Home » Car Insurance 101 – Commons Questions

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Merriya Valleri

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Merriya Valleri is a skilled insurance writer with over a decade of professional writing experience. Merriya has a strong desire to make understanding insurance an easy task while providing readers with accurate and up-to-date information. Merriya has written articles focusing on health, life, and auto insurance. She enjoys working in the insurance field, and is constantly learning in order to ...

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Written by Merriya Valleri

Expert Insurance Writer

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Eric Stauffer

Licensed Insurance Agent

Eric Stauffer is an insurance agent and banker-turned-consumer advocate. His priority is educating individuals and families about the different types of insurance coverage. He is passionate about helping consumers find the best coverage for their budgets and personal needs. Eric is the CEO of C Street Media, a full-service marketing firm and the co-founder of ProperCents.com, a financial educat...

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Reviewed by Eric Stauffer

Licensed Insurance Agent

UPDATED: Feb 23, 2025

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The car must be registered in the state where you live or in the state where your official residence is listed. The only time this is not allowed is when a college student is studying in another state. Thus, you should register your car and car insurance in the state where you work, go to school (except for the above-mentioned exception), are registered to vote, where you pay rent or property tax, or your permanent assignment if you work in the military.

Registration in the Same State?

If you buy a second hand car that is registered in another state, you should have the ownership transferred to your name. This protects you from any case involving the previous owner and ties up all loose ends regarding the car. You also cannot register and insure the car in another state just because the rates are cheaper there.