Yes, you can own a tank and drive one around in the United States. However, there are some regulations surrounding that. In this article, I will go over those laws and tell you all about tank ownership in the United States.
After the cold war ended, Eastern European countries found themselves with a surplus of military equipment they no longer needed so they sold them for money and to make room for newer models. Some tanks are sold through dealers while some were directly sold through the military. The dealers will refurbish the tanks and may remove the guns if they want to.
A typical tank can be bought through online dealers from the aforementioned Eastern European countries. The cost of one depends on the space inside the tank, the model, the weapon attached to it, and the condition of said tank. It could cost as little as $13,000 or as expensive as $155,000 or more. Unfortunately, due to gun regulation laws, you cannot own a tank with functioning cannons ( I know, very sad).
As long as you have the necessary permits, you can own a tank as a civilian in America Slap on a license plate, disarm your cannons and you are ready to go. However, they are not street-legal in many states due to the infrastructure being unable to support the tank. This includes low overpasses, bridges with low-weight ratings, older cobblestone streets, cliffsides, etc.
The best way to drive one around is to use it on your property in order to minimize damage to the roads and lower the repair cost you may have to pay. I know it sounds lame but trust me, driving a tank in your backyard is one of the most exciting activities you can do, or so I’m told. The best type of tank to use is a wheeled armoured personnel carrier (APC) or a light tank due to APCs having rubber wheels and light tanks being as the name stated, light. You can easily buy the Polish OT-64 APC and use it since it has rubber wheels and weighs around 13 tons, which is about the weight of a heavy-duty truck, meaning it will function on the road just fine.
How much money do you need to buy and maintain the tank? A tank costs upward of 150,000 dollars which is pretty expensive, but the maintenance cost of a civilian-owned tank is relatively low since you are (hopefully) not engaging in combat with your tank, therefore, having no need to repair the armor and cannons. However, you still need to take care of your tank like any other car. Do a routine inspection of your tank at least twice a month. This ensures that there aren’t any oil leaks or problems with the instruments inside. The tank also needs adequate storage space, assuming you do, you need to make sure the tank is safe from moisture and animals. Mice can get into the tank and chew wires leaving it inoperational or worse, starting a 3-generation family in the tank. The best thing you can do is to keep the tank covered when unused so it is not exposed to the element.
So I have explained to you how to buy, own, and maintain your tank but you may still be wondering, "why should I buy a tank". Well, you should because tanks are living remnants of the past. Why not have a piece of history in your garage? On the plus side, tanks are fun to drive around. If you are still not convinced, tanks are cool, buy them if you have money.