Now that Perkins Road Notary registers cars, we’ve seen an uptick in the number of people failing to comply with Louisiana law during the process of buying a car. This also applies to boats.

It’s understandable that people mess during this process—each state has its own set of laws and regulations surrounding this issue, and Louisiana is no different.

Here are some tips to make sure the registration of your new car or boat is painless and hassle-free.

1) Make sure that if you’re buying a vehicle with a Louisiana title, both the seller’s signature and your signature are properly notarized. This includes ensuring the seller’s name is listed exactly the same on the back of the title as it is on the front. If the seller’s name says John R. Doe, Jr. on the front of the title, it better say John R. Doe, Jr. (not John Doe, John R. Doe, etc.) on the back, too.

2) If you’re buying a vehicle with a title in another state, Louisiana law requires you and the seller to sign a Bill of Sale and have it notarized. This leads to a lot of problems because most people who buy vehicles with out-of-state titles have trouble getting in touch with the seller to obtain a notarized Bill of Sale.

3) You must register the vehicle in Louisiana within 40 days of the purchase date. If you wait until after those 40 days, you will be subject to a number of fees and penalties.

4) When you go to register the vehicle in Louisiana, make sure you bring the notarized Bill of Sale and title for any vehicle purchased with an out-of-state title, or the notarized title for any vehicle purchased with a Louisiana title.

Remember these tips when buying a vehicle you plan to use in Louisiana. Perkins Road Notary performs title transfers, creates Bills of Sale and can register your vehicle. Let us know how we can help you today.

– Thea