Car-transfer question

Question

I'm kind of young (don't have a reliable source of income), but my dad bought me a car and its registered and financed in South Carolina and I live in Louisiana (college and residence.) If I have my car's plate and registration put in Louisiana can the financing stay in south Carolina? Or does the financing transfer with the registration where I would have to pay it? Thank you for any help y'all can provide.

Answer 1

If you have an auto loan through a bank, credit union or national lender the lender will want to know when you move. This is so they can find you if they need to, or if the vehicle needs to be repossessed. They will also want to make sure that you are keeping the vehicle insured to the levels they require.

If you have a lease it gets more complex. Many (Most? All?) lease programs roll into the monthly payment the state taxes. This will obliviously change if you move to another state. They could go up, they could go down.

In either case contact them before you change where the vehicle is garaged/registered.

This is in addition to all the requirements that the new state puts on inspections, taxes, fees and insurance requirements. And don't forget to tell the old state so they don't expect you to get new plates, or send you a bill if they are state that requires insurance and they get a notice from your insurance company when you drop the old policy.