Moving from NJ to NM, buying a car in UT or ID on way to NM, how to make titling and registration work?

Question

I currently live in New Jersey and will be moving to New Mexico at the end of the summer. My parents live in Utah and in-laws in Idaho. We will be driving to visit them on our way to New Mexico.

Looking online at used cars in Utah vs. New Mexico, we're thinking we might be more likely to find what we want in Utah. We will only be in Utah for one day though. So we thought maybe we could do the following:

• Identify a car and have my parents purchase it.
• Reimburse parents for purchase and pick up car the day we're in Utah
• Drive to New Mexico.

However, as I started looking at registration and titling, it wasn't so clear to me that this would be possible. My question is, is what I am proposing to do possible on the legal (titling and registration) side of things?

Here is what I understand currently that will make this difficult or impossible, please clear up any misconceptions I have.

• When I get the car from my parents, they would have to transfer the title to me, and that would have to be done at the DMV (they couldn't just sign the back of the title to transfer it).
• I would then have to register the car in my name just to be able to drive it to New Mexico.
• I would also have to get the car added to my insurance, both for insurance sake and because it's required for car registration.
• Could I even register a car in Utah if I wasn't a Utah resident and my insurance was still based in New Jersey?
• Does New Mexico require getting a new title on a car when you move into the state? Or would my Utah-based title still be valid?
• I would then have to register the car in New Mexico and maybe pay taxes on it (though it looks like out-of-state tax paid to purchase the vehicle counts as a credit against New Mexico's MVET). This part seems straightforward, as long as I can get the car to New Mexico.
• Would New Mexico care that I bought the car in a different state just the day before arriving?

Does any of this change if instead of Utah it happens in Idaho? We're spending more time in Idaho so we also have the advantage of more likely being able to be the ones to purchase the car rather than parents/in-laws.

Answer 1

There is a provision for Utah dealers to provide a temporary permit for a sale to a non-resident where the vehicle will be registered in another state. See the "Nonresident Permits" heading.

Answer 2

As long as you follow the instructions on this site you can register it in New Mexico : http://www.mvd.newmexico.gov/register-your-vehicle.aspx#/used

Registering a Used Vehicle for the First Time

The first time you register a used vehicle in your name, you must come into a MVD Field Office. Documents to Bring to the MVD Field Office to Register a Used Vehicle

Certificate of Title – The current outstanding Certificate of Title for the vehicle, with the Assignment of Title section completed on either the front or reverse side, and signed by the former owner of the vehicle.The location of the Assignment of Title section can vary according to the age of the title. The title document has undergone numerous revisions through the years. No copies are accepted.

Odometer Statement – The seller and the buyer must sign a document that shows that they agree on the odometer mileage reading at the time of the sale. Any one of the following documents can be used for this purpose:

Proof of Insurance - In New Mexico, drivers are expected to operate their motor vehicles with a minimum of liability auto insurance. Minimum auto liability insurance amounts required in New Mexico are: