Ok, so I'm planning to take a little holiday and would like to purchase a vehicle in the UK, then overland through Europe, the "stans" and Russia/Mongolia. Maybe even ship the vehicle back to the USA eventually....and I've been wading through the purchase/tax/mot regs....need a bit of help deciphering the differences between the US and UK systems....

I've been doing a lot of reading on the DVLA sites, and still have some questions...

1. Is the V5 registration the same as a "title" AND "registration" in the US, or does the UK have a title document as well as the V5 registration?

In the US, we have a "title" which shows ownership of the vehicle, and a separate state by state "registration" that shows that the vehicle is licensed....

2. It is my understanding that the MOT and taxes can be transferred to the new owner of a vehicle, so if I find something that is current on both....I only need to change the registration?

3. Are number plates transferrable to a new owner, or do I have to get those made too?

4. How long...really...does it take to get the updated registration docs (and/or title) once you buy a used vehicle....and do I need a local (UK) address?

5. It's my understanding that to permanently export a vehicle, all I have to do is notify the DVLA by sending in the V5C/4 section of the V5 document....?

I know this may seem like "newbie" stuff for the UK locals, but it seems a bit complex coming from the "walk in with the title, walk out with everything in 30 min. that our Arizona, USA motor vehicle dept is like...", so thanks in advance for ya'll help!

-H-

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