I'm from Hungary and I don't know anything about insurances and rules in US.I'd like to by a used car in Florida and look around with it for a month, but after it I'll go to NC and work there for a few years and want to use the car there. Which is the simpliest way to do it? (temporary insurance-registration number?)

Your best bet is to check with the Registry of Motor Vehicles in Florida. They may have a website. Typically, though, in the States, you must have a residence within the state to register and insure a car.

The last poster was wrong--you do not need a residence in the United States to register a car. I spent many summers working at summer camps, and the foreign counselors typically would buy a used car at the end of camp to travel around in for several weeks. It was a very inexpensive way for them to see the country.

Check out websites for the larger insurance companies in the U.S. (State Farm, Progressive, Geico, etc.). E-mail or call and tell them what you want to do. They should at least be able to tell you what insurance you'll need (it is required in almost (if not all) states), and may be able to tell you about registering a car, or direct you to someone who can.

Jane, I don't think Donna was wrong about residence for some states. You cannot register a car in Florida unless you have a Florida address and "establish residency". I bet all states have the same requirement (after all, what would stop me from chosing the state with the cheapest registration fee,or coolest looking plates, etc,).

In the state where I live, you cannot register or insure a motor vehicle unless you have a bonafide residence, which you must be able to prove. This question came up a while back, and there were many helpful people with lots of suggestions. In the end, though, the original poster reported that it was just not possible for him to register a used car for his travels in the states. There may be states where the laws are different. There is a guide available from the National Automobile Dealer Association (www.nada.com) in Maclean, VA that gives an overview of the laws in each state (I have a copy at work, but have not gone through every state), but it may be available only to members.