• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

Wife wants me to do the unthinkable due to the Florida DMV debacle!

Green Mountain Boys

Active member
114
245
43
Location
Vermont
In Vermont, If a vehicle is more than 15 years old, no title is required to register the vehicle. You only need a bill of sale to register. The bill of sale could be scribbled on a napkin. You can also get a new title if you want one, you just fill out a form and provide a bill of sale. After registering the vehicle you are required to get the vehicle inspected at any garage to be sure the brakes work, lights work and there is not an excessive amount of rust that would affect vehicle safety. The garage issues a State Inspection Sticker that is displayed on the windshield and is good for 1 year. There are no emission tests. If you remove or disable existing emissions equipment the garage should fail the vehicle for inspection.
I guess we are lucky here, the DMV folks generally try to do their best to help people.
 

springer1981

Well-known member
844
1,150
93
Location
Maine
In Vermont, If a vehicle is more than 15 years old, no title is required to register the vehicle. You only need a bill of sale to register. The bill of sale could be scribbled on a napkin. You can also get a new title if you want one, you just fill out a form and provide a bill of sale. After registering the vehicle you are required to get the vehicle inspected at any garage to be sure the brakes work, lights work and there is not an excessive amount of rust that would affect vehicle safety. The garage issues a State Inspection Sticker that is displayed on the windshield and is good for 1 year. There are no emission tests. If you remove or disable existing emissions equipment the garage should fail the vehicle for inspection.
I guess we are lucky here, the DMV folks generally try to do their best to help people.
To add to what he said, the inspection is only required if the vehicle is driven in Vermont. Inspection laws are not enforced state to state. If you register it in Vermont and drive it in Florida no inspection would be required. You should have insurance since most states require proof of insurance. There are some grey areas but I wouldn't press my luck if you get stopped. The issue will be that your name and address will be on the registration and your plates will be from Vermont. Some states require your vehicles to be registered in the state of residence with in a certain amount of time of moving there. I think Florida is one of those states. You might need a good explanation if you get stopped.
 

FlameRed

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
345
527
93
Location
Florida
One of the great things of Florida is there are no vehicle inspections whatsoever. Yeah, we have all these construction vehicles that dump their 20 foot step ladders across two lanes of interstate traffic, and kill a few people - but inspections won't help that.

Florida state agencies used to be pretty friendly. Seems now they all just act like they are Washington power hungry bureaucrats.

But at least I might be able to obtain a clean title to sell it for something more than scrap.
 
Last edited:

dmetalmiki

Well-known member
5,523
2,028
113
Location
London England
I don't want to be banned, but my wife demands I immediately send my sweet M998 that was just delivered this week to the junk yard! I received it in better condition than I expected from a private out-of-state seller that had it tagged there. It runs great, no leaks, great driver, just needs a set of tires in a few thousand miles. So I hoped to get his title transferred in my name.

My mistake was taking my wife with me to the DMV.

So we take over his signed out-of-state title, with a odometer and VIN inspection signed (more $ for that), to the Florida DMV and after waiting an hour and half for our appointment they conducted a lengthy review of their higher ups and they wrote in ink on the front of the title "Cannot be titled in the State of Florida" and they handed it back to me. Before I go balistic, and I asked how can I get it titled and tell me to take it to the State DMV office they cannot do anything more for me and ruined the title I had in hand. WTF?

We travel to the state office and after waiting an hour in the next office, the head guy comes out and tells us it can only be titled after he personally inspects it and he will fill out some form that will enable them to issue a title to me so I can sell it. I don't have a tag on it and he says to either get it towed to his office or get a 10 day temp tag. So we get back in line for the 3rd time that day to get a temp tag and cannot be seen before they close. No temp tag to take it in for them to inspect.

We had enough! We left.

So the wonderful POS DMV left me with a title I cannot transfer to sell the vehicle to someone else ever.

I call a HUMVEE dealer in the state and he gives me some advice: Don't take it in for their inspection or they will classify it off-road only and end up issuing a title that will make the M998 almost worthless.

Six hours going through this ordeal with rude, power hungry bureaucrats and my wife is about to have a nervous breakdown. She wants me to call a junk yard and have them tow it away for scrap! Total loss?

I would like to get a title in my name so I can sell it and possibly recoupe some $ rather than taking it to a junk yard and getting $500 they give out for carcusis. I won't get into any other discussions as I don't want to be banned from here. But if anyone in Florida has any advice for me on how to get a clean title so I can sell it, I hope you can PM me without getting into any trouble.

Thanks in advance.
WOW..Sympathies....I won't click 'LIKE'..cos' I don't!
What a mess.
Bit late, but, perhaps you should have done some investigating first.
And (Also a bit "Late")..NEVER but never take any one else to a dvla (or DMV) as the case applies.
And, If you are going to 'willingly' face KNOWN hassles and complications..sorry...But (unwise ( and )) do not impose them on "another" person.
 

