Fact here in Ontario is that you cannot swap plates from one car to another legally on the sly. I've done it and dudes who I have sold vehicles have done it, but it carry's a big fine for obvious reasons.
The 15 day trip permit is available for this purpose with the following conditions.
1. The mandatory Ontario buyer's package, which sets the sales tax rate and the official legal Bill of Sale, is filled out and signed by both seller and buyer.
2. the payment of the PST (which now looks like the PST can be claimed back later by mail)
3. that the vehicle is not presently registered as unfit. The idea of the trip permit is also to allow folks to drive the vehicle around for the purposes of obtaining a safety certificate. If you want to transfer the ownership officially from one person to another person, but there is no certificate yet then the only way you can do this is by registering the vehicle as "unfit". Different colour permit actually so the cops can see what the status is at a glance.
So it appears that the original poster has no problems other than shelling out the PST for a few months or so before he gets it back.
Sterling:
Yes, you can purchase insurance all day long on anything. But you must abide by their legal definitions on what constitutes a binding contract. Read an Ontario automobile insurance policy completely if you have all day to do so. The terms of the third liability sections state that the vehicle must be licensed for road use under the laws and regulations of Ontario, etc. You go barreling down the road in a car still registered to someone else with an illegal set of plates on that car and the insurance company is going to claim that you voided the contents of the contract and if you disagree then, sue them.
Same thing with an Ontario Driver's License.
In Ontario, Driver's Licenses are good for 5 years.
Many folks forget to renew, for the outrageous cost of 75 bucks, or they put it off. After midnight of the expiry date that person is not "licensed" to drive a vehicle in Ontario. One can cry and moan all they want in front of a judge, but the legal definition is that person is currently unlicensed.
Any Ontario Insurance Policy clearly states that the liabilty portion or any portion affected by road use is not in effect if the insured vehicle is operated by an unlicensed driver. Call it mean, call it nit picking, but that is the rules and the rules are written by the Ontario Legislature and the Insurance Companies. Same goes with people who have suspended driver's licenses; they may have a good policy on the car, but the insurance comapny will claim breach of contract in the event of a claim.
I worked on a case in which a mechanic had an elapsed driver's license and he accidently ran over a lady in a customer's car and as a result the insurance company that insured the car for the customer said "we're out of this one" and the couple eventually lost their house. The Police Report indicated that a ticket was issue for an elapsed driver's license and that caught the eye of one of the adjusters.
To be technical about it, in Ontario the insurance company still payed out the loss, but added the couple and the mechanic as third parties to the action and then went after their assests to reinburse them for the payout which in this case was huge.
It wasn't morally right, but it was legally correct because it was stated in the insurance contract which the couple accepted by virtue of paying the premium; an implied contract they call that.
(Message edited by articsteve on January 17, 2005)