When you get insurance, give the signed title transfer card to the insurance agent and they'll file it. They may charge you a few bucks for this.

Do you need the title transferred to get it inspected?

No, but I need it transfered to get it registered in my name, but that all gets done at once. Once it's registered it can get inspected. I have gotten cars registered in other people's names inspected before.

I remember doing that. What an absolute pain. Bring a book and get comfy at the RMV.

Whatever you do, make sure you pick an insurance company that knows how to deal with Massachusetts. Apparently MA has weird laws or something and not every company will cover in MA. Geico does not.

I had Amica for my insurance--they were not the greatest. They claimed to cover MA, but only certain people in certain departments knew about MA stuff, and everyone else would act all terrified when I called and then would transfer me to the other office and then that office would be closed and I would have to wait for someone to call me back and it was just a hassle. When I was trying to register the car, they messed up a form they sent me--it was supposed to be signed, to prove I had insurance, but they didn't sign it, so I called up and bitched from the RMV. A guy drove out from their office to meet me and take care of it, which was nice, but it would have been nicer not to have had the problem in the first place.

Right now I have Travelers. I don't know if they cover in MA. I do know that they've been totally on top of things and responsive since my accident last week.

I've found the process really simple (once I figured it out). Bring your title and check book to the people you want to get insurance from, and they do the registering for you and give you a plate. I've done this in one day with two visits (before and after work).

I use Nancy Bender Insurance, but only because they're widely recommended by motorcyclists. I've been happy with them.

Nancy Bender Insurance
31 Milk St Ste 420
Boston, MA 02109
Phone: (617) 367-4900

Even easy to get to, a few blocks from a red line station.

I went through this in Feb. First, I got insurance and they gave me the form I needed for the RMV to get the car registered. I took that form to the RMV as well as the form needed to transfer ownership of a car to a family member (which needs to be signed by both parties.) I filed both forms that day and left w/ the new registration and plates. The new title arrived a month later.

Where the *fuck* on the RMV website does it say a form that needs to be signed by both parties. It just says the title needs to be signed by both parties...

It's a form they gave me at the RMV (I don't see it on their website.)
If you bought the car from your mom, you would just need the title signed by seller and owner. But if she is giving you the car, you need the extra form as well as the title.

Another thing I forgot to mention that I brought was a bill of sale. A brief letter dictated to me over the phone by the insurance person, signed by the seller and buyer. It was basically "On this date, this make and model is being sold by this person to this person with this many miles on it."

Nationwide sucks. We've had good luck with Progressive. Your mileage may vary (no pun intended). I've had Progressive in both Pennsylvania and Arizona. I don't know if being in MA makes a difference or not. Good luck on Friday... I hate red tape bullshit.

I don't know how much you've sorted out yet, but ask marphod for Steve's contact info. He's good about getting stuff done when it needs to be done in a time crunch, but he's occasionally a little flighty if it's not an emergency.