We Offer a Simple, Proven Vehicle Ownership Process
We’ve done this hundreds of times. Read about the easy, fast, and low-cost process of owning a vehicle in America. No US passport or US driver’s license needed. Reach out if you have questions.
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There are 3 simple steps to owning a vehicle in America
You buy the vehicle
This can be any vehicle for sale with US ownership documentation, offered by a dealer or an individual. You pay 0% sales tax.
We register the vehicle
We email you temporary, printable license plates within one business day so you can immediately start driving legally in the US. They’re good for 40 days.
We send you plates & documents
Well before the temp tags expire, we send your Montana registration, and license places, via Fedex, to any address you provide.
Here’s the Detailed Process
Hire visitor.us to handle the registration process and pay one flat fee
Learn more about signing up for visitor.us here.
We form a Montana LLC for you
You have 100% ownership and 100% control of your Montana Limited Liability Company (LLC). This LLC establishes your Montana presence, and its only purpose is to own the vehicle you’re purchasing.
Setting up your Montana LLC takes about 1 business day.
Learn more about forming your Montana LLC here.
Read answers to frequently answered questions about this step here.
Purchase your vehicle
Purchase any US-owned vehicle. Car, truck, motorcycle, motorhome - buy whatever you want!
You’re welcome to purchase directly from a dealer or a private individual, and pay the seller directly.
Montana has 0% sales tax. Since sales tax is assessed by the location of the buyer (i.e. your LLC), not the location of the vehicle, you will owe no sales tax in most cases. For many transactions, the sales tax savings far exceeds our service fee.
Insure your vehicle
Insurance can be easy if you're familiar with the process.
We’ve built this resource specifically for US auto insurance for international visitors.
The top national US auto insurers that don’t require a US driver's license are Progressive, National General, and State Farm.
Every insurance application requests your vehicle’s “garaging address,” which is where it will normally be kept overnight.
(I know, you’re traveling, and won’t be normally keeping your vehicle anywhere overnight. The “garaging address” is just part of the insurance system that we have in the US.)
It’s perfectly acceptable to go on road trips - your insurance will cover you nationwide (and into Canada) - but it’s best practice to list an address where your vehicle will actually spend a night or two. This minimizes the risk of your insurance company denying a claim due to misrepresentation.
Since you probably won’t be driving Uber or making deliveries, a personal insurance policy (not a commercial insurance policy) is usually appropriate.
Document your Montana LLC’s ownership of your vehicle by adding it as an “additional insured interest” on your auto insurance policy.
An additional insured interest is used to document a party with an ownership interest in the vehicle, other than the driver, such as a bank, a financing company, or an LLC.
Because this is such a common arrangement, all insurance companies make it easy to add an additional insured interest in the application process. Simply answer “Yes” when asked if the vehicle is financed, and provide your LLC’s name and address. That’s it!
Submit your vehicle's details on the visitor.us Dashboard
Let us know the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), year, make, model, color, and mileage of the vehicle so that we can prepare your vehicle’s registration application.
Provide the address from which the vehicle’s prior title will be sent, and we’ll generate and email you a pre-paid FedEx or DHL shipping label.
Use this shipping label, or forward it on to the seller, to send the vehicle’s prior title to visitor.us for registration.
Learn more about providing your vehicle's details here.
Request your temp tags
We’ll generate and email you a 40-day Montana temporary registration permit (also known as a “temp tag”) within one business day of your request.
Simply print out your temp tag and attach the indicated portion to the rear of your vehicle, and hit the road while your annual registration is in process.
Learn more about requesting your temp tag here.
Read answers to frequently answered questions about this step here.
Sign your vehicle’s title and send to visitor.us
Your Montana LLC will be the vehicle’s registered owner, so it should be listed as the buyer on the vehicle’s prior title, as follows:
Buyer/New Owner: Example LLC
The vehicle’s prior title must be properly signed by the previous owner(s).
Once the prior title has been signed by both buyer and seller, use the pre-paid FedEx or DHL shipping label to send it to visitor.us for registration.
Learn more about signing and sending your vehicle's prior title to visitor.us here.
Read answers to frequently answered questions about this step here.
visitor.us receives and reviews your vehicle’s prior title
Occasionally, signatures are forgotten or other mistakes are made on vehicle titles. visitor.us will contact you if any issues are discovered during our document review.
We register your vehicle in Montana tax-free
We usually complete registration within 1-2 weeks of receiving your vehicle's properly signed prior title.
Upon registration, we’ll receive your Montana license plates and registration document.
About 2 weeks after registration, we'll receive your Montana title.
You’ll receive notifications when these items are available.
Learn more about signing and sending your vehicle's prior title to visitor.us here.
Read answers to frequently answered questions about this step here.
Receive your plates & documents
When your Montana license plates and registration are available, request shipment to a destination that’s convenient to you.
This can be a friend’s house, a dealership, or even a FedEx Office location to be held for pickup for up to 5 business days.
When you receive your shipment, attach your plates to your vehicle and put your registration somewhere accessible.
When your Montana title is ready, request shipment to a destination that’s convenient to you. When you receive your title, keep it somewhere safe, and continue your visit!
Learn more about receiving your Montana license plates, registration, and title here.
Read answers to frequently answered questions about this step here.
