car insurance

I kept my stateside insurance here. You'll have to ask them.

To get the car out you will need insurance. Go to Tunic and they can write you up. To get the car out you will need to do to the IRS, Customs, back to the freight company. You will need to pay a road tax and some fees. Have a credit card and cash ready. Then you will need to go to the inspection center and get a ONE day pass after you register the car. Then get the car inspected. ssume that this will take about 4 hours. Give or a take afew. All of these locations are pretty close except Tunic and IRS. They are in town. So you will need transportation.

Hope this helps.

Bill

I use First Insurance.

Letahl, I don't know how you were permitted to keep your stateside insurance in the USVI unless it was USAA. I investigated prior to shipping our truck from US to USVI. My FL insurance company, State Farm, verified that YES they can and will extend coverage to the truck on STT. Before we shipped the truck, we had binding insurance in our hands with all the paperwork. When my husband tried to get the truck out of US Customs "prison", they would not accept State Farm Insurance. Told him he had to have insurance from a local company. I called State Farm and they faxed to US Customs on State Farm letterhead that re-confirmed that they are a recognized insurance company and authorized to provide insurance coverage to automobiles in the USVI. I also asked State Farm about the concern, what if there was an accident....how do they get the claims person? And, State Farm said they contract with claims adjusters locally. All these facts..............IT DIDN'T MATTER! If the company isn't on "their list", you can fax them the facts all day long and our vehicle would still be "prison". We are now paying twice the $$ annually for automobile insurance from a local company. You'll need to go to local insurance company to get a binder, get the vehicle out of "prison", take it over to the DMV, get inspected, etc. then go back to your insurance company with the registration.

As a matter of fact I do have USAA! This just confirm my suspicion that they are damn fabulous.

Let

Good for you! As far as I'm aware, this is the ONLY Continental-based company that US Customs will accept. Also, I'm glad this topic came up because I'm wondering if the USVI DMV has the same mindset as STT/US Customs. Does anyone know if I cancel my local policy and switch to State Farm, will the DMV allow me to renew my registration - with State Farm insurance?

First step may be to call the Department of Banking and Insurance. Ask if State Farm is on their list of recognized carriers for the USVI.

William,
Did you really mean IRS, as in Internal Revenue Service? Is there another IRS, or did you mean DMV?

well, i will have to agree with the others before me that thought the DMV and customs are similar to a hellish prison. first, the entire process took about 6 hours. the employees at the DMV are especially rude, impatient, and unpleasant. in reference to car insurance, i like others, mistakenly thought that my insurance from the states would work here. my car insurance carrier was on their list, and they wouldn't accept it, and made me buy local insurance before i could have my car. a word about local insurance.... if you are under the age of 26, insurance is going to cost you approx. $1300 a year, for full coverage. basic is more expensive as well, although what it costs and what it covers do not seem to balance out. i wish i had been able to factor that cost in prior to that day, but in the end i have to say that it was worth it.... and i felt like i should get some sort of prize for getting though that tremendously frustrating process and not losing it once.

Congratulations for making it through without losing your cool! We just went through the same experience last week - it took almost 7 hours! But I have to say, getting the insurance was the easiest part - we used First Insurance and worked with Mr. Shillingford at the Lockhart Garden Mall. He actually SAVED us some money from our stateside insurance, which was State Farm, by the way.

Take care,

Lesa

Sunflowr, I empathize with you. Man! What is UP with those rude US Customs employees??? I get that they are in an "official" position and have to be assertive because it's their duty to ensure everyone adheres to the rules but we also felt they were over the top rude and unpleasant. My husband said he was over-the-top patient and nice but his experience with these folks was not pleasant and not helpful. And, what's up with the insurance carrier being on the list but yet they won't accept? I truly don't understand. Of course, we've just swallowed the pill and don't dwell on it so much but the insurance carrier thing seems unethical and unfair. I say it "seems" unethical and unfair" because I just want to understand .....maybe there's something I don't know and may be a perfectly good explanation? My husband certainly couldn't get the Customs folks to explain it.

O.K., we finally made it to STT and we are ready to get our first island car, as shipping ours did not make sense. And after reading these posts, I'm glad we didn't ship...but, how does the process differ for insuring and registering a car that's already here? Can I drive the car off the dealers lot without first having done all the "legwork"? Does the DMV offer some kind of temporary plates like some mainland states do?

Here's the deal with all this car stuff. FIRST AND FOREMOST:

HAVE THE PATIENCE OF JOB

BE POLITE AT ALL COSTS - - - DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES LOSE YOUR COOL!!!

You will need to purchase the car, if you buy it from a dealer, they will give you a temporary tag for the vehicle. You'll have to have the paperwork notarized and all that to get the insurance, then you need to go buy a TRIP PERMIT for 5 bucks to drive the car to DMV to get it inspected. Then once all that is done you can purchase tags.

It's been awhile since I bought a car here, but as I stated previously, do NOT get in a hurry, do NOT get flustered and BE POLITE AT ALL COSTS!

Is it fair? NO

Is it reality? ABSOLUTELY

GOOD LUCK!

Dylan