How to Buy a Used Car (2027): A Step-by-Step Guide, Checklist and What to Look For

How to Buy a Used Car, Step by Step

Buying a used car takes nine steps, from setting a budget to registering the car. Do them in order: the checks on the car come before any talk about price, and the price is settled before you reach the finance office. Each step links to its own part.

1. 1Set a whole-deal budget and get pre-approved
2. 2Research reliability and price
3. 3Find the car
4. 4Run the VIN and the history check
5. 5Inspect it and test drive it
6. 6Get a pre-purchase inspection
7. 7Negotiate the out-the-door price
8. 8Review the paperwork and the finance office
9. 9Close, insure and register

1. Set a whole-deal budget and get pre-approved for financing

Start with the total you are willing to pay, not the monthly payment you would like. A payment can be made to fit almost any car by stretching the loan over more months, and the longer loan is where the cost hides. The total includes the price, sales tax, title and registration, the dealer's documentation fee (its charge for doing the paperwork) if you buy from a dealer, and, if you are financing, the interest across the whole loan. Then add what comes after the sale: insurance (get a quote on the specific models you are considering), fuel, and the maintenance a car of that age and mileage will soon need, such as tires, brakes or a timing belt.

If you are financing, apply at your own bank or credit union before you visit a seller. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) says dealer-arranged financing can cost more than going to a bank or credit union before you shop. A pre-approval tells you what you can borrow and at what rate, and gives the dealer a rate to beat. If the dealer beats it, take the dealer's offer; if not, you already have your loan. In a private sale the pre-approval matters even more, because there is no finance office. Ask your lender how it pays a private seller, and how it handles a car that still has a loan on it (a lien, which is the lender's claim on the car).

Got a trade-in? Get a written offer from an outside buyer or two before you shop, so you know its real number. And know your payoff: if you owe more than the car is worth (negative equity), the shortfall does not disappear in a trade; it moves into the new loan. The trade-in section of the negotiation guide covers the math.

2. Research reliability and what the car should cost

Narrow the field to two or three models that fit how you drive, then research each one at the model-year level, because reliability changes from one year to the next as engines, transmissions and electronics change. Look for owner-reported reliability ratings, the known problem areas for that generation, and the maintenance due at that mileage. Check the model's crash-test ratings and recall history with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). A model with a known transmission or engine issue is not automatically a bad buy, but it changes what you ask the seller and what you ask the mechanic to look at.

For price, set the asking price aside and look at what comparable cars (same year, trim, drivetrain, mileage band and condition) are listed for in your area. Pull a handful of listings and note the range, then check a pricing guide as a second reference. That range is the number every later conversation is measured against.

3. Find the car: dealers, private sellers and online retailers

Used cars come from franchised dealers (the brand stores, which also sell certified pre-owned cars), independent used-car lots, online retailers that deliver, and private sellers. The trade-offs are set out in dealer vs. private seller below. Whatever the source, read the listing for what it leaves out: no VIN, no photo of the odometer or the engine bay, "clean title" with no title in the seller's name, or a price well under every comparable listing. Each is a reason to ask before you drive anywhere.

Call or message before you go: whether the car is still available, whether the title is in the seller's name and in hand, whether there is a loan on it, why it is being sold, and whether you can take it to your own mechanic. The full list, with what a good answer sounds like, is on questions to ask when buying a used car.

4. Run the VIN and the vehicle history check before you see the car

Get the 17-character vehicle identification number from the seller and run it before you spend time on a test drive. Start with the free federal data: a free VIN check decodes the VIN and shows the recalls, specs and NHTSA crash-test ratings for that year, make and model, so you can confirm the car matches the listing. Whether a recall is still unrepaired on this particular car is a VIN lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Recall repairs are free at a dealer for that brand, but federal law does not stop a dealer from selling a used car with an open recall, so check it yourself.

