Car Registration in STT vs STJ

Good afternoon 53jmoon,

There is a BMV (Bureau of Motor Vehicles) office on St. John. It's on the one-way road that leads uphill to the (future) traffic circle from South Shore Road. If you buy a car on STJ, you can do everything on island without a trip to St. Thomas.

Good afternoon:
The car will be on St. Thomas once purchased as this is where my apartment is located.
But the car is in St. John right now.
I know you have to register the vehicle, transfer title, etc.
My question is this - is BMV follows the same guideline on both islands?
St. John and St. Thomas?
Or do I need to register the car on St. Thomas? under different requirements than St. John?
What is all required for passing the registration for the car on the island?
Is the requirement same for St. Thomas and St. John?
Thank you,
53jmoon

The BMV is a territorywide agency -- I don't believe it matters which island you are on when you do the paperwork, get the inspection, etc. Once it's legal with the BMV on one island, no matter where you reside, you can take it to any other part of the USVI.

You do need to get insurance after purchasing the vehicle -- make sure you get that taken care of before you go to the BMV. If you are planning to do everything in one day, after the seller signs over the title to you, it will be easiest to get your insurance on whichever island you are on when that happens. When you get the insurance and have all the paperwork notarized, then you can go to the BMV. Whichever island you are on, you and the seller both have to be present while they check for liens, outstanding tickets, etc.

Good evening:
THank you so much for all the information FDR.
This certainly does help a lot.
Another question here, please.
Does Vehicle require inspection in USVI?
Thanks a million!!!
53jmoon

Good morning 53jmoon,

Yes, there is an annual safety inspection of the vehicle. It's very basic. Once you pass, you get a decal with the month your next inspection is due. If the vehicle fails to pass, you have a certain amount of time to correct the defect and get it reinspected.

For next time, you may want to post questions such as these in the General/Relocating forum rather than the Classifieds.

Good luck with your vehicle transaction!

Good morning:
OMGoodness, I am so sorry.
Sometimes, I get mixed up where I am at on these boards.
I will be more careful next time.
FDR - thank you for your information.
53jmoon

There is an interesting twist to the registration between islands. STT and STJ are in the same district while STX is in a different district. While it is possible to transport a vehicle from STX to or From STT/STJ district without changing the registration, it is on the paperwork side, as complicated as shipping a vehicle to Timbuktou. Even a bank lien on one island can prevent you from shipping to the other, even though the bank is present on both areas. And the cost between STX and STT/STJ is over $300. one way. yet look at Trinidad and Tobago - the fast ferry between the two islands, about a 100 mile trip, costs about $25, with no paper work, upto 500 or 600 vehicles a trip... drive on like the STT - STJ ferry... only at ½ the cost.