Taking Care Of Car Necessities When You Arrive In A New State

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Shopping For A Car? Understanding The Purchase Process

As soon as I turned 16, I knew that cars were going to be a long-time love of mine. I purchased my first car about a month after I got my license, and it was amazing to experience the freedom that came with automotive ownership. However, after that vehicle died, I was faced with shopping for and purchasing a newer vehicle, which proved to be more challenging. This blog is all about shopping for a new car and knowing what to look for. After all, since you might be driving that ride for awhile, you need to think carefully about your decision.

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Taking Care Of Car Necessities When You Arrive In A New State

23 August 2018
 Categories: Automotive, Blog

The process of getting settled in a brand-new state will be filled with acclimating yourself to your new surroundings. When you first move in, you will have to set up all of your utilities and change your mailing address on all of your accounts. If you are in the midst of taking care of the necessities for your household, do not forget your car. Here are three things that you must take care of for your vehicle when you move to a new state. 

Get a new smog check

When you get your car registered in your new state, you will need to get a smog check. Smog checks make sure that the car's exhaust system is working appropriately. In large cities, it is especially common to need a smog test for your car in order to monitor the air quality in the city. Get a smog test from a state-certified testing facility before you go to the DMV. This will make the process quicker for receiving your new plates and registration. You can learn more about smog tests from resources like http://www.lakesideradiatorandautorepair.com.

Apply for a new state license

All states will require you to have a driver's license with your correct address on the identification. When you move to a new state, you will need to change over your driver's license in order to legally abide by state requirements. If you have a current license that is valid in another state, many DMV offices will allow you to change your license to the new state for a small fee and a little paperwork. If your license is expired, check the state laws to make sure that you do not have to renew in your old state of residence before changing over to your new state. 

Change over your registration and plates

In many states, you must change over your license plates within a month of moving to the new state. If you do not change this over, you may get a ticket. Once you have your new state license, you can use this to change over your license plate. Depending on the state rules, you will need to get a license along with a sticker that is renewed each year. The renewal will either happen 12 months to the day that you received the tag or on your birthday. Pay attention to the renewal date so that you know when you are due for another smog test and car checkup.