Everything You Need To Know Before Buying A Military Humvee

The very first thing you need to know is that a Hummer is not a Humvee. A Hummer is the street-legal consumer version of the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) used by the military in combat.

Yes, Arnold Schwarzenegger did, in fact, observe a convoy of Humvees while filming "Kindergarten Cop" in 1990. Thinking they looked incredibly cool, he called the company that made them, AM General, which in turn directly led to the development and eventual sale of the civilian Hummer to the public. As a result, Schwarzenegger received the first production Hummer H1 in 1992 and has owned several othersover the years.

But not everyone wants a civilian Hummer ... you might want the rough and tumble (but not street legal) military Humvee version. That's fine, and it's something you can totally do, but it's not quite as simple as strolling onto a used car lot, dropping a wad of cash, and driving off into the sunset. Before you can drive around like G.I. Joe, let's dive into what you need to know.

First and foremost, you need to decide what you plan on doing with your "slightly" used Humvee. These beasts were built for war and are capable of carrying troops and equipment over the most extreme terrain; thus, they come from the factory initially titled for off-road use only. But they can be driven legally on the street — in a number of states.

Currently, 30 of the 50 United States don't allow Humvees on public roads. In states like Hawaii, Nevada, New York, and Washington, you can own one and drive it on private property or take it on off-road trails, but you can't zip around town or down the freeway in one. Other states like California, Florida, Texas, and Virginia are okay with the street use of a military Humvee, but not before jumping through some hoops to make it street legal, which can be a quite the process.

Before buying a Humvee, your best bet is to check with your nearest Department of Motor Vehicles to find out specific state laws regarding the mighty multipurpose military vehicle.  It'd be a shame to spend all that money only to find that you can't do anything with it other than park it in your garage and look at it.

Then there is the question of where do to buy a demilitarized Humvee. There are a few options, which are still much harder than swinging down to Bob's Auto Emporium. The first is to buy one directly from a military surplus contractor.

GovPlanet.com is an online auction site with a U.S. military contract to sell surplus equipment and vehicles legally. It's sort of like eBay, only you're bidding on former military equipment instead of baseball cards or stamps. There are some caveats going this route, though. You must submit an End User Certificate (EUC), a fancy term for a background check. The government requires it to transfer military surplus to a private party. A review takes approximately six to 10 weeks, but it could aldo take longer. Since you can't do this before the purchase, you'd need to be sure you have a clean past or you'll be out a ton of cash.

Interested parties must also submit Form SF97. This government-issued certificate allows for the off-road use of a Humvee and is necessary to obtain a title from the DMV. It costs an additional $115, but that process can't start until the EUC is approved, which can take an additional 60 days. 

The second buying option is through a licensed third-party — private seller consignment. This method usually can kill two birds with one stone because they've already passed the EUC, titled the vehicle and are merely reselling it to you. However, that title likely will be in a different state, like Utah, Florida, or Montana. Again, you'll need to square things with your local DMV because some states (Florida) won't issue a title with this form.

You'll almost certainly need to have your Humvee shipped to you, especially if you buy it from an auction site. According to VeriTread, the official transport company for GovPlanet, it can cost as little as $1,000 or as much as $5,000, with an average cost between $2,000 and $3,000. The final price is based on several factors, such as shipping preference, distance, location, or time of year.

Once your HMMWV is sitting in your driveway, you still need to make it road-worthy. Standard factory fresh civilian vehicles come with things like high and low beam headlights, red tail lights with brake lights, front and rear turn signals, mirrors, seat belts. ... some of which may or may not be included on your military Humvee. After all, troops didn't need to signal a lane change in the middle of a combat zone. You also need to ensure it meets your state's vehicle inspection and exhaust requirements as well.

We haven't even delved into the specific types of Humvees available. For instance, some only have three speeds and can only safely cruise between 45 and 50 mph. Pushing them to exceed that rate can result in too much stress on the engine. It's also incredibly loud. Additionally, many older models don't have a park mode per say, forcing you to put the vehicle in neutral and utilize a handbrake.

We'll repeat the mantra that you must check with your local DMV to find out precisely what is required to own and drive a military Humvee in your state. Because if you're still interested in driving around like Arnie, you'll want to have a piggy bank like his too.