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South Dakota Plates


RickS

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Just felt like rebutting a Post made here recently about South Dakota plates and their history at Lakeside. For some reason, back when, a few folks wanted to make out the whole 'using South Dakota plates in Mexico' as a sham if not a scam. There was much mis-information then and the recent Post just brings those mis-representations back for some reason.

Jubilacion is actually spot on with his/her comments. It was NEVER a scam or sham nor a ploy, Clay County was NOT the only county in SD offering the state-wide program to out-of-staters etc etc.  Why this.... using SD as a viable option for some to keep a US vehicle in Mexico legally and above board.... seemed to stick in the craw of some is beyond me. And the fact that literally hundreds of folks utilized this option tells me what the real sentiment was around Lakeside. 

Mexico offered an opportunity for foreigners to have/keep their US vehicles in Mexico legally by using the "TIP" program. Using the SD plates option allowed anyone so inclined the capability of keeping their US plated car legally registered in the US... instead of driving around Mexico with expired registration/plates. Many folks no longer had a 'home state'. This gave many expats a legal opportunity to do 'what they wanted to do with their vehicles' rather than what someone else thought they should do with/about their vehicles. 

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You are exactly correct and I'd add that many US states require an emission inspection prior to issuing plates.  Some still require a state safety inspection.  Some require proof of insurance in effect prior to renewal on plates.  These things are very hard if not impossible to get for many expats living here on Temporal or even snowbirding on tourist visas but who own cars here (which is actually not legal but not uncommon.)  It isn't a scam if South Dakota wants to issue legal plates to folks who meet their state's criteria for getting them.

Having said that, I'd still recommend buying a legal car here and getting a legal Jalisco registration.  It just makes life easier especially when dealing with cops.

Alan

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It is not only NOT a scam, it is part of the South Dakota state law to allow people from out of state to get SD vehicle titles, registration, and auto plates:

32-5-4.1Nonresident registration application--Issuance of nonnegotiable interstate title--Purpose and duration--Violation as misdemeanor.

Any person who is an owner of a motor vehicle, motorcycle, truck tractor, road tractor, trailer, semitrailer, or recreational vehicle or trailer, who is required to apply for registration under chapter 32-3, 32-5, 32-5B, 32-9, or 32-10, and whose legal residence or chief place of business is outside the state, shall submit an application, a copy of a valid title or registration from another jurisdiction and payment of all applicable fees to the department. Upon receipt of such information, the department shall issue a nonnegotiable interstate title. A nonnegotiable title is not a valid legal document for any purpose or transaction except to make application for yearly South Dakota registration. The nonnegotiable title is valid as long as title ownership remains the same. A violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor.

 

Source: SL 1969, ch 179; SL 1988, ch 236, § 11; SL 1989, ch 255, § 14; SL 1989, ch 257, § 54.

I had SD plates on my car for many years, although I originally moved to Mexico from Oregon. The nice women in the Clay County DMV were always very helpful and understanding. 

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10 hours ago, Mainecoons said:

We keep an RV and tow car up in the U.S. with no fixed address and had no problem getting Clay County SD plates for both and they are fully legal in all states here.

Is there someone to see locally to apply or can this be done online?  Obviously, there must be a US address to use as a registration address and to ship the plates to. And then someone has to FedEx the plates to your Lakeside address?

Do I have all this correct? Or am I making it needlessly difficult?

 

 

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You are right in saying one must have a US address.... where the plates/title and annual registration can/have to be sent.... BUT this can be a 'border mail drop'.  Many people Lakeside who have/had SD plates do/did this.

One can contact any SD county to do this BUT the most friendly place that most folks use is Clay County in eastern SD. Wonderful staff to work with and the ladies have years of experience doing just this.

Process:  Call Clay County SD Treasurer and determine what the costs will be for your particular vehicle. Then fill out a couple of forms available on their/state website.... they'll tell you which ones... and mail this along with a check or money order. In the States their turnaround for Registration and plates is about a week but will be a bit longer due to the border mail. The State of SD then sends out the title separately and this has lately been taking several weeks even in the States. 

One is also going to need a "TIP" that corresponds that that state.

You might want to call/talk to Chapala Law (Spencer McMullen) in Chapala as he seems to be able to do "all of this" for clients.... for a fee of course but that may be easier for a newbie.

 

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The OP must have time on his hands to bring up an old topic that was discussion thoroughly years ago.

I did not see the recent post that he is referring to.

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You can carry it one step further if you wish and secure your SD Travelers Driver License too to establish a legal US domicile called a PMB (Personal Mail Box). We were considering a full time RV life before deciding on full-time Mexico residence and sold all of our stuff and home to be mobile. The link attached is the company we used to assist us with all of this, Your Best Address, Sioux Falls https://www.yourbestaddress.com (check their Google reviews). A lot of good info on this website. They also offer electronic mail which we like. 🇲🇽

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2 hours ago, Upfront said:

nice resource thanks. i see a 1 night stay in sd every five years is requierd for a dl.

Yep, and as crazy as it sounds, we stayed one night at a hotel and I asked the hotel desk near the DMV Licensing office to put mine and my wife's name with our new PMB address onto the hotel bill (and they knew all about doing it). The next day we each presented our hotel bills at the DMV and viola, we had our DL in 20 minutes...the actual license not a temp.

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7 hours ago, cedros said:

The OP must have time on his hands to bring up an old topic that was discussion thoroughly years ago.

Yep Cedros, like almost everyone else on this Board. But if you read again, it was not ME who brought up the subject with ERRONEOUS information in another thread.... that was subsequently locked. 

And the good news is that you did not have to read the Post seeing that you were thoroughly informed years ago and have good retention of the subject matter. 

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7 hours ago, cedros said:

The OP must have time on his hands to bring an old topic.

The OP is in the business of buying US tagged cars that he takes NOB and sells.  He has a pecuniary interest in people keeping cars titled with US tags.  

As he stated in a post dated Sept. 5, 2020:

Quote

   RickS      I have over the years purchased maybe 20 US plated vehicles in Mexico using the following process, including 4 between last Thanksgiving and Feb. 1 2020. 

 
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3 hours ago, Bisbee Gal said:

The OP is in the business of buying US tagged cars that he takes NOB and sells.  He has a pecuniary interest in people keeping cars titled with US tags.  

As he stated in a post dated Sept. 5, 2020:

 

Bisbee Gal I have NEVER promoted nor advertised that I purchase foreign plated vehicles for removal from Mexico but rather ALL have been the results of word-of-mouth owners contacting me to see if I would buy their vehicle and take them out.... thus relieving them of that task. I have been THANKED many times over for providing this service to them.  I did this as a 'retirement hobby' that frankly has gotten out of hand... but it also gets me to Lakeside more, which I like. 

You comment that I am 'in the business of... and have a pecuniary interest in keeping cars titled with US tags' is ridiculous at best, libelous in intent and now you've turned your misinformation headlights on me! 

You are just pi$$ed because I outed your erroneous comments about SD plates in Mexico, calling the practice a sham and a ploy which it is NOT. People have a right to know the truth rather than your misguided attempt to limit freedom of choice with falsehoods. Shame on you. People have a right to do with their vehicles what they please, not what your viewpoint says they should do!

 

 

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Bottom line is SD are most assuredly not a sham or a ploy, they are one way someone can stay legal instead of risking driving on expired plates, while they are tourist or temporal.   Rick's activities are accurately described by him and completely legal and it is incorrect to suggest it is some sort of formal business.  He is not the only one who is available to provide this service on request.  Since the sham and ploy claims have no merit and have been handled here, I think this thread is complete.  

Closed.

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