Bringing a car across the border from Canada

[geshaghi]

I've recently purchased an older 911 on the west coast of Canada that I want to bring to California. The car is not currently registered and isn't driveable across the border, so it will need to be trailered or shipped. I've sold a lot of cars that have gone out of the country in the past, but I've never bought one from outside of the US. Does anyone have any experience on the issues (as well as costs) one might face in dragging a non-running car across the border into the US? Thanks

[bwall]

If it is 30 years old (or older) then it is very simple.

U.S. Customs will want to see the title and bill of sale. I think that the duty on an old timer is 2-3%, which shouldn't be too much. That's about it, I believe.

PM me if you have any other questions.

[geshaghi]

Thanks. I think I have it figured out, although there is some ambiguity around customs clearance and the need for a broker.

[bwall]

You will need a customs broker. An individual cannot file the customs' paperwork on their own. They must go through a broker--not hard, nor expensive, just an extra step.

All to the best of my knowledge, that is.

[SilberUrS6]

And if the buyer wishes to register the car for use on U.S. roadways, the car has to be a Federalized version, including English (non-metric) units on the speedo.

I do not know whether or not that is a requirement for importation, however.

[geshaghi]

So here is what I have found out:
A lot of US-based carriers don't want to mess with a cross-border haul, NAFTA notwithstanding, but after a bit of searching with the help of a broker I have used in the past, we have sourced a carrier at a decent price. In addition, I need a border agent and a customs broker. The extra cost for these services is around $400-$500, plus older cars are subject to a duty of about 2.8% of the value (which may or may be the purchase price). In addition, there are no titles in Canada, but the registration permit, a bill of sale, some basic vehicle data and the social security number of the buyer is needed to import the car. My local DMV says that once the car enters CA, I must bring it to them for inspection, pay the sales tax and some other fees, and they will issue a new title. 1975 and older cars do not require smog, and they seemed disinterested in any Federalization issues, but we'll see what happens....

[creaturecat]

It all seems pretty straightforward, you may not have to pay any duty, i do not see why a broker is required.
FWIW : I certainly have never needed a broker for importation to Canada.

Importing a Motor Vehicle - CBP.gov

[geshaghi]

Originally Posted by creaturecat

It all seems pretty straightforward, you may not have to pay any duty, i do not see why a broker is required.
FWIW : I certainly have never needed a broker for importation to Canada.

Importing a Motor Vehicle - CBP.gov

If I were towing the car across myself, or driving it, I think that I would be to transport it without any kind of customs broker, but since it is a being transported via carrier, someone needs to handle the customs import process. No matter what, the car is subject to duty, as I am not entitled to any exemption (I live in the US and bought the car from a Canadian). I have heard of situations where people have brought cars across the border and claimed that they were intended for restoration and then return to Canada and not subject to duties in those circumstances, but that isn't the case here and I wouldn't want to claim otherwise.

[Unobtanium-inc]

We've had some nightmares coming back into the US from Canada here in the East. If I were you I would use a broker for sure. If we were to do it again we would use a broker AND a dedicated transporter. Since the last customs nightmare, we have forced anyone who wants to sell us something from Canada to take it into NY themselves and we buy it from them there. -- Matt

[creaturecat]

I stand corrected.
You require a broker.