I'm right on the AZ/UT border. I literally cross in and out like 3 times just going to the store. Funny, even way out in the middle of no where on some random cow trail, they post state border signs.
Anywhoo, out here in AZ it would blow you away at how Mellow things are. The UT Marshall even told us to register our stuff in AZ, as we are only Ten minutes from the ADOT (Arizona Dept. of Transportation), as opposed to a 75 mile drive over to the nearest DMV office in Kanab, UT.
Thus, unlike CA where everything seems illegal, you can fully use a P.O. Box for everything. My physical address does not even have numbers on it! In this County, that means No Smog, Only One plate required, and almost anything goes... Window Tint, Off Highway Vehicles on Secondary Roads and all sorts of stuff. It is still odd seeing a guy with no helmet, riding a quad through town. Just yesterday, I saw a RZR1000 with modified exhaust, big old knobbies and everything just cruising the local shopping plaza lot mixed in with all the other "normal" traffic. It is weird, but cool. Another super cool thing, is AZ has Zero late fees. If you forget to send in the cash, it is up to the Law to catch you. You can go in (or not) whenever and pick right up whenever you wish. It is on you, if you get caught. This is really good for me, since I go through so many various vehicles that all required registration, every few years one will slip through the cracks and not get paid on time. This happened to the RV one time, as I never even thought to keep and eye on the Exp date as it was parked for a long time. By the time I caught it (maybe two months late), the late fees damn near tripled the cost of the tags! Cutting something like a $750 check to DMV for a Ten year old Class C RV sucks. ...then it was only good for the Nine months!
So it is total culture shock in that regard. Unfortunately I found and purchased the truck just weeks before I moved out, and so I already paid CA. for the Reg and Sales Tax. I plan on both getting rid of the CA plate on the truck and going with UT for it's next annual renewal and will transfer my CDL out here as soon as the truck hits it's expiration date. After paying so much for the CA tags, I just couldn't bring myself to turn right around and toss them in the trash. Figured I would at least get my full one year out of them. Especially since until just very recently, I owned homes in both states and was still considered employed out there - and the job required I have and maintain a CA. Driver License.
Oddly enough, another benefit of the front plate, having AZ plates on all my other vehicles and the boat is that you get a totally different reaction from the locals. Especially on the water or if you come across a land owner or other enthusiast while going cross country off the highway. Even though it is a "Tourist Town", you still get a much warmer welcome with local plates, numbers or markings.
For some reason they all think anyone from Cali is trouble. Go figure.
Just don't speed through the little small towns or construction zones! That is the one thing out here. They don't go for all the Chicken Shit equipment violations that go against common sense out here (ie: Window Tint / Front Plate). But, AZ and UT run both fully marked patrol cars AND super secret unmarked cars of every variety. Unlike CA. where it was a Black and White Crown Vic or occasional Charger, regardless of jurisdiction, state or county owned. Out here they run any and everything; GM mid sized FWD cars, 4wd crew cab half ton Dodge and Chevy trucks, Tahoes, Expeditions, Explorers, and even a Dark Cherry Red late model Camaro, all tinted out. So, you really can't just see something "fun" coming and punch off against them. They just might Light you Up! The trucks all blend with the "locals" in farm trucks, as they all use (a shitload of) very well hidden LED strobes. So you are always looking, and it isn't until you are RIGHT on top of them, that you can see a door decal.
Sorry for the long answer to such a simple question.
Nice.
