Buying A Car In Washington: What To Know
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In Washington, buying a car is a little bit easier and cheaper than in some other states. Although there is still a process that has to be followed to get your car title and registered, plus important documents you have to obtain from the seller, your new purchase can be practically hassle-free by making sure you have all your ducks in a row. Let’s go over buying a car in Washington: what to know.
Buying a car in Washington from a private owner
You’ve decided you want to skip the dealership trip and go through a private owner. That’s not a bad option for a lot of people because you can really find some good bargains with a little shopping around.
But it’s very important to keep in mind that your best protection against fraudulent sellers or even someone who is just trying to sell something worthless to you is yourself. Sellers don’t sell cars for a living, so if they sell you something worth nothing, it’s their gain and your loss.
CarFax or AutoCheck: Using yourself is a great way to make sure a car you want to purchase is worth the price, but a CarFax or AutoCheck report can help you decide if you want to even take a chance on a car.
These reports will tell you things like how many accidents has the car been in and where the damage was done originally. They will also tell you how many miles should be on the odometer, what state the car originates from, how many owners the car has had, and what kind of car it is: private, fleet, salvage, etc. They also tell you plenty of other great information you can use before you even think about considering a car purchase.
These reports have been around since the early 1980s, so if the owner claims you can’t get one for that particular vehicle, you know something is wrong. All reports can be easily obtained via. the Internet for about $12. All you need is a VIN# for the car and you will get all the information you need.
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Visual Inspection: You don’t have to be a car expert to do a thorough inspection. You’re not tearing apart an engine, you’re just trying to make sure the car isn’t hiding any secrets on purpose.
Walk around the outside of the car. Make sure nothing is hanging out where it shouldn’t be, look under the car for any puddles that look like fluids, and just do a basic check. Then move into the interior. Check the interior for any funky smells, look at the carpets to see if you see any water damage, look under the seats, and at the uposthery. There is going to be some wear and tear, but nothing should be too outrageous.
Mechanical and Test Drive: Another place where you don’t have to be a car expert to make sure a car is what the owner says it is. Taking a car for a test drive is simply just seeing if that car runs and drives as it should. You want to ask yourself, does this car drive smooth, accelerate properly, brake properly, handle properly?
You also want to check to make sure the car fits you well. Ask yourself if this car is going to be easy for you to drive every day, maybe even be a joy to drive, or is it going to be your worst nightmare? There is no shame in telling a seller I’ve decided to go in a different direction.
If you decided you like a car enough to make a purchase, the last thing to do is check and make sure everything works that the seller says works. Check all the power buttons and accessories, they should all work efficiently, unless otherwise notified.
Paperwork for Title and Registration: You can title or register your car either in person at your local DOL office or by mail to your DOL office. Either way, you have 15 days to do so. If you’re going to do it by mail it’s suggested you send it in as early as possible to ensure processing time.
The paperwork you will need from the seller is the title filled out properly in the seller’s sections. You will also need a bill of sale form (TD-420-065) filled out by both you and the seller. If you decide to send in your paperwork, the bill of sale form will have to be notarized. Unless stated on the title, you will need to bring with you an odometer certification, and lastly, you will need an Emissions certificate.
The seller might already have an updated Emission certificate, but if they don’t, you will have to have the car updated by a certified technician.
Fees:
● Use sales tax
● Vehicle registration fee
● Title transfer fee
● Additional .03% motor vehicle sales/use tax
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Buying a car in Washington: What to know
Shopping at a dealership: This process can be overwhelming but also a lot easier. Before you head to the dealership to buy a car in Washington know you’re going to have a lot of choices. It’s a good idea to make sure you have a few things thought out before you go.
You probably want to do a little budgeting first so you don’t leave the dealership with something you can’t afford. And the other thing you want to have at least mostly thought out is what kind of car you are looking for. After that, all you have to bring is your body and your photo ID.
If you don’t like and or have the time to go to the DOL/DMV, this is a great way to eliminate all that extra work. When you find a car that suits you well, the sales staff will pretty much take over from there. They deal with all the paperwork, the DOL/DMV, and all that other fun stuff.
Your main concern will be before you sign on any dotted lines, make sure the car, the warranty, and all of the accessories you agreed upon with the salesperson are going to be correct and in place. Next, your biggest concern will be making sure every piece of paperwork that is associated with the car purchase gets photocopied, and you get a copy for your records.
THE BEST USED SUVS UNDER $10,000
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Buying a car in Washington: What to know
If you purchase from a dealership, that process should be pretty easy. If you purchase from a private owner, you can make the process easy as long as you have all the paperwork you need in place, in hand, before you arrive at the DOL/DMV. That means making sure you get all the required paperwork from the seller. You have 15 days before you have to get this process done. If you wait longer, you can get fined up to $125.
Get a curated list of the best used cars near you
The CoPilot car shopping app is the easiest way to buy a car. Tell us what you’re looking for and we’ll search the inventories of every dealership in your area to make you a personalized list of the best car listings in your area.
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The best part? CoPilot is built using the same technology that dealerships use to buy and sell their inventories, so we have more info on each vehicle than competitors. CoPilot doesn’t work with dealerships, so there are no sponsored posts or other shady practices — just the most info on the best cars. Check out our About Us page to see how CoPilot works.
