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New Laws for South Dakota Registrations and Titling: Dirt Legal Update
This Dirt Legal Update covers a new law in South Dakota and how it impacts you. We know what’s happening at the DMV, so you never have to go there!
Running our Plates - The Explosion of License Plate Scanners in the US
We’ve entered a new world of automated license plate scanning technology. License plate scanners, technically called Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) devices, can capture and record huge amounts of license plate information without a human user having to do anything but set up the equipment.
Buying Person to Person? Remember to Budget for Sales Tax!
Dealers might make it easy to buy a vehicle, but their services cost a fortune. (Don’t those car and truck payments seem to go on forever!?) Our mission at Dirt Legal is to help regular people get the paperwork they need to enjoy their rides without having to go to a dealership or (maybe even worse) the DMV.
Thinking about donating a car to charity? Here's how it works.
Ever thought about donating a vehicle to charity? Whether you want to support a particular charitable organization, or you want the ease of having someone come and pick up your old car or truck, a charitable donation might work for you (and your tax return). I recently made a vehicle donation for the second time and learned things I wish I had known the first time! The process also made me think of things to be careful of the next time I buy a used vehicle.
Title Trouble for a Park Model Trailer
We had trouble getting a copy of the title when we wanted to buy a park model trailer in an awesome campground. Read on to learn about different ownership structures in campgrounds and about how to recover a missing title for a park model trailer that you either own or want to buy.
License Plate Scams and How to Avoid Them
License plates are used as decoration all over the place, but your plates contain important personal information that you should treat carefully. Protect against scams and criminal misuse!
What Happens When a Dealer Sells a Car With a Bad Title?
I bought a car with a shaky title. Read on for what I learned and for advice to any buyer of a car, truck, or motorcycle: don’t get burned by issues related to a fraudulent title!
Too Good To Be True: Beware of Vehicle Cloning
We have so many more vehicle purchasing options than we used to! All these choices may lead you to your dream vehicle, but they also might lead you to a cloned vehicle if you aren’t careful. Read on for shocking and true stories of this surprisingly simple scam tactic and how to avoid it when you are looking for your next ride.
Here’s How to Title a Kit Car in Every Scenario
The world of the DMV is designed to title and register mass-produced automobiles, not passion projects built by people like you in their garages. Remember: if you ever want to drive a kit car without legal entanglements, you need to get title, registration, and insurance similar to what you need for a mass-produced car.
How to Sell a Car with a Failing Emissions (Smog) Test
If your car won’t pass a smog check, that doesn’t mean you can’t sell it. You might just have to get creative with how and where you sell it - and be sure to disclose the failed emissions test when you do.
Selling a Car That Failed Emissions (Smog) in California: Here's How
If your car won’t pass smog in California, you can still sell it even when the state says you can’t. You might just have to get creative with how and where you sell it - and be sure to disclose the failed emissions test when you do.
Have a Motorcycle With No Title? Here’s How to Get One
It isn’t enough for a bike to run; a motorcycle needs a state-issued title in your name, so that you can register it, put plates on it, and insure it.
This Is What Happens When You Lose the Title to Your Motorcycle
It’s all too easy to misplace the title to your motorcycle. Thankfully, replacing that lost title isn’t as hard as you might think.