Then get a vehicle history report. A good one draws on the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS), the federal title database that state motor vehicle agencies, insurers and salvage yards report to, so a brand applied in one state can show up even after the car was retitled in another. It also shows reported accidents, odometer readings over time, ownership and use history, and, where an insurer sold the car at a salvage auction, the auction record and damage photos. If the seller hands you a report, check that the VIN on it is the VIN on the car.

A history report is a record of what was reported. NMVTIS itself does not hold a car's repair history, and a collision fixed without an insurance claim may never appear anywhere, which is why step six exists. What a report does well is the things that are hard to see on the car: a salvage, flood or buyback brand, a mileage reading that went backward, a life as a rental. Any brand on the title is explained on the branded title page.

5. Inspect the car yourself and take a real test drive

See the car in daylight, dry, and ideally with the engine cold, because a cold start shows noises, smoke and hard starting that a warm engine hides. If you arrive and the hood is warm, ask why. Walk around it with the used car checklist, then drive it for at least twenty minutes on the kinds of roads you drive: stop-and-go traffic, a highway merge, a rough stretch, a hard stop, tight turns in a parking lot, and reverse. Turn the radio off and listen.

Before you leave, match the VIN in three places: the plate at the base of the windshield, the sticker on the driver's door jamb, and the title or registration. They must agree with each other and with your history report. If they do not, stop there.

6. Get a pre-purchase inspection by an independent mechanic

A pre-purchase inspection (PPI) is a mechanic you chose, with no stake in the sale, putting the car on a lift and checking it properly. It finds what you cannot see: leaks, worn suspension parts, frame or underbody damage, stored trouble codes, overdue maintenance and signs of collision repair. Independent shops do them, and some mobile inspectors will meet you at the seller. Ask for a written report with a cost estimate for the repairs the car needs.

If a seller will not allow an independent inspection, look at a different car. A reputable dealer or private seller can accommodate one, even if you pay for it or leave a refundable deposit. A dealer's own inspection or a certified pre-owned checklist is useful, but it is not independent. If the history shows any accident, ask the mechanic to look specifically at the structure and the airbag system, or take the car to a body shop for that part (see buying a car that's been in an accident).

The PPI report is also a negotiating document. Tires due, brakes near the end, a leak, an overdue service: each is a dollar figure from a third party that you can put on the table.

7. Negotiate the out-the-door price, not the payment

Negotiate the out-the-door price: the vehicle price plus the doc fee, sales tax, title, registration and any other fees, the full amount you would pay to drive away if you paid cash. Ask for it itemized, in writing. The gap between a vehicle price and an out-the-door price on the same car is all fees and tax, and it is where a good price can disappear. Do not negotiate the monthly payment: two deals with the same payment can cost very different totals, because the number of months, the rate and what is financed can all move behind it.

Your leverage is the comparable listings from step two, the inspection report from step six and the pre-approval from step one. Make an offer with a reason, and be ready to leave. The guide to negotiating a car price covers the whole conversation, the trade-in, the doc fee, and a calculator that adds up the whole deal.

8. Review the paperwork and get through the finance office

At a dealer, once the price is agreed, the deal moves to the finance office, often called F&I (finance and insurance). Two things get added there: a loan rate, and optional products such as a service contract (sold as an extended warranty), GAP (which covers the difference between an insurance payout and what you still owe if the car is totaled), paint and fabric protection, or theft etching. Every one of those products is optional. Ask for each one's total price, not its effect on the payment. If you finance through the dealer, compare the rate to your pre-approval: the rate a lender quotes the dealer is called the buy rate, and the rate offered to you can be higher, to pay the dealer for arranging the loan. The finance office section of the negotiation guide explains how to handle it, and the finance-office questions give you the wording.

Then read the contract against the deal you agreed to, line by line. The checks fit on a phone screen and are under what to check at the dealer's desk; what each document is comes under documents and paperwork.

9. Close the sale, insure the car and register it

Have insurance on the car before you drive it away; your insurer will need the VIN to add it. Pay with a traceable method, such as a cashier's check, a bank transfer or your lender's check, never cash in a parking lot, and get a receipt.

