What to bring
For most purchases you need three things: a valid driver's license, proof of insurance for the car you are buying (your insurance company can add it over the phone while you are here), and, if you are financing, proof of income and proof of address. If you are trading in, bring that car's title or the loan payoff information, the registration, and all the keys. That is the whole list for most people.
The documents you will sign
The bill of sale records the price, the vehicle, and the date. The retail certificate of sale (the DMV form MV-50) is what New York uses to transfer a dealer-sold car to you; it replaces the title signing you would do in a private sale. The odometer statement records the mileage at sale. If you finance, the retail installment contract spells out the amount financed, the rate, the term, and the payment. Read that one; it is the one that matters for years.
Title, registration, and plates
We handle the DMV work at the desk: the title application, the registration, and the plates, so you do not sit at a DMV office. Sales tax is collected at the sale and paid to the state on your behalf. If you traded in, New York charges tax only on the difference between the sale price and your trade-in credit, which is one of the quieter savings in a trade. The title itself comes from the DMV by mail, to you if the car is paid for or to the lender if it is financed.
Fees, and the ones we do not charge
New York allows dealers to charge a documentation fee, and many do. We do not: the price on the windshield plus tax, title, and registration is the whole number. The DMV charges are set by the state and are the same wherever you buy. If a dealer's paperwork shows a fee you do not recognize, ask what it is before you sign; this piece on dealer fees explains the usual ones.