Licensing in Alabama - Escape Trailer Owners Community
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×

Go Back   Escape Trailer Owners Community > Escape Me | General Topics > Paper Escape
Click Here to Login
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 02-22-2017, 12:26 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Westcliffe, Colorado
Trailer: 2010 EggCamper (#083); 2017 Escape 21 (#053); 2016 F-150 5.0L FX4
Posts: 1,765
Licensing in Alabama

Not as many Escapes headed to Alabama as compared to the recent deluge headed to Texas, but for the record, licensing in Alabama was relatively easy and painless. What I needed: 1) Bill of Sale, 2) Certificate of Origin, 3) current driver's license, 4) about 30 minutes split between the Probate Judge window, Tax Assessor window and then back to the Probate Judge window, and 5) my checkbook for: a) application for title, b) ad valorem tax and c) sales tax and tag. The only complication came when a clerk kept trying to enter "CA" for Canada, and her computer kept interpreting it as California. She finally tried "BC" for British Columbia, and everything was smooth sailing after that. Our new license plate is already mounted on our new 21', and we should receive our Alabama motor vehicle title in a couple weeks. We are now street legal!! Yay!!!
War Eagle is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-22-2017, 05:18 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
Iowa Dave's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Benton County, Iowa
Trailer: 2013 Escape 21 Classic Number 6, pulled by 2018 Toyota Highlander
Posts: 8,235
Good for you. Glad it was not a hassle. You're going to have a lot of fun. Take lots of pictures make a lot of memories.
Dave
Iowa Dave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-2017, 04:00 PM   #3
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Huntsville, Alabama
Trailer: None yet
Posts: 9
I live in Huntsville, and am in the process of buying a 17' that is already in the States. Do I go through this same process if I'm buying it from an American owner?
Thanks.
Shishepmom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-2017, 04:10 PM   #4
Member
 
gelayne's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Madison, Alabama
Trailer: 2016 Escape 17B
Posts: 42
I went to the county office in Madison trying to get a tag prior to driving to Chilliwack for my 17B delivery...no luck. So, not the type to give up, I tried the main tag office in the Madison County Court House in HSV and they got me a tag. I had to go back later with the Custom's stamped form and complete the paperwork before I actually got my title.
gelayne is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-2017, 04:16 PM   #5
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Huntsville, Alabama
Trailer: None yet
Posts: 9
Thank you, Gelayne! We are actually in the Monrovia area - - what fun to know there is another 17b owner (as I sooooo hope to be by this weekend!) in the area!
Shishepmom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-2017, 04:18 PM   #6
Member
 
gelayne's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Madison, Alabama
Trailer: 2016 Escape 17B
Posts: 42
Good luck to you! They are easy to tow, easy to park, and lots of fun.
gelayne is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-2017, 04:20 PM   #7
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Huntsville, Alabama
Trailer: None yet
Posts: 9
I am so excited! I've been looking for years! I soooo hope this works out! :-)
Shishepmom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-2017, 04:25 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Westcliffe, Colorado
Trailer: 2010 EggCamper (#083); 2017 Escape 21 (#053); 2016 F-150 5.0L FX4
Posts: 1,765
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shishepmom View Post
I live in Huntsville, and am in the process of buying a 17' that is already in the States. Do I go through this same process if I'm buying it from an American owner? Thanks.
It's my understanding that if the trailer has already cleared U.S. Customs and has a U.S. issued vehicle title, then it's just like purchasing any other licensed vehicle where you live. A signed Bill of Sale from the previous owner (including purchase price for vehicle tax purposes) and the previous owner's U.S. vehicle title signed over to you should be everything you need. Unless you have "one-stop-shopping" in your county, I think you will start at the Probate Judge's Office/Window to request a new title in your name, then go to the Tax Assessor's Office to pay ad valorem tax, then back to the Probate Judge's Office to pay sales tax and purchase your license plate. That - and pray the people at the window know what they are doing! Congrats on your purchase!
War Eagle is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-2017, 04:35 PM   #9
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Huntsville, Alabama
Trailer: None yet
Posts: 9
Thanks so much. I'm just praying this works out. . . .
Shishepmom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-2017, 05:37 PM   #10
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Opelika, Alabama
Trailer: 2012 19
Posts: 130
Not sure if this is a county or state requirment but the bill of sale had to be notorized by seller and buyer in Lee County Alabama (Auburn/Opelika)