Let's get you on the road
We make US vehicle ownership easy so you can enjoy your visit.
See what international travelers say about visitor.us
FAQs
Answers to common questions about visitor.us
What does visitor.us do?
visitor.us helps international visitors to the US buy vehicles as an alternative to renting.
We help with the hardest part of the process: vehicle registration. (Why is vehicle registration the hardest part of the process?)
visitor.us registers vehicles for international visitors in the best US state for vehicle registrations: Montana. (Why is Montana the best state?)
In order to register a vehicle in Montana, you have to have a presence here. That’s why we form a Montana Limited Liability Company (LLC), owned 100% by you, and then register the vehicle to your LLC.
How much does visitor.us cost?
visitor.us charges a flat fee of $995 for most vehicles.*
This cost covers forming your Montana Limited Liability Company (LLC), registering your vehicle, couriering your vehicle’s paperwork, a 40-day Montana temp tag that will let you hit the road while your registration is in process, support for the LLC’s required filings, and termination of your LLC when your visit is complete.
visitor.us charges a reduced flat fee of $745 for each additional vehicle registration.
*Motorhomes with an MSRP of $350k or more and non-RV vehicles with an MSRP of $150k or more are subject to additional fees. (More detail on fees for high-value vehicles.)
How long does registration take?
Once we have your vehicle’s properly signed prior title, we will register your vehicle in two weeks or less.
visitor.us offers 40-day Montana temp tags that will allow you to hit the road while your registration is in process.
When your registration is complete, we will send your Montana license plates, registration document, and title to a location that’s convenient for you.
How does insurance work?
You can book an insurance policy directly, online or over the phone.
A handful of US auto insurers accept drivers without a US driver’s license.
You’ll want a personal auto policy, booked at an address where the vehicle will spend time (at least a night or two), that lists your Montana LLC as an “additional insured interest.”
This article provides an in-depth look at insurance for visitor.us users.
How long before I buy my vehicle should I sign up for visitor.us?
When you hire visitor.us to register your vehicle, we form a Montana Limited Liability Company (LLC), owned 100% by you. This LLC is a resident of Montana, and can therefore register a vehicle here.
Because your vehicle will be registered to your LLC, its paperwork needs to reflect your LLC as the buyer.
Therefore, your LLC should be set up before you sign your vehicle’s paperwork.
Forming a Montana LLC takes about one business day - not long at all.
So, you should consider signing up for visitor.us when you identify a specific vehicle that you’d like to purchase.
Why don’t all Americans register their vehicles in Montana?
All US states have laws requiring people to register their vehicles in-state with a certain time period of becoming a resident.
For example, California requires everyone to register their vehicle(s) in California within 20 days of becoming a California resident.
So, Americans have to register their vehicles in the state in which they live.
However, if you are traveling, and do not become a resident of any US state, you’re not subject to any state’s registration requirements, and are therefore free to choose the best US state to register your vehicle in (which, for most travelers, is Montana).
Can I own an LLC on my visa?
Visas and visa waivers (such as ESTAs) are issued by the national US government, while company formation is handled by the US states.
Montana doesn’t require US citizenship, residency, or even presence in the United States to form a Montana limited liability company (LLC).
If you’re on a B1, B2, ESTA, or other “non-working” visa (or visa waiver), you are prohibited from being employed in the United States while you’re here.
The relationship between yourself and your LLC is one of ownership, not of employment.
However, using your LLC for commercial purposes while you’re in the US - i.e., regularly selling goods and/or services - may cause authorities to consider your relationship to your LLC as one of employment. If you have questions about employment while in the United States, please consult an immigration attorney.
What are the tax impacts of owning a Montana LLC?
In most cases, an LLC that doesn’t earn income doesn’t owe income tax.
If your LLC simply exists to own a vehicle, its only opportunity to earn income is by selling the vehicle for more than it cost to purchase.
For a bit more detail on tax impacts, kindly consult this article.
What are the filing requirements for owning a Montana LLC?
Owning a Montana Limited Liability Company (LLC) does come with some filing requirements.
Included with your visitor.us order is our support with the required filings. visitor.us populates all the necessary forms with your LLC’s details, then you simply input the required values (e.g., the price you paid for the vehicle), sign the form, and visitor.us submits it to the authorities.
You can learn more about the specific forms here.
Can multiple vehicles be registered to my Montana LLC?
Yes, visitor.us can register as many vehicles as you want to your LLC.
visitor.us charges a reduced fee of $745 to register each additional vehicle after the first.
(Additional fees for high-value vehicles apply to each vehicle.)
Can I keep my vehicle for longer than a year?
Absolutely! Many visitor.us customers keep their vehicle(s) in the US for use year after year.
For more detail on the annual requirements and costs, please see this article.
Can I take my vehicle outside of the US?
Absolutely!
Your vehicle can enter and remain in Canada as long as its registration is current and valid. (If you’re a Canadian resident, check with your provincial authorities, as local registration may be required.)
Vehicles brought into Mexico and Central- and South-American countries usually require a temporary registration permit (TIP). For more information about crossing borders south of the US, please consult this article.
And you are welcome, of course, to import your vehicle to your home country and register it there.
Still have a question?
Get answers to common questions not listed here.
Let's Get You on the Road
We make US vehicle ownership easy so you can enjoy your visit.
