First attempt at title transfer and registration was a bust:
I gathered up all the required paper work listed on the website for DMV and off I went.
I was told by the nice lady at DMV that New Mexico requires a VIN inspection when transferring an out of state title. No problem right?
Went down the road to the Los Lunas Police Department and it all went south from there.
They have 1 offficer that does VIN inspections, once a month by appointment only and there's a waiting list.
I fill out the paper work and ask how long to expect before I'm called. She says the end of July or the beginning of August!!
So after searching for some place else to get a VIN inspection I got an appointment with the NM State Police office in Socorro. About 50 miles south of our place.
It seems a different kind of challenge when you transfer an out of state title into New Mexico.
A VIN "inspection" is just a confirmation that the S/N plate matches the numbers on the title.
The state of New Mexico requires a NCIC VIN "check" by a law enforement agency to make sure the vehicle isn't stolen.
The Montana title has an "assigned" 12 digit VIN on it not the original 6-7 digit number. Probably done when the wagon body was modified and registered as a truck.
So isn't that an "altered" S/N?
Then they say the serial number needs to be in 2 locations [s/n data plate and frame stamped]
I modified and changed the frame on my project.
So can I legally take the number that's on the title and S/N data plate and stamp it on my "altered" frame????
Isn't that what a "Chop Shop" does???
Am I running a "Chop Shop"???
Am I going to get fined or go to Jail???
I should have gone to the MVD in Montana while I was up there and tranfered the title to my name like I did in Oklahoma when I bought my '47 Dodge project. Then it's simple in New Mexico.
OFF TO THE SOCORRO STATE POLICE OFFICE
I was told I would have to haul my project to get the VIN check done and warned if the NCIC check came back as stolen that it would be seized.
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Gotta love the hoops you have to jump thru to get legal!!!
The good news - VIN check completed by New Mexico State Police and it's not stolen!..
The bad news - They have to mail it the DMV in Los Lunas.
The big question - Will DMV be able to find it after I have to make another appointment next week??
I can foresee getting stopped for no license plate cause I will be driving with out one for a while.