Graham
gyuill is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-2017, 08:46 PM   #11
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Huntsville, Alabama
Trailer: None yet
Posts: 9
Soooo disappointed. It didn't work out. But thank you all for the great info.
Tonie
Shishepmom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-2017, 09:09 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Westcliffe, Colorado
Trailer: 2010 EggCamper (#083); 2017 Escape 21 (#053); 2016 F-150 5.0L FX4
Posts: 1,765
Quote:
Originally Posted by gyuill View Post
Not sure if this is a county or state requirment but the bill of sale had to be notorized by seller and buyer in Lee County Alabama (Auburn/Opelika) Graham
Interesting. We purchased our EggCamper about 4 years ago from Madison County, AL (Huntsville), and registered it in Macon County, AL (Tuskegee). The bill of sale was hand-written, not notarized, and no problem. Difference could be time, location or both.
War Eagle is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-22-2017, 09:34 AM   #13
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Westcliffe, Colorado
Trailer: 2010 EggCamper (#083); 2017 Escape 21 (#053); 2016 F-150 5.0L FX4
Posts: 1,765
Update: I received a surprise letter yesterday from the Alabama Department of Revenue saying we owe more taxes on our imported Escape. Long story short, when I went to the local county courthouse to register our trailer, it appears the local folks used ETI's list price, converted from CAD to USD on date of sale, to calculate taxes and fees. The state folks used what the U.S. Customs & Border Protection folks calculated and entered on their "Entry Summary" Form 7501 as "Total Entering Value (Invoice)". I think it really just boiled down to a couple days difference in a slightly fluctuating exchange rate, and I ended up owing only about $17 more. So lesson to others, when you take your paperwork to your county courthouse to register your trailer, they should probably use the Customs & Border Protection invoice value (Form 7501), not ETI's final list price.
War Eagle is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-22-2017, 09:48 AM   #14
Site Team
 
rbryan4's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
I think that depends on the state. In our case the tax was calculated based on the CAD to USD conversion value of the Bill of Sale price at the time of registration. The customs form wasn't even looked at, except to note that it was in the file. Have never heard of the way Alabama apparently does it.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
rbryan4 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-17-2017, 09:49 AM   #15
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Westcliffe, Colorado
Trailer: 2010 EggCamper (#083); 2017 Escape 21 (#053); 2016 F-150 5.0L FX4
Posts: 1,765
Unintended consequences....

Just a follow-up to post #13 above. The Alabama Department of Revenue (ADOR) returned my check for $17 (considered by them as additional "Consumers Use Tax") with a polite apology for their mistake. So far, so good. But then last week I received an ADOR notice in the mail with an account number, log-in and password information etc., as if I'm a licensed business required to pay monthly business taxes (lodging, payroll, etc.) including, you guessed it, Consumers Use Taxes. Apparently the first mistake triggered the second mistake in some ADOR computer somewhere. I just talked with a very understanding and nice guy in the ADOR office who apologized again for both mistakes, told me to ignore the recent notice, and he would close out the erroneous business tax account. This experience renews my faith that caring people can still clean up mistakes made by computers. I sincerely hope the saga is over and this is my last post to this thread.
War Eagle is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-17-2017, 10:59 AM   #16
Senior Member
 
escape artist's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: St. Thomas not BVI., Ontario
Trailer: 2014 Escape 5.0TA / 2016 Ram Eco Diesel 4X4
Posts: 8,035
Quote:
Originally Posted by War Eagle View Post
Just a follow-up to post #13 above. The Alabama Department of Revenue (ADOR) returned my check for $17 (considered by them as additional "Consumers Use Tax") with a polite apology for their mistake. So far, so good. But then last week I received an ADOR notice in the mail with an account number, log-in and password information etc., as if I'm a licensed business required to pay monthly business taxes (lodging, payroll, etc.) including, you guessed it, Consumers Use Taxes. Apparently the first mistake triggered the second mistake in some ADOR computer somewhere. I just talked with a very understanding and nice guy in the ADOR office who apologized again for both mistakes, told me to ignore the recent notice, and he would close out the erroneous business tax account. This experience renews my faith that caring people can still clean up mistakes made by computers. I sincerely hope the saga is over and this is my last post to this thread.
Hi: War Eagle... Two things in life are certain... "Death and Taxes" !!!
My new tax form is simple. Line 1 total earnings. Line 2 please remit!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie
__________________
Quote Bugs Bunny..."Don't take life too seriously, none of us get out of it ALIVE"!!!
'16 Ram Eco D. 4X4 Laramie Longhorn CC & '14 Escape 5.0TA
St.Thomas (Not the Virgin Islands) Ontario
escape artist is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-18-2017, 11:37 PM   #17
Commercial Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: liberty, Missouri
Trailer: 21 escape
Posts: 62
titling a camper from Canada in Missouri

recently purchased an Oxygen trailer from Canadian Seller, was very easy to title in Missouri, did not need any document from customs, only needed Canadian registration signed over to me on back, and bill of sale, but if it had been a Motor home with engine and drive train, then would have needed much more[customs papers and dot info]
oldstation is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off




» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Escape Trailer Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:43 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2023 Social Knowledge, LLC All Rights Reserved.