A dealer usually files the title and registration and gives you a temporary tag; ask when the plates and title will arrive, and keep the paperwork until they do. In a private sale the work is yours: take the signed title, the bill of sale and the odometer disclosure to your motor vehicle office, pay the tax and fees, and register the car within the time your state allows. Your state's page has the deadlines, fees, forms and any inspection it requires, in the list of state guides. Buying in another state adds a few steps, covered under buying out of state.

What to Look For When Buying a Used Car

When buying a used car, look for signs of a problem the seller has not mentioned. Every used car has wear, and four checks tell normal wear for its age and mileage apart from a hidden problem: the history, the maintenance records, signs of past damage, and the paperwork.

A history that matches the car in front of you

The mileage on the odometer should fit the readings in the history report and the wear on the car: the pedals, the steering wheel, the driver's seat bolster. A car with low miles and a worn-through pedal pad, or a report where the mileage goes down between two readings, is a car whose odometer you should not trust. Odometer fraud is a federal crime, and the seller owes you a written mileage disclosure at the sale; the rule is under documents and paperwork.

Maintenance records, or a reason they are missing

Records of oil changes, fluid services and major items such as a timing belt or water pump show how the car was kept, and a car with a folder of receipts is worth more than the same car with none. Missing records are not a deal-breaker, but they put more weight on the mechanic's inspection, and you should budget for catching up on overdue service.

Signs of past damage or repair

Uneven gaps between panels, paint that does not quite match from one panel to the next, overspray on rubber seals or trim, new bolts on fenders or the hood, and a fresh-looking radiator support on an older car all point to collision repair. Water lines, silt under the carpets or in the spare-tire well, a musty smell, and corrosion in odd places such as seat-rail bolts point to flood damage. None of these alone is proof, but each is a question for the seller and the mechanic.

A seller and paperwork that add up

The name on the title should match the seller's ID, or the dealership. A lien on the title needs a payoff plan or a signed lien release. A dealer car must carry the federal Buyers Guide in the window, explained under buying from a dealer. A private seller who has several cars for sale, or whose name is not on the title, may be an unlicensed dealer posing as a private owner, a practice called curbstoning. The warning signs of curbstoning are on the resources page, and the printable used car scam checklist puts the red flags on one page.

Car Buying Checklist: Things to Check When Buying a Used Car

The things to check when buying a used car fall into five groups: the paperwork and VIN, the body, under the hood, the interior, and the test drive. Take this checklist to the car. It tells you whether a car is worth paying a mechanic to inspect, and anything you flag goes on the mechanic's list.

Paperwork and identity

• VIN on the dashboard plate, the door-jamb sticker and the title all match each other and the history report.
• Title is in the seller's name (or the dealer's), in hand, with no brand you were not told about.
• Any lien on the title has a payoff plan or a signed lien release.
• On a dealer car, the Buyers Guide is in the window and says "As Is," "Implied Warranties Only," or describes the warranty.
• Recalls checked: the free VIN check for the model, then the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls for this car.
• Service records, the owner's manual and every key and remote are there.

Exterior and body

• Panel gaps even all the way around; doors, hood and trunk open and close cleanly.
• Paint color and texture match across panels; no overspray on trim, glass edges or rubber seals.
• No rust bubbles on wheel arches, rocker panels, door bottoms or the tailgate; check underneath for rot, not just surface rust.
• Glass free of cracks; all lights work, and headlight lenses are not mismatched (one new, one old can mean a front-end repair).
• Tires worn evenly and matching; uneven wear points to alignment or suspension problems. Read the date code: the last four digits of the DOT number on the sidewall are the week and year the tire was made, and old tires are more likely to fail.

Under the hood and underneath

• Engine oil at the right level and not milky or gritty; coolant at the right level and not oily.
• No fresh fluid leaks on the engine, under the car, or on the ground where it was parked.
• Belts and hoses not cracked or soft; battery terminals not heavily corroded.
• A spotless engine bay on an older car can mean it was washed to hide leaks.
• Exhaust smoke on a cold start: blue suggests burning oil, thick white that persists suggests coolant.

Interior and electronics

• Every warning light comes on briefly at start-up and then goes out, including the airbag and check-engine lights. A light that never comes on at all may have been disabled.
• Air conditioning blows cold and heat blows hot; every window, lock, mirror and seat adjuster works.
• Infotainment, cameras, sensors and any driver-assistance features work as listed.
• No musty smell, damp carpet or water stains, and no silt under the floor mats or in the spare-tire well.
• Wear on the pedals, steering wheel and seat is consistent with the mileage.

On the test drive

• Starts easily from cold, idles smoothly, no knocking, ticking or whining.
• Transmission shifts smoothly without slipping, flaring or clunking, forward and in reverse.
• Car tracks straight and brakes straight, without pulsing in the pedal or grinding.
• No clunks over bumps, no wandering at highway speed, no vibration in the steering wheel.
• Steering is smooth lock to lock in a parking lot, without groaning or clicking.
• After the drive, look underneath again for drips, and check for any new warning lights.

Want it on paper? The printable used car scam checklist covers the red flags in the paperwork and the pitch, and the buying-readiness tracker on the resources page lets you tick off each step as you go.

Buying from a Dealer vs. a Private Seller

Buying from a dealer usually costs more but comes with more legal protection, starting with the FTC Buyers Guide in the window. Buying from a private seller usually costs less, and the sale is usually as is, so more of the risk stays with you. The checks are the same either way: run the VIN, read the history, and pay for an independent inspection.

Buying from a dealer

The Buyers Guide is the form the Federal Trade Commission's Used Car Rule requires a dealer to display in every used car it offers for sale. The Guide says whether the car is sold "As Is," with implied warranties only (the version used in states that do not allow as-is sales), or with a dealer warranty, and what that warranty covers. Any warranty change you negotiate has to be marked on the Guide, the dealer has to give you the Guide after the sale, and what it says overrides anything to the contrary in the sales contract. Keep it. Dealers are also licensed by their state, which gives you a regulator to complain to; your state page names the agency. The resources page has a plain-English summary of the FTC Used Car Rule. Certified pre-owned cars are dealer cars that passed a manufacturer or dealer inspection program and usually carry a warranty; they cost more, so read the warranty terms instead of assuming them. Certified or not, the FTC still advises an independent inspection.

Buying from a private seller

Private sellers generally are not covered by the federal Used Car Rule, and a private sale is usually as is, so the inspection and the paperwork carry all the weight. Meet somewhere public in daylight, or at your mechanic. Check the seller's ID against the title. If there is a loan on the car, close at the seller's bank or credit union, where the payoff and the lien release happen in one visit. Do not pay until you have the signed title or a clear written plan from the lender for releasing it, and do not hand over money on the promise that the title is "in the mail." Whether your state requires a bill of sale, a notarized title or an emissions certificate from the seller is on your state page.

If you are the private seller

When you sell a car privately, your protection is the paperwork: a clean title transfer, a bill of sale, payment you have confirmed, and a report of the sale. Expect a careful buyer to ask for the VIN, the title, the records and an inspection.

1. Have the title in hand, in your name. If there is a loan, ask your lender how the payoff and lien release work before you list the car, and close at the lender if you can.
2. Sign the title the way its own instructions say, with the mileage filled in. The written odometer disclosure is the seller's duty under federal law unless the car is old enough to be exempt (see documents and paperwork).
3. Write a bill of sale with the date, price, VIN, mileage, both names and signatures, and "sold as is" if that is the deal. Keep a copy.
4. Get paid in funds you can confirm before you sign the title over. Meet at the buyer's bank, or confirm a cashier's check with the issuing bank on a number you looked up yourself.
5. Tell the truth about the car's history, and disclose any title brand in writing. In some states that is a legal duty for private sellers as well as dealers; Wyoming, for one, requires any seller who knowingly offers a branded vehicle to disclose the brand on a state form. The branded title page covers selling a branded car.
6. Report the sale. If your state has a notice-of-sale or release-of-liability filing, make it the day you sell; California, for one, requires it within five calendar days. Whether the plates stay with you is on your state page.

Documents Needed to Buy a Used Car, and the Paperwork You Sign

To buy a used car, bring your driver's license, proof of insurance, your payment or loan pre-approval, and the title and keys for any trade-in. You should leave with the signed title or the dealer's paperwork for it, the buyer's order or bill of sale, the odometer disclosure, the Buyers Guide on a dealer car, and a copy of everything you signed.

What to bring when you buy a used car

• Your driver's license, for the test drive and the paperwork.
• Proof of insurance, or your insurer's app or agent's number so the car can be added before you drive it.
• Your pre-approval letter if you are financing, and recent pay stubs or proof of income and residence in case a lender asks for them.
• Payment by cashier's check, your lender's check or a confirmed transfer. Know your bank's limits before the day.
• For a trade-in, its title (or your lender's name, account number and payoff amount), its registration, and every key and remote.
• Your research: the history report, the comparable listings, the PPI report, and this checklist.

Used car paperwork you'll sign, and what to read on each

• The Buyers Guide is the window form on a dealer car that says "As Is," "Implied Warranties Only," or describes the warranty; the rule is under buying from a dealer. If the salesperson promised a warranty or a repair and the Guide says "As Is," get the promise written onto the Guide before you sign, because a spoken promise is hard to enforce.
• The buyer's order or purchase agreement. The itemized deal: vehicle price, doc fee, tax, title and registration, trade allowance and payoff, products, and the out-the-door total. It should match the numbers you negotiated, line for line.
• The retail installment contract is the loan contract on a financed sale. Its federal Truth in Lending disclosures show the annual percentage rate (APR, the yearly cost of the loan), the finance charge, the amount financed, the total of payments, and the payment schedule, which gives the number of payments. Check the rate against your pre-approval and the number of payments against what you agreed. Read whether it includes an arbitration clause, and any clause that lets the dealer cancel if no lender buys the contract. The resources page has an explanation of each Truth in Lending disclosure.
• The title. The seller signs ownership over to you; in a dealer sale the dealer handles the transfer, and the lender is recorded as lienholder if you financed. Check the VIN, the seller's name, and any brand printed on it.
• The odometer disclosure statement is the seller's written statement of the mileage at the sale, usually recorded on the title. Federal law requires the seller to give it to you. In 2027 it is required on cars of model year 2011 and newer, which stay covered for twenty years; model year 2010 and older are exempt. Check that the figure matches the odometer. The federal odometer rules are on the resources page.
• A bill of sale. The price, date, VIN, mileage, and both parties' names and signatures. Whether your state requires one in a private sale is on your state page. Get one anyway.
• Registration and temporary tag paperwork, and proof of insurance. In a dealer sale these are usually filed for you; in a private sale you file them.
• Product contracts for anything you bought in the finance office: service contract, GAP, protection packages. Each is its own contract with its own cancellation terms; keep every one.
• The "we-owe" or due bill. Any promise the dealer made out loud, a second key, a repair, a detail, written down and signed. If it is not on paper, it is very hard to enforce.

Take copies of everything you sign before you leave, and photograph anything you were not given a copy of. Anything your state adds, such as a bill of sale form, a notarized title or a dealer disclosure, is on your state's page.

What to Check at the Dealer's Desk Before You Sign

Before you sign at a dealer, check that the out-the-door total and five lines on the contract match the deal you agreed, and refuse anything added that you did not ask for. Every add-on product is optional. Each check takes seconds on a phone and is much harder to fix after the signature.

The out-the-door number

• Vehicle price, as agreed.
• Doc fee, the dealer's paperwork charge.
• Sales tax, and the trade-in credit if your state gives one.
• Title and registration fees.
• Each product you said yes to, at its own price.
• Minus your trade-in allowance and down payment. The total on the buyer's order should be the number you agreed. If it is not, stop and ask.

