Please can you help us clarify what are the legal steps to put a RV on the road for use?
1)When we buy a RV, does it make a difference if ownership is transferred to a non US citizen?
2)What vehicle checks are required for road worthiness?
3) What is the process to register a RV in the US?
4) What insurance is required for full time use of a RV in the registered state and other states?
5) What is the period we can drive in the US with a U.K. or international driving license?
6) What issues do we need to consider.
Thank you
Our US address will be South Carolina or Georgia
1. Shouldn't be an issue. When we bought our first car in California, we were still UK residents and citizens. We did need to use our temporary US address.
2. We don't have the (federal) equivalent of an annual MOT test (I used to dread those!). Some states/counties have a smog test requirement, and the frequency may vary. A good reason to register in a non-smog county/state. I see that Seilerbird mentioned safety checks in some states, but I have no knowledge/experience with those.
3. If buying privately, the seller will have a "title" document (usually 1 page), commonly called a "pink slip" * that they sign. You'll take the signed pink slip and sales receipt (don't forget to have the seller sign one) to a state Department of Motor Vehicles (some states call it Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and maybe something else).
The DMV/BMV will collect any sales tax and registration fees, and give you "tags". These are our equivalent to your tax disk*, and are typically applied to the rear license plate. They may also give you a temporary ownership document. The official title/pink slip will follow in the mail.
We don't have a centralized/federal equivalent of DVLA; It's all handled by each individual state. The above procedures may vary from state to state. e.g. a couple of years ago we shipped and registered one of our cars from home in California to our town home in Ohio. The Ohio BMV procedures were different from California. But you only need to register in one state.
If buying through a dealer, they handle all the DMV/BMV stuuff for you.
4. Our insurance coverage has different names from what you're used to. At a minimum, you'll legally need liability coverage, which comes with different $ limits. Collision coverage pays for damage to your vehicle. Insurance issued in one state is usually valid in all states. The insurance company/agent will know and explain what the legal requirements are.
Be prepared for a shock with insurance costs. No matter how long you've been driving in the UK, it's not counted, and you're starting with "no experience". Things have probably changed over the years, but our premium was double the first year in California, then it magically halved after we had 1 year of "experience" under our belts.
5. You can drive on your UK license for as long as it's valid, but individual states may have additional rules. e.g. in California we had 10 days from the time we established residence to get a CA drivers licence. Not sure if that time has changed.
Be advised the "international driving permit" is not recognized by some states (California used to specifically say that). It would probably be a good idea to bring your license(s)
and IDP.
*The pink slip is the equivalent of the UK vehicle log book aka V5C, but issued once for each change of ownership, rather keeping a running log of ownership and registration/taxation payments.
* Just discovered that the UK paper car "tax disc" that was placed on the inside of the windshield was abolished in 2014.