Washington DC Auto Title Question

August 5, 2019 8:49 AM

Help us to figure out a way to retain ownership of our car in Vermont, while finding a way for our daughter to register the car in DC, so she can park on the street there.

Our daughter recently moved to Wash. DC. For the last 2 years she has been driving our car with Vermont plates. For various reasons we do not want to gift the car to her. In order to get a permit to park on the street she needs register it in DC and get DC plates. We can't figure out how to retain ownership of the car and have her get the plates. We found an online form for an out of state lien, but our Vermont title does not list a lien as the car is in our name. To change the title would take at least a month and a half. I will probably have to call the DC DMV but thought I would check here first. Thank you hive mind.

posted by Xurando to Law & Government (13 answers total)

Best answer: My understanding is that if she registers the car in DC, she would also need to transfer the title, though it's murky from their website. I think she is eligible for a reciprocity permit (click here if she's already gotten a ticket/warning) if she's legally a Vermont resident and a full-time student.
posted by jessamyn at 9:45 AM on August 5, 2019 [1 favorite]

Definitely have to title the car in DC to register it. They want you all-in.

If she's not a student, is there any chance that she's working for a Member of Congress? I *think* ... not sure, but think ... that Congressional staff can get reciprocity for this.

Just be aware in general that they are SUPER strict about this issue here, because as you can imagine there are quite a few people who come from elsewhere and want to do what you're asking about. Also, just FYI, in many cases the parking tickets for violating zoned street parking are higher than the parking tickets for overstaying a meter. It's a space-constrained city with A LOT of people who want to park. Prepare yourself for battle.
posted by mccxxiii at 9:54 AM on August 5, 2019

Response by poster: Not a student. We've paid for undergrad and grad school. That's why we don't want to gift her the car.
posted by Xurando at 9:56 AM on August 5, 2019

That's why we don't want to gift her the car.

Then it appears the options are to sell her the car or for you to register it in your name and put her on your insurance and the title. But I think the latter will cause more challenges for her in the future.
posted by terrapin at 10:11 AM on August 5, 2019 [1 favorite]

When we looked into this in North Carolina, there was an option for a nonresident to register a car that physically resided in state. So, you would hold title and you would register the car as being garaged at your daughter's location. I assume this is also possible in DC - you would have to contact the DMV. In NC was obscure enough that it was a subset of another form that covered 3-4 different situations. So, the title would be in DC but in your name, not hers.
posted by metahawk at 11:14 AM on August 5, 2019

Just add, what most governments are super strict about is cars that live in their jurisdiction but don't pay taxes. So if you live in Vermont but your car is residing in DC, I would think DC would be thrilled to have you register the car in state.
posted by metahawk at 11:17 AM on August 5, 2019

Most states (and DC!) have requirements that if it will be in the area for X amount of time it MUST be registered. For example, Vermont requires registration after 60 days of residence.
posted by terrapin at 11:22 AM on August 5, 2019

Yes this is such a common scenario for students and non-permanent residents that DC laws are very explicit about you NOT doing this. To park the car on the street in DC legally you will need that car to be registered in DC which requires the title. Although you may hit on some hassle-y workarounds, if she's going to be in DC much longer better to sell her the car, gift her the car, or reclaim the car back to VT and let her buy her own car.
posted by nkknkk at 11:54 AM on August 5, 2019 [3 favorites]

She is not going to be able to register the car unless her name is on the title, and neither will you since you aren't a resident. If you can't add her to the title as co-owner, she'll need to rent a parking spot.

If she genuinely needs a car in DC (most people do not), the easiest solution would honestly be to sell it to her and work out a payment plan. Given the way cars depreciate, letting her use it long term is pretty close to giving it to her outright anyway.
posted by veery at 4:37 PM on August 5, 2019 [2 favorites]

Not sure if it would meet your particular needs but setting up a private lease would allow you to retain ownership while giving control to your daughter. (scroll down to Why should I use a Vehicle Leasing Agreement?) DMVs are used to dealing with leased vehicles. And you could set it up to shield yourself from some liability if desired. Lease payments could be nominal.
posted by Mitheral at 5:32 PM on August 5, 2019 [1 favorite]

In DC the requirement is called Registration of Out-of-State Automobiles, usually shortened to ROSA. If she's not a college student and doesn't work for a member of Congress, she likely can't get a reciprocity permit, and it doesn't sound like she would qualify for a ROSA exemption. You can't get out of ROSA requirements without doing something like leasing the car to her as suggested above.

But really, as veery says above, most people in DC don't need to own cars. I haven't owned one in eight years, and I wasn't driving the one I owned for at least a year before that (when I went to my building's garage to start the process of getting rid of it, one tire was flat and the battery was dead, and I'd had NO IDEA). Before he died my dad tried to give me his car, and my mom has now tried a couple times too. If I commuted to certain suburbs I'd probably think pretty hard about owning a car again, but for now: nah. Not even a Jaguar I could own for the cost of registration and insurance. And gas, maintenance, and inevitable parking tickets.
posted by fedward at 10:37 PM on August 5, 2019 [2 favorites]

I assume this is also possible in DC

You assume wrong, AFAIK. This is not a state and our DMV is super-strict about this.

But yeah, as much as I enjoy having one just to get out of town, you don't really need a car in DC, and storing a car here is extremely expensive. If you're not willing to change the title you might just take the car back and tell her tough luck.
posted by aspersioncast at 2:04 PM on August 6, 2019

I assume you could transfer the car to a trust registered in DC but controlled by you. I assume this would cost a couple grand in legal fees. Not sure it would be worth the trouble. You could sell the car to her on a zero-interest basis, but anything like that you should be prepared to consider a gift, because you can get more money, but it’s hard to get another daughter.
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 8:03 PM on August 6, 2019 [1 favorite]