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Sales Tax/Coach Licensing
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Tom…
I was told that if you have a “Montana” plate and a different tag on toad you were “suspect” and could be stopped…. then your driver’s licence had better be a Montana licence to match up.
When FMCA had the “Rally on the Red” in Shreveport a few years back they were staking out the Montana tags with different toad tags and giving “hefty” fines… they did this as the folks were leaving the Rally on the last morning… heard they had dozens of people fined big time… That I believe was a big FMCA article soon after it happened.
That’s all I know Tom… no proof at all !!
Diane
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We looked at a Montana LLC when we bought out coach and then I asked around in Texas to folks who have them and also folks who paid the sales tax. In Texas, the penalty for this is twice the tax plus the tax. I ran the numbers and the risk was not worth it so we bit the bullet and paid Texas our sales tax. My thought is, I live in Texas and will pay my share… even if it does hurt! alot!
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I join Tom and Bill — pay the state tax where you live. You’ll sleep better at night and suffer no karmic retribution (see below). Plus, your state undoubtedly needs the money.
As to karma, I did legally avoid Calif. sales tax on my first Prevost. Back in the early 2000s, vessels, aircraft and heavy vehicles were not subject to sales tax if they were purchased out of state and kept out of California for 90 days thereafter, as long as the owner knew to assert the law. I bought my bus in Florida, parked it in Arizona for 90 days, and saved almost $20k tax when I registered it in CA. I think I was subconsciously feeling so guilty about getting away with it that I clipped a fire hydrant on my way out of the DMV inspection lot, and created my first (and so far, only) insurance claim after just 92 days of bus ownership. Karma I guess, even though it was totally legal.
That loophole was thanks to the yacht builders lobby. Needless to say it was quickly closed when someone figured out that it existed only to benefit rich folks. It was not widely known back then, and other states may have similar dumb loopholes on their books. It never hurts to check with your tax advisor.
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I’m not for paying taxes, the money just gets squandered on state pork and ridiculous pet projects. If you can avoid taxes, OK by me, but I sure would have a problem being pulled over for this tag issue.
I don’t doubt you a minute Diane. Sure would like to know what law those folks broke…
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Thats the thing, you can not just get pulled over to check out your papers. Am sure it happens, it has to me (whole other story).
Officer has to have probable cause or reasonable suspision of a crime to pull you over and start looking for things. And besides, if you were in LA, and got a ticket for being from NC and having MT tags, it makes no sense, other states can’t bust you for other states laws.
I say do what you want, but I personally think, and especially in a place like California, deny them as much money as possible, the place is pretty much run by hardcore criminals that destroyed it. It is your patriotic duty to deny the criminals as much money as possible.
Starve the beast! Think about that the next time you get hit by an illegal alien with no lic/reg/ins and the cops let em go!
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There seems to be strong feelings about when and if cops can pull you over for a traffic stop. Do any of you fly? If you want to go on a commercial flight you are subject to search. Where’s the probable cause? If you drive through CA, AZ, or NM you will be greeted at some point and will be searched so the LEOs can determine if you have illegal immigrants in your closets, or house plants or lettuce in your Amana.
How many times have you seen a car, bus or semi touch or go over the lane markings? Those of you that yak on your smartphone sure aren’t paying attention to your driving so you just served up a perfect excuse for a cop to pull you and your MT plates over, if for no other stated reason other than to make sure you are OK.
You can object, but the cop has a dash cam that showed your bus drifiting a tire width onto the shoulder or over into the other lane.
From there it may be all downhill, especially if you try to discuss probable cause.
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“lettuce in your Amana”. Classic! I’ll remember to toss ours out the window as we approach the CA line on Sunday!
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When the CA inspectors wanted to know if we were bringing any of contraband (known as produce) I said no and he wanted to look.
I said absolutely, but you have to remove your shoes because we do not allow street shoes in the coach.
He said we were free to go and never went further than our entry steps.
But I’ll bet if we had MT plates……………………………………………
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Should I drive say to San Diego (about 160 miles) I must pass through two Border Patrol Checkpoints plus the Fruit Police Checkpoint. Don’t know if anyone has noticed but a half a mile or so prior to reaching the actual BP Checkpoint, one passes through a line of all manner of electronic doo dads that examine everything going on inside and outside of the vehicle. Case in point, a friend had some kind of nuclear medicine test that I gather left him a bit hot, he was given a “note from the doctor” explaining this because all of those aforementioned gadgets will pick up even trace radiation! Without the note, he would have gone to what they refer to as “secondary” a more thorough examination of the vehicle and its contents….should they get very interested (as they frequently do with “iffy” vehicles and drivers) they do not hesitate to begin their de-construction process to both vehicle and passengers. I have been told that the “electronic line” can determine how many passengers are on board (infrared), the weight of the vehicle, the tire and brake temperatures, license plate verification and who knows what else. Soooooo, as you speak to the agent he will ask where you are coming from, he will ask how many people are on board and of course your nationality. All the info collected by the electronic receiving line is processed and made available to the agent, should you, for what ever reason, not be truthful, are obstinate or otherwise cause a scene…things can digress rapidly.
The CA Fruit Police are much tamer. Budget cuts caused them to disappear when the governator was in office but Mr. Brown has since re-instated the program While their mission is to keep some obscure fruit fly out of the state, in reality they just give you the once over and pass information along as necessary…..
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Back in 89, the “fruit police” were looking for a little more. Not only was I asked about fruit/vegetables, but also any gerbils or other animals. Coming from the North East, I was wondering what kind of state was I moving to that had to inspect fruit, vegetables and small animals?
Of course I’ve only really seen these checkpoints on the southern part of the state. Coming in from Reno, I never went through those checkpoints? Luckily leaving, they never stopped me. Was expecting to see a Franchise Tax Board checkpoint and them to check my tax records and make sure I was paid up before I exited the state 😉
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Is it required to stop with a Coach at all weigh and inspection stations; or is it optional? Are the required stops listed in a book anywhere?
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Michael, whether motorhomes must stop at weigh stations is a state-by-state matter, but it is usually not required or even optional. The big Rand McNally trucker’s atlas that you can buy at a truckstop lists the requirements by state as well as length limits, etc. In California only commerical trucks (not even passenger buses) must stop at weigh stations. In some other states I have noticed that passenger buses must stop. Unrelated to weight, California has a couple of entry stations to inspect fruit, etc. All vehilces must stop at these if they are operating, but I have not seen the entry station at the Arizona border on I-10 or on I-40 actually open in several years. They may be open sporadically. My incognito bus could be mistaken for a charter bus, so I have “private coach” decals to hopefully prevent any misunderstanding as I pass an active weigh station. So far, so good.
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Flyman,
So you have to go through 2 check points while traveling intrastate CA.. Sheesh, is Sgt. Shultz there on duty asking for your papers? I’ll be sure CA is not on any of my bus travel plans.
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Tom,
As someone who travels in and out of CA several times a year, we only hit “Agriculture” on the way in. Yet to see anyone staffed at the I-10 stop. There is Boarder control in Texas and/or NM. Yes, there are agents at the boarder control.
I would rather stop there vs traversing all the old farts and their driving habits in FLA! 🙂
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Tom & Bill, we take exception to that. The idiots in Fla. are no better or worse than the idiots encountered anywhere else.
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