Identify your situation
This guide is for someone considering bringing a vehicle from Canada into the United States—whether you bought it in Canada, you are moving, or you are trying to understand how a temporary visit differs from a permanent import. Canadian Car Shipping can coordinate the transport and help line up customs filing; eligibility and final decisions still sit with U.S. agencies and your state DMV.
Rules vary with the vehicle’s age, how it was certified, how it is titled, and how long it will stay. Treat the steps below as a map, not a guarantee that every car qualifies.
Permanent import. You intend to keep, title, and register the vehicle in the United States. That is the focus of most of this page.
Temporary visit or snowbird stay. A Canadian-registered vehicle entering for a limited period is usually declared as a temporary importation. You generally cannot title it in the U.S. on that basis, and it is expected to leave when the authorized period ends. See car shipping from Canada to the U.S. and NHTSA temporary importation.
U.S. vehicle returning home. If the car is already U.S.-titled and was only in Canada for a visit, you are usually returning a U.S. vehicle, not completing a first-time import.
Check whether the vehicle is eligible before you arrange transport
Do this before you pay a Canadian seller or book a truck. U.S. Customs and Border Protection warns that vehicles obtained abroad often do not meet U.S. standards, even when a dealer says they can be “easily converted.”
NHTSA safety rules and EPA emissions rules are separate:
- For a permanent import, motor vehicles less than 25 years old generally must comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). Vehicles 25 years or older, measured from the date of manufacture, may be imported without regard to those safety standards, but you still declare the basis on DOT Form HS-7.
- EPA has its own process, usually Form 3520-1. There is a separate age provision for original, unmodified vehicles at least 21 years old. A 25-year NHTSA exemption does not automatically satisfy EPA.
- Canadian-market vehicles sometimes qualify under specific EPA codes when the importer is emigrating or will reside in the U.S. long-term, but proof is required. Vehicles that do not conform may have to go through an independent commercial importer, which is expensive and not always possible.
- Nonconforming vehicles that are not eligible for an exemption may need a NHTSA Registered Importer. Corporate imports and vehicles brought in for resale often follow that stricter path.
Look for English manufacturer labels in the engine compartment for emissions and safety certification. If labels are missing, a manufacturer letter or other proof may be required. NHTSA publishes Canada-specific importation guidelines on its importing-vehicle page.
Gather ownership and compliance documents
CBP typically wants a bill of lading or carrier document, a bill of sale, foreign registration, and the EPA and DOT declarations. In practice, plan on:
- Photo ID
- Canadian registration and, where it exists, title or proof of ownership
- Bill of sale or gift letter showing the VIN and buyer
- DOT Form HS-7
- EPA Form 3520-1
- Manufacturer compliance letter and photos of certification labels when the vehicle is not clearly U.S.-certified
- Prior Canadian import documents if the vehicle was previously imported into Canada
The exact set depends on the vehicle. A customs specialist can tell you what is missing; CBP officers will not act as your agent.
Arrange shipping and border processing
Book transport only after eligibility looks realistic. The carrier reports the vehicle to CBP. You or a licensed broker files the entry. Do not pack personal belongings in the car; CBP treats the contents as a separate declaration, and many carriers will not accept a loaded vehicle. The U.S. Department of Agriculture also expects the undercarriage to be free of soil and plant debris, so have the vehicle cleaned before it ships.
Canadian Car Shipping coordinates pickup in Canada, the border crossing, and U.S. delivery, and works with customs partners on the filing. You still need to provide accurate documents and remain the importer of record unless another arrangement is agreed in writing.
Duties, taxes, and fees
Duty, merchandise processing fees, and other charges depend on the vehicle’s origin, classification, and value, and on your status. CBP currently lists many passenger cars at 2.5 percent and trucks at 25 percent when they are dutiable. USMCA or “U.S. goods returned” treatment can change that, but eligibility has to be documented, and CBP notes that vehicles produced before 2020 are often not eligible for USMCA duty-free treatment. Additional tariffs, a gas-guzzler tax, and state title or registration charges can still apply. Ask for a review of your VIN and bill of sale rather than using a single published percentage.
Keep records for title and registration
After release, your state DMV (or equivalent) titles and registers the vehicle. Bring stamped HS-7 and EPA forms, the CBP entry paperwork, the bill of sale, and proof of identity and insurance. Requirements differ by state, so call the office that will issue the title before you go. Keep your own copies of all customs and registration documents.
How Canadian Car Shipping helps
We quote the route, match a licensed carrier, help you identify the correct entry type, and coordinate customs filing and delivery. We do not replace CBP, NHTSA, EPA, or your DMV, and we cannot make a non-eligible vehicle eligible. If you want the shipment handled end to end, request a quote and tell us whether this is a permanent import, a temporary stay, or a U.S. vehicle coming home. Related reading: car shipping from Canada to the U.S. and customs and cross-border car shipping.
Primary government sources: CBP, Importing a Motor Vehicle; NHTSA, Importing a Vehicle; EPA, Importing Vehicles and Engines.
