Hello,
There's always Vermont for a registration and a plate. Then convert the Vermont reggie to a Wisconsin title. Please understand that Vermont does not care where you live - it's a money thing for them and a courtesy to owners of vacation homes in the state. Fill out Vermont DMV Form 119 and you are on your way.
Here's a few other notes:
1 - Have a VIN verification form from your state police that indicates "NCIC negative". This shows that it is not stolen after being checked in the National Crime Information Center computer. They most likely check for this in Vermont as well but go ahead and make this statement on the VIN verification / inspection form - whatever it’s called in your state. The most important thing here seems to be that it is all on an official form from a police organization in your area. A special Vermont form for this inspection is not required.
2 - Maybe even more important, somewhere on the VIN verification form ask your same police officer from Step 1 above to make some kind of a statement that the bike is roadworthy, that it meets or exceeds the laws of your state to legally be on the road.
3 - Put a realistic value for your bike on Form 119 and pay a reasonable amount of tax. For me, the magic dollar value seems to be 500 bucks for my street-legal minibikes which is still only $30 in tax - not bad, for what I'm getting. Debating the clerk that you got the bike for free from your brother-in-law, rescue pulled it out from being buried in a landfill or your bill of sale only says $200 will not get us very far. Vermont valued my Aermacchi bike through NADA at about $1175 in fair condition at the zip code for Montpelier, Vermont - 05603. You will pay $48.00 for the basic registration and plate plus 6% sales tax . . . whatever that dollar amount is. A certified appraiser could rate your bike value at less than $500 but really . . . just pay the tax. Let’s not kill the goose that lays the green plates here.
4 - They have not asked me for this and the VT Form 119 instructions say nothing about it but I included a copy of my insurance card for this bike - it shows that you are serious about registering your bike.
5 – Vermont does not give one hoot or care about where you live, whether you own property in the state, have ever flown over the state or even if you like Vermont maple syrup or not. This is all about revenue generation for them. Publicly, they state that many people have second homes in Vermont that they keep year-round vehicles at. So they make it easy to register them in Vermont.
6 – Print the companion instructions for Form 119 attached above and TAKE THEM WITH YOU to your DMV office. These instructions clearly explain why you will not have a title. Our Honda bikes are older than fifteen years old which means no title from Vermont and having
the instructions with you will assist in your discussions with the clerk in your state. During this
discussion, offer as little additional information as possible and try your best to remain mute on
your knowledge about any previous but now lost title. Let the Vermont facts about no titles for
vehicles this old rest on its own merits, if possible.
7 – Your bill of sale does not need to be notarized. I say again, no notarization is required.
8 – You have zero dollars to lose or risk here. They will not cash your personal check unless
they intend to plate and register your bike.
Steps 1, 2 & 3 have slowed me down before so if you can at least answer those points, you
should be fine. There’s nothing quite like a piece of tin with some numbers on it to make you
feel good.
Rick