Green Mountain Boys

Active member
114
245
43
Location
Vermont
To add to what he said, the inspection is only required if the vehicle is driven in Vermont. Inspection laws are not enforced state to state. If you register it in Vermont and drive it in Florida no inspection would be required. You should have insurance since most states require proof of insurance. There are some grey areas but I wouldn't press my luck if you get stopped. The issue will be that your name and address will be on the registration and your plates will be from Vermont. Some states require your vehicles to be registered in the state of residence with in a certain amount of time of moving there. I think Florida is one of those states. You might need a good explanation if you get stopped.
Yes that is correct. I should have made that clear. Vermont vehicle inspection would only be enforced in Vermont.

Prior to Vermont vehicle inspection many cars and trucks on the road were so rusty pieces would fall off while driving down the road. I know of a front wheel drive car that was going up a steep hill and the car broke in half right behind the driver's seat and front passenger seat. Yup, completely broke in 2 pieces due to rust. The car was being driven by a young women who was not foolin around.
Another example: I was at the mechanic's shop and they put a small pickup truck on the lift to do the state inspection. When they put the truck up on the lift, the frame bent in the middle pinching the front of the pickup bed to the back of the cab. That truck got a fast pass to the junk yard.
 

juanprado

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
5,614
2,922
113
Location
Metairie/La (N'awlins)
My son moved to New Hampshire where they also do the inspections to the 9th degree. Shock from what he had in NC or here in La.
At least in his case, I think these inspection are a cash cow to independent mechanics to prey on motorists as they have little recourse.
 

Retiredwarhorses

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
4,400
4,181
113
Location
Brentwood, Calif
When I went to the second DMV (state) office of the day, and waited an hour for the head beurocrat to come out to exert his authority, we asked if we could have it treated as a Antique Military Vehicle. He asked if we had any pictures of it and we showed him one on our phone.

He then stated that it could not be considered an Antique Military Vechile even through it met the age criteria because he could see it had two modificiation: It was repainted and it had different tires. He stated in Florida they cannot be modified in any way to qualify. And if you put it back to original they do not qualify either.

So we asked if we it would qualify as a rat rod, hot rod, or one of the others and he wanted us to bring it in for his personal inspection so, we are told, he could officially classify it as off road and make it totally worthless. Then evidently he would be happy to issue a title for a worthless vehicle.
Making it off hwy only does not render the hmmwv worthless….
And I’m sorry, I’m in agreement that if the FMV is NOT in its original configuration, it should not classify as historical.
 

TOBASH

Father, Surgeon, Cantankerous Grouch
Steel Soldiers Supporter
Supporting Vendor
3,582
3,488
113
Location
Brooklyn, NY
Just state that the original wheels are getting restored as they were dangerous and needed to be fixed and you threw on another set of wheels just to keep her mobile. Also, a model A or T is still historical even without wooden wheels so I’m not sure the person you spoke with has a leg to stand on.
 
Last edited:

Action

Well-known member
3,576
1,557
113
Location
East Tennessee
Just state that the original wheels are getting restored as they were dangerous and needed to be fixed and you threw on another set of wheels just to keep her mobile. Also, a model A or T is still historical even without wooden wheels so I’m not sure the person you spoke with has a leg to stand on.
I think he was saying it cannot be registered as a former military vehicle, since it gas been modified.
 

FlameRed

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
345
527
93
Location
Florida
Also, I believe Vermont is no longer registering hmmwv’s, they rejected my last with a letter stating they no longer will issue registration on them. Previously I had done many…
ARGH! I just mailed it. Figures, my luck. Maybe they will take pity on me and just give me give me a clean title. Hard to believe they would turn down a juicy sales tax check. I don't care about plates anymore. If not, I guess I have to wait for them to return my screwed up title Florida ruined and try Plan C. Unless they shred everything!

how about a pic of the truck
20220111_141205.jpg
 

Badbronc78

New member
4
5
3
Location
Oregon
Wow what a joke. I live in Oregon and I will never move to Florida but a lot of other states are having similar issues with the government agencies being out of control. Its a sad state of affairs right now. Very sorry for what you are going through, that is just not right. Maybe all the military vehicle owners in Florida need to do some kind of protest. Good luck with everything.
 

Retiredwarhorses

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
4,400
4,181
113
Location
Brentwood, Calif
Wow what a joke. I live in Oregon and I will never move to Florida but a lot of other states are having similar issues with the government agencies being out of control. Its a sad state of affairs right now. Very sorry for what you are going through, that is just not right. Maybe all the military vehicle owners in Florida need to do some kind of protest. Good luck with everything.
Oregon had to pass a Law…HMMWV‘s are issued basically Historical Plates.
 

Retiredwarhorses

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
4,400
4,181
113
Location
Brentwood, Calif
ARGH! I just mailed it. Figures, my luck. Maybe they will take pity on me and just give me give me a clean title. Hard to believe they would turn down a juicy sales tax check. I don't care about plates anymore. If not, I guess I have to wait for them to return my screwed up title Florida ruined and try Plan C. Unless they shred everything!



View attachment 856215
Vermont Does not issue titles on vehicles over 15yrs old…or at least didn’t, but to get a title, it needs to be Vin Verified in Vermont I believe, don’t quote me on that though.
 
Top