On the contract, check five lines

• The cash price matches the buyer's order.
• The amount financed is the price, tax and fees, minus your down payment and trade-in.
• The APR is the same as your pre-approval, or lower.
• The number of payments matches the term you agreed.
• The total of payments shows what the loan costs you in the end. Read it.
• No blank spaces anywhere.

Optional, every time

Service contract (sold as an extended warranty), GAP, paint and fabric protection, theft etching, tire-and-wheel, key replacement. Ask for each one's total price and decide on its own merits. If you are told the lender requires a product, ask to see that condition on the lender's approval, in writing. Whether a service contract or GAP is worth it, and whether you can buy one later, is on extended warranties for used cars; the same page has questions to ask about a service contract at the desk.

Refuse

• A contract with blank spaces.
• A product added that you did not ask for.
• A monthly payment quote in place of the out-the-door number.
• Taking the car home on a loan no named lender has approved.
• Signing a page you have not been given time to read.
• An "As Is" Buyers Guide when you were promised a warranty, unless the promise is written onto it.

Take with you

A copy of everything you signed, the Buyers Guide, the we-owe for anything promised, and the temporary tag paperwork. Photograph anything you were not given a copy of.

Buying a Car That's Been in an Accident

Buying a car that has been in an accident can make sense if the damage was minor, the repair was done properly and the price reflects the history. Before you decide, find out how bad the damage was, where the car was hit and who repaired it. Then price it lower, because the next buyer will see the same report and pay less for it.

Find out what actually happened

Read the report for the details it has: the date, the point of impact, whether airbags deployed, whether the car was towed, and whether the damage was reported as structural or disabling. Ask the seller for the repair invoice and the name of the shop. A bumper scrape and a front-end hit that deployed the airbags both show up as "an accident" on a summary line, and they are very different cars.

Inspect for structural and airbag repair

A general pre-purchase inspection may not measure the structure. If the damage was more than cosmetic, ask a body shop or frame specialist to check the unibody or frame (the structure the car is built on) against the manufacturer's dimensions, look for welding, kinks or clamp marks on the frame rails, and confirm the airbag system was properly restored. Signs you can see yourself: uneven panel gaps, mismatched paint, overspray, a hood or fender that sits differently from its partner, and an airbag light that stays on.

Price it as an accident car, and get the insurance quote first

An accident history lowers resale value for the life of the car, so it should lower your price too. Start from what the car would be worth with a clean history and negotiate from the report and the repair record. Get an insurance quote on the VIN before you commit.

When an accident becomes a branded title

If the damage was serious enough that the car was declared a total loss, the state brands the title salvage, and after repair and inspection it becomes rebuilt. That is a different purchase, with real insurance and financing limits, and a clean-looking title is not proof it never happened. The branded title guide explains salvage and rebuilt titles, how to tell if a title has been branded, and the five conditions to meet before buying one. Whether a seller had to tell you about prior damage depends on your state and on what was said; your state page covers the disclosure rules.

Can You Return a Used Car After Buying It?

You usually cannot return a used car just because you changed your mind. Federal law does not give you three days to cancel a car purchase. The FTC's Cooling-Off Rule covers certain sales made at your home or at a seller's temporary location, and it leaves out cars and other motor vehicles sold at a temporary location by a seller that also has a permanent place of business; a sale at the dealership was never inside it. So the decision that counts is the one before you sign. After the sale, these can still help.

• A state cancellation right or a dealer return policy may let you undo the sale. In some states dealers must give you a right to cancel; elsewhere a return exists only if the dealer chooses to offer one, and some dealers and online retailers do. A dealer policy is only as good as its written terms.
• A warranty may cover the repair. A dealer warranty shown on the Buyers Guide binds the dealer. Where a car is not sold as is, implied warranties apply: under state law, an unwritten promise that the car will do what it is supposed to do, which is run. And if you bought a service contract from the dealer within 90 days of the sale, federal law bars the dealer from disclaiming implied warranties on the systems that contract covers. The resources page explains federal warranty law.
• Lemon laws mostly protect buyers of new cars; where one reaches a used car, it is generally because the car was still under warranty when the problem appeared. Some states, New York among them, have a separate used-car lemon law that requires dealers to give a warranty; your state page says whether yours does.
• A rolled-back odometer, a salvage or flood brand that was not disclosed, or a false statement about the car's history can support a claim. Odometer fraud is a federal crime, and the branded title page covers brand disclosure duties.
• If the dealer calls you back to sign again on worse terms, do not sign anything new until you have read what to do when a dealer asks you to re-sign; the FTC has charged dealers with falsely telling buyers they had to sign a new contract. If the dealer arranged your loan, the Holder Rule lets you raise claims you have against the dealer against whoever now holds the loan, up to what you have paid under the contract. The resources page explains how the Holder Rule works.
• A service contract, GAP or protection package is its own contract with its own cancellation terms, so it may be cancellable even when the car is not. See how to cancel add-on products and cancelling a service contract.

If you already bought and something is wrong

1. Put every paper in one folder: the Buyers Guide, the buyer's order, the contract, the title paperwork, the product contracts, and screenshots of the listing and any messages.
2. Write down what you were told, by whom and when, while you remember it.
3. If a warranty applies, whether the dealer's, the manufacturer's or a service contract, make the claim in writing before you pay anyone else to repair the car.
4. Write to the seller: what is wrong, what you were told, and what you want done. Keep a copy and note the date.
5. If that goes nowhere, your state page names the agency that licenses dealers and takes complaints, and the remedies and deadlines that apply where you bought. Some deadlines run in days, so start now.

Buying a Used Car in Another State

You can buy a used car in another state, but you title it, register it and pay its tax in the state where you live. Settle three things before you pay: the tax, how you will drive the car home, and the title and inspection your home state wants.

Tax: expect to pay where you register

Expect your home state to collect its tax when you title and register the car there. Texas, for one, charges its motor vehicle use tax on a car a Texas resident buys out of state and brings home, and credits sales or use tax legally paid to the other state. If an out-of-state dealer offers to collect tax, ask which state's tax it is collecting and get it itemized, so you do not pay twice. Your home state's page has its rule.

Getting it home

Ask the selling dealer, before you sign, what temporary tag or permit it will give you, and confirm with your home state's motor vehicle office that you can drive on it until you register. In a private sale, ask your home state's office before the trip how to drive the car home legally, and have insurance on it before you do.

Title, inspection and paperwork

Sign and fill in the title the way the issuing state's title instructs, since that state wrote it. Your home state may want a VIN inspection on a car last titled elsewhere; Wyoming, for one, requires a law-enforcement VIN inspection on any vehicle titled in another state. Emissions and safety inspection rules are your home state's. Read both state pages: the selling state's for how sales and disclosures work there, and your own for tax, title, registration and deadlines.

Buying a Used Car in Your State

Beyond federal law, the rules for buying a used car are set by each state: whether a dealer can sell as is, the doc fee rules, sales tax and the trade-in credit, title and registration deadlines, any cancellation window, title-brand disclosure, and what you can do after a bad deal. Each state's page has its rules with the statutes cited, and the state comparison table ranks them side by side.

• Buying a used car in Alabama
• Buying a used car in Alaska
• Buying a used car in Arizona
• Buying a used car in Arkansas
• Buying a used car in California
• Buying a used car in Colorado
• Buying a used car in Connecticut
• Buying a used car in Delaware
• Buying a used car in District of Columbia
• Buying a used car in Florida
• Buying a used car in Georgia
• Buying a used car in Hawaii
• Buying a used car in Idaho
• Buying a used car in Illinois
• Buying a used car in Indiana
• Buying a used car in Iowa
• Buying a used car in Kansas
• Buying a used car in Kentucky
• Buying a used car in Louisiana
• Buying a used car in Maine
• Buying a used car in Maryland
• Buying a used car in Massachusetts
• Buying a used car in Michigan
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