. Now since I got my title and plates, I'm letting it lie and not pushing the DMV further unless they poke back. However, my congressman is.
In the end, I have to know an answer because I plan on putting money into this truck, and I do not want to be sitting in a limbo waiting for some bureaucrat to bring the hammer down onto the pinnacle of my vehicle dreams and a large chunk of my family's financial future.