importing car into US

[AlinaH 38]

Does anyone have any information or first hand experience involving bringing a car into the US? I googled it, but couldn't find anything.

Thanks!

[FireKari 4]

You have to get a compliance letter.

If you are unsure where to get this call your dealership and ask them.

If you have a car that is no longer made [ie a saturn] you have to call any dealership and ask them where they get compliance letters for "antique" cars.

This will cost you up to $200 for the letter, it seems to vary place to place on price.

It takes a few days to a few weeks for them to mail you the letter.

You will have to make sure if your vehice is NOT compliant that you get anything fixed/updated that it requires.

At the border you will just have to tell them that you are also bringing your car and show them the letter.

There "should" not be a charge, as long as the car is for PERSONAL use only.

If you plan to resell in the USA I'm not sure what all you have to do then, but I heard it's different.

Note: sometimes it is easier to just sell your car in Canada and buy a USA vehicle.

Edited October 15, 2010 by FireKari

[HeatDeath 430]

When you get to the border, in addition to your normal visa stuff, to import your car you will need a compliance letter and proof of ownership. You should also have looked up the blue book value of the car. At the PoE, after all the visa stuff is done, you tell them you want to import your car. They will look at your compliance letter and proof of ownership. You will fill out a form with name, US address, VIN number, value of the car, and some other stuff. They will stamp the form, and you take it with you. Done.

Later, as you settle in to the US, you take your compliance letter, your stamped import form, and your proof of ownership to the local DMV, and they will register your car, give you US plates, and mail you a title deed.

Money-wise, the compliance letters vary wildly from manufacturer to manufacturer, from 50-200 dollars. The PoE don't need any money for the import form. The DMV will want $150-$200 for the titling and registration. Part of that may be, depending on the state, a 1-2% import tax, if the car is sufficiently new. So if you're unsure of it's value at the PoE, you might want to guess a little low.

Selling a car in the US should be no problem, if it's been properly imported and registered, as above. Bear in mind you might have a hard time selling a car with the speedometer in km/h. The selling process will involve writing the new owner's name on a blank on the back of the title deed. Possession of that paper in apparently 9/10ths of the law for who owns the car.

[Krikit 1,164]

You'll find everything you need to know in the pinned topic at the top of the Canada Forum. You can get to it through the link in my signature. Or click below.

Link

Edited October 15, 2010 by Krikit