can a Canadian resident own and insure a bike in the US?

[jon_l]

Originally Posted by ZZR_Ron

But I moved from Manitoba to Ontario so I could afford to insure my bikes!

It was gonna cost me about $7k a year there.

Wow that is crazy!

When I said highest in Canada, I meant vehicle insurance actually, not bike insurance. According to the Toronto Star, moving an hours or 2 away from Mississauga to Peterborough or Collingwood would reduce the average car insurance rate from $2k / year to less than $1,100.

[ZZR_Ron]

Originally Posted by jon_l

Wow that is crazy!

When I said highest in Canada, I meant vehicle insurance actually, not bike insurance. According to the Toronto Star, moving an hours or 2 away from Mississauga to Peterborough or Collingwood would reduce the average car insurance rate from $2k / year to less than $1,100.

I can never figure out the rates. When I moved from a small town in Ontario, to a small city, my rates actually dropped a bit. Also, can't figure out why my Suzuki Bandit was 200 bucks less a year to insure than my KLR?

My only concern with the American insurance, (I get a LOT of visitors from the States) is that they carry suck low liability, in a country that loves to sue people.

[jon_l]

Originally Posted by ZZR_Ron

I can never figure out the rates. Also, can't figure out why my Suzuki Bandit was 200 bucks less a year to insure than my KLR?

That makes zero sense.

Originally Posted by ZZR_Ron

My only concern with the American insurance, (I get a LOT of visitors from the States) is that they carry suck low liability, in a country that loves to sue people.

I have a $1M umbrella policy, costs $13/month, which is supposed to kick in should the liability on my home, car, bike, etc. run out.

[ZZR_Ron]

Originally Posted by jon_l

That makes zero sense.



I have a $1M umbrella policy, costs $13/month, which is supposed to kick in should the liability on my home, car, bike, etc. run out.

As far as I can tell Jon, anything listed as "Sport Touring" has the lowest rates.

A Wee Strom is listed as "Sport Touring" and therefore cheap. Go to a Vee Strom, and it is considered a sport bike, and the rate goes through the roof. There is no logic to any of it.

[Buzz363]

Originally Posted by RVDan

If that were the case U-haul wouldn't have any trucks left. Every time I rent a moving truck it has Arizona plates on it.

For private vehicles it is the case.

[Canuman]

Many US states adhere to what's called the "Three States Rule." It's kind of perverse. Drive a car or a moto in a state in which the vehicle is plated with an out-of-state or foreign license, and you're OK. Drive the same vehicle with the same license in a state in which it's not plated, and you are breaking the law.

[trixterNorCal]

Originally Posted by Canuman

Many US states adhere to what's called the "Three States Rule." It's kind of perverse. Drive a car or a moto in a state in which the vehicle is plated with an out-of-state or foreign license, and you're OK. Drive the same vehicle with the same license in a state in which it's not plated, and you are breaking the law.

I just want to be clear:

If I reside in State A and thus my license is from State A but I have a summer home in State B with vehicles permanently there so licensed there and I then drive to State C while on holiday I have somehow broken a law?

I have done this, not the summer home but license from one state, car from another driving into a 3rd. Nothing has ever come up even after traffic stops. I tried to google for it but there are a bunch of unrelated things for "three state rule".

[Canuman]

That's pretty much the way it works, in my experience. Never been busted for it myself, but an associate was driving a car registered in Wyoming (family residence) with a NH license while in VT was.

There were other circumstances. He was drunk off his ass, driving an unsafe vehicle (no rear brakes) in a snowstorm on crappy tires. Not surprisingly, he went off to do some soil sampling in the deep bush. The cops threw the book at him, and among the charges were violation of this rule. I don't know where and if the rule applies, or if it still does. This was some years ago.

Originally Posted by trixterNorCal

I just want to be clear:

If I reside in State A and thus my license is from State A but I have a summer home in State B with vehicles permanently there so licensed there and I then drive to State C while on holiday I have somehow broken a law?

I have done this, not the summer home but license from one state, car from another driving into a 3rd. Nothing has ever come up even after traffic stops. I tried to google for it but there are a bunch of unrelated things for "three state rule".

[trixterNorCal]

Originally Posted by Canuman

The cops threw the book at him, and among the charges were violation of this rule. I don't know where and if the rule applies, or if it still does. This was some years ago.

I would be curious about the exact statute. The only thing I can find here (California) is that if you move to the state you must get a license here within 2 weeks. I have also historically seen people charged with having licenses in multiple states which is much more difficult now because of the network that links insurance companies and DMV agencies in almost every US state and Canada.

This however could not be it if you are just traveling through a 3rd state so it must be something else.

[HighwayChile]

I looked into a couple yrs ago of plating and keeping a bike in Oregon, they had at the time an OK for out of state people to plate a bike, something about for part time residents. AZ probably has a similar gig, you will likely need some sort of US address, mailbox R-Us works
oregon has mandatory insurance for MC's, Washington state doesnt. but wow is it a lot cheaper then you'se are paying.
ya pay in other areas though...

[trixterNorCal]

Originally Posted by HighwayChile

I looked into a couple yrs ago of plating and keeping a bike in Oregon, they had at the time an OK for out of state people to plate a bike, something about for part time residents. AZ probably has a similar gig, you will likely need some sort of US address, mailbox R-Us works
oregon has mandatory insurance for MC's, Washington state doesnt. but wow is it a lot cheaper then you'se are paying.
ya pay in other areas though...

I have thought about this a bit and I can see a potential problem. If you primarily plate a bike in state A and primary residence and primary place you ride the bike is state B (and/or C) then I can see them freaking a bit. In addition your insurance company may dislike that because the actuary tables are based on you being where it was insured not the place you are mostly riding it, thus they want more money to cover the risks.

[jon_l]

I emailed the Utah DMV (division of motor vehicles) yesterday.

My message:

Greetings.

I live and work in Ontario, Canada.

If I were to rent accommodations, spend 2 or 3 months / year in Utah, returning to Canada for the balance of the year, would I be able to purchase a vehicle in UT, paying taxes if req'd, acquire a UT vehicle license plate, and insure it as a UT vehicle, while using my Ontario driver's license? I would not be able to give up my Ontario driver's license. I'd like to be able to fly in and out, and have a car and a motorcycle there when I arrive.

I cannot afford to own a 2nd home, so the car & motorcycle would be in storage or possibly at a friend's house. Since my rentals would likely vary from year to year, I could get a PO box for mail relating to vehicle ownership and insurance.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.
______________________________

Reply:

You can register a vehicle in Utah with a valid Utah address and a valid driver's license. For registration purposes the DMV doesn't care where the driver's license is from as long as it is valid. However, the DMV is a separate agency from the Driver's License Division, and you will need to check with them to see what their requirements are about obtaining a Utah Driver's License. Once you register a vehicle in Utah they may require you to obtain a Utah Driver's License. Their phone number is 1-888-353-4224 or 801-965-4437. Or you can check their website www.publicsafety.utah.gov/dld to see if they have an email contact.
If you have any further questions please feel free to contact our Customer Service Department for further assistance from any of our phone representatives Monday - Friday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. at 801-297-7780 or 1-800-368-8824.
Thank you,

Division of Motor Vehicles
Utah State Tax Commission
___________________________________________

This morning, I emailed the Driver's License Division. Will post up the response.

[jon_l]

From the Driver's License Division:

Thank you for contacting us regarding your license requirements.

You are not required to obtain a Utah driver license when your stay is under 6 months.
Utah law ( 53-2-102, 41-1a-202) defines a resident as: established a domicile in this state or regardless of domicile, remains in the state for an aggregate period of six months.

If you would like, you can apply for a Utah driver license. It's not required that you surrender the out of country license, but you will be required to pass a knowledge and skills test.

Our website provides a list of required documents you would need to provide.

Looks like in Utah, owning a locally licensed bike isn't an issue, unless the insurance company is a roadblock.

This is promising!

[HighwayChile]

one thing I left out of my scenario (oregon/washington) is if I did that, it could be an issue if I was pulled over in washington ( wash resident, w/ oregon plate) as WA would look at it as avoiding tax, I might be able to prove bike is left in oregon blah blah but it might be a hassle. this is more a problem for the state on big ticket motorhomes, boats etc

your on the right track, just a thought, some US states are easy on licensing, Washington state just re wrote plating bikes, so if you want to plate a CR500, a CZ 360 twin pipe, your in luck.

[GB]

Keep in mind that in many states, in addition to the license plate renewal sticker, there's also an annual tax bill on the value of the bike, similar to paynig our property taxes here. (I'm surprised this tax grab idea hasn't captured the imagination of provincial tax and spend governments.) If the bike isn't worth much, the tax bill will be low and decreases every year as the vehicle devalues over time. So you need to factor that cost as well, not just the license sticker.

Another gotcha to watch out for in the example below:

You find the bike that you want in Oregon and you want to register it in Colorado. You have 30 days to transfer the title over to the state where you want to register it, or you will have to pay a monthly penalty for using their roads and bridges without a valid state license. I know that in Colorado, this penalty is $25 a month until you register it there. If you're buying privately, keep the date off the receipt, or have a post dated receipt for when you think you will be registering the bike.