Importing vehicle...

[KiminON 0]

just wondering if anyone didn't have US customs properly address the importing of your vehicle and provide the proper paperwork involved that is required at the time of registration. i've been screwed over with miss-information which has now left me uninsured (i was told by miss.information at the DMV that i had the proper paperwork and all i needed was insurance so i switched it to a US carrier, cancelled my CDN insurance and have now found out i don't in fact have what i need and can't register it).

i can't even remember if they asked me about the car at the border - i guess i figured they would put 2 and 2 together and since i was moving there with my car, that my car was moving too. my bad. my bad. i'm an idiot. now that i farked up so bad, i can't even drive it to a customs office to get what i need or get it back to canada to sell it.

thanks for any advice.

[Krikit 1,165]

just wondering if anyone didn't have US customs properly address the importing of your vehicle and provide the proper paperwork involved that is required at the time of registration. i've been screwed over with miss-information which has now left me uninsured (i was told by miss.information at the DMV that i had the proper paperwork and all i needed was insurance so i switched it to a US carrier, cancelled my CDN insurance and have now found out i don't in fact have what i need and can't register it).

i can't even remember if they asked me about the car at the border - i guess i figured they would put 2 and 2 together and since i was moving there with my car, that my car was moving too. my bad. my bad. i'm an idiot. now that i farked up so bad, i can't even drive it to a customs office to get what i need or get it back to canada to sell it.

thanks for any advice.

Wow. My first thought would be to call the POE, explain what happened, and see what they say. Or, get your letter of import from the manufacturer, then return to the border with the registration and your visa. Good luck, Kim.

[warlord 73]

Years back when I came over the border, I drove through without ever doing anything about my car let alone import it. All I had to do was a few extra steps when I had arrived and do a special emmissions testing done for it and that was about it to get it insured. This was many years ago, so I'm wondering if the process somehow has changed?

I did own my car though. I had a friend that didn't quite have his car paid off and they wouldn't insure that at all so he had to keep his Canadian insurance and was not able to change over his tags on his car at all. So that might be an issue to (you didn't mention if you owned the car or not yet)...

[zyggy 9]

States now require the Customs paperwork in order to issue a title (part of recent 2004 federal legislation to prevent title fraud). No title, no registration...

All I can say is for you to drive your car to the closest CBP office and get the paperwork done.

Edited November 14, 2006 by zyggy

[ceriserose 1]

Despite my informing the officers at Customs when I entered the US, they didn't fill out any paperwork to import my car. I thought it was odd, but figured they knew best.

A couple of months later when I decided it was time to insure it here in the US, I called to find out what they needed. I had my vehicle inspected at the closest customs office (which was quite happily right here in town) and received the forms I needed.

[Griffon76 0]

A couple of months later when I decided it was time to insure it here in the US, I called to find out what they needed. I had my vehicle inspected at the closest customs office (which was quite happily right here in town) and received the forms I needed.

This is exactly what we did about a month ago. The DMV told us where the nearest customs office was. We called and were told we needed the import letter from the car's manufacturer (which we got for a fee of $75!!) and when we had that in hand, the customs officer filled out and gave us what we needed for the DMV and off we went to get the title and registration.

Also here are two sites that will be of some help...

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import...anada07032.html

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/

[KiminON 0]

A couple of months later when I decided it was time to insure it here in the US, I called to find out what they needed. I had my vehicle inspected at the closest customs office (which was quite happily right here in town) and received the forms I needed.

This is exactly what we did about a month ago. The DMV told us where the nearest customs office was. We called and were told we needed the import letter from the car's manufacturer (which we got for a fee of $75!!) and when we had that in hand, the customs officer filled out and gave us what we needed for the DMV and off we went to get the title and registration.

Also here are two sites that will be of some help...

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import...anada07032.html

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/

thanks loads for the information guys. i'm going to go back to the DMV and look into all of this. i'll probably have to transfer it to the the hubby so i'll be an out of status person with no worldy possessions. this was the first car i bought outright and i liked that feeling.

[zyggy 9]

A couple of months later when I decided it was time to insure it here in the US, I called to find out what they needed. I had my vehicle inspected at the closest customs office (which was quite happily right here in town) and received the forms I needed.

This is exactly what we did about a month ago. The DMV told us where the nearest customs office was. We called and were told we needed the import letter from the car's manufacturer (which we got for a fee of $75!!) and when we had that in hand, the customs officer filled out and gave us what we needed for the DMV and off we went to get the title and registration.

Also here are two sites that will be of some help...

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import...anada07032.html

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/

thanks loads for the information guys. i'm going to go back to the DMV and look into all of this. i'll probably have to transfer it to the the hubby so i'll be an out of status person with no worldy possessions. this was the first car i bought outright and i liked that feeling.

Sorry, you can't transfer it to your hubby because you can't title it in Canada because you live here and it isn't titled in the US yet... Take the car to the closest CBP office and do what needs to be done. Otherwise, you'll just have a big hunk of metal in your driveway.

[girl 37 7]

Sorry, you can't transfer it to your hubby because you can't title it in Canada because you live here and it isn't titled in the US yet... Take the car to the closest CBP office and do what needs to be done. Otherwise, you'll just have a big hunk of metal in your driveway.

I guess that means towing it there?

[KiminON 0]

A couple of months later when I decided it was time to insure it here in the US, I called to find out what they needed. I had my vehicle inspected at the closest customs office (which was quite happily right here in town) and received the forms I needed.

This is exactly what we did about a month ago. The DMV told us where the nearest customs office was. We called and were told we needed the import letter from the car's manufacturer (which we got for a fee of $75!!) and when we had that in hand, the customs officer filled out and gave us what we needed for the DMV and off we went to get the title and registration.

Also here are two sites that will be of some help...

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import...anada07032.html

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/

thanks loads for the information guys. i'm going to go back to the DMV and look into all of this. i'll probably have to transfer it to the the hubby so i'll be an out of status person with no worldy possessions. this was the first car i bought outright and i liked that feeling.

Sorry, you can't transfer it to your hubby because you can't title it in Canada because you live here and it isn't titled in the US yet... Take the car to the closest CBP office and do what needs to be done. Otherwise, you'll just have a big hunk of metal in your driveway.

huh? it is titled in Canada. i just got back from the DMV and she said I need that form from Customs. small town (1 woman office) so she wasn't able to help me out finding them, but with links provided here i should be able to find one within a 5hr drive (i hope).

now i'm confuzzled more

k

[KiminON 0]

thanks everyone again for the help. i just got back from the customs office (1.5hr drive away) and have HS7 form that I need. i have to say i never thought having a vehicle with good resale value would be a bad thing! darned thing is worth the same in US funds that it was when i bought it 1 year ago. thankfully only 2.5% tax for duty.

thanks again. fingers crossed it's all i need!

k