Returning home to visit, imported car still has Ontario plates - advice?

[Cm84 1]

I imported my Canadian car back in January when I entered the US on CR1 Visa. Without getting into all the details, I'm still waiting for additional paperwork requested by DMV to register my car/get NJ license plates. I was planning on visiting family in Canada in a few weeks and don't know if I will have my car registered/NJ plates by then.

Am I able to drive my Ontario plated car into Ontario for a visit and then back into the US? I will have the original US import paperwork with me but didn't know if it was allowed/will be an issue trying to get my car back into the US. I guess I'm just worried the US Customs Officer will hassle me about the plates. Any advice or knowledge would be appreciated! I haven't been home since I moved to the US so I'm really hoping there won't be any issues to visit.

[PeachesMagee 62]

Hi! I'm sorry I have no advice to give you, but I do have a question for you.....

When you imported your car, what paperwork were you missing that the DMV wanted?

I'm about to move to the US, and don't want to get hung up on registering my vehicle.

I'm waiting on my EPA compliance letter from my local dealership, and I know there are a couple of other forms that need filling out, but I'll down load them before I go.

[NikLR 13,227]

I'd be more worried about insurance issues and being covered than CBP asking you why you haven't registered your vehicle yet.

[B-2-Z 37]

I imported my Canadian car back in January when I entered the US on CR1 Visa. Without getting into all the details, I'm still waiting for additional paperwork requested by DMV to register my car/get NJ license plates. I was planning on visiting family in Canada in a few weeks and don't know if I will have my car registered/NJ plates by then.

Am I able to drive my Ontario plated car into Ontario for a visit and then back into the US? I will have the original US import paperwork with me but didn't know if it was allowed/will be an issue trying to get my car back into the US. I guess I'm just worried the US Customs Officer will hassle me about the plates. Any advice or knowledge would be appreciated! I haven't been home since I moved to the US so I'm really hoping there won't be any issues to visit.

Don't worry. We drove across the border twice with our car still having NS plates, close to the 1 year mark(11 months, actually.) Go to your DMV, ask them to write a letter saying why you can't get them yet, date it, and keep it in the car. Make copies of that and your import letter, just in case. They'll ask you at the border, but as long as you have "proof" you should be fine.

Hi! I'm sorry I have no advice to give you, but I do have a question for you.....

When you imported your car, what paperwork were you missing that the DMV wanted?

I'm about to move to the US, and don't want to get hung up on registering my vehicle.

I'm waiting on my EPA compliance letter from my local dealership, and I know there are a couple of other forms that need filling out, but I'll down load them before I go.

Obviously not the person you asked, but for us the hold up was 50% Scotiabank and 50% our own fault lol. We bought a new car before the K1 process, since we had no intention of moving at the time. Turns out Scotiabank if they're holding the vehicle lien(financing) wont let you register it in a different country, sometimes even a different province...which we didn't even think to check beforehand, which was our fault. Luckily it's a Jeep so it was only a $9 import fee and didn't require a EPA letter since it's American made.

When we went to register the car they wouldn't let us for the lien reason, so we went and got a bank loan, paid it off...and waited and waited and waited and waited. Scotiabank kept "sending out" the lien release papers. Well, we still haven't got them. We ended up driving and going to a Scotiabank in Sask and asking them for a letter the car was paid off. Got that no problem, and the DMV finally allowed us to re register the car this March, just shy of 1 year. Luckily with Hubbys job in oil we only had a temporary residence, so we were allowed to get a non-resident temporary plate sticker that ND offers. Kind of a grey area, but we got lucky with it.

I'd be more worried about insurance issues and being covered than CBP asking you why you haven't registered your vehicle yet.

This too! Make sure you're insured in both countries.

[Cm84 1]

Hi! I'm sorry I have no advice to give you, but I do have a question for you.....

When you imported your car, what paperwork were you missing that the DMV wanted?

I'm about to move to the US, and don't want to get hung up on registering my vehicle.

I'm waiting on my EPA compliance letter from my local dealership, and I know there are a couple of other forms that need filling out, but I'll down load them before I go.

The DMV wanted an original compliance letter (I used a faxed copy to import and had no issues at the boarder). I'm currently waiting for that to arrive (Nissan told me it will be 4-6 weeks to receive in mail). In addition the supervisor wanted more proof that I owned the car - since my ontario owner registration didn't have the word 'title' on it. So I had a bill of sale and a letter from Nissan Finance stating that the lien on the vehicle has been released. Again she wanted original signed documents so I'm also waiting for those to arrive. None of those documents were listed on the official NJ DMV website for registering imported cars. I'm not sure if this supervisor/agency was being picky or what not.

[PeachesMagee 62]

Don't worry. We drove across the border twice with our car still having NS plates, close to the 1 year mark(11 months, actually.) Go to your DMV, ask them to write a letter saying why you can't get them yet, date it, and keep it in the car. Make copies of that and your import letter, just in case. They'll ask you at the border, but as long as you have "proof" you should be fine.

Obviously not the person you asked, but for us the hold up was 50% Scotiabank and 50% our own fault lol. We bought a new car before the K1 process, since we had no intention of moving at the time. Turns out Scotiabank if they're holding the vehicle lien(financing) wont let you register it in a different country, sometimes even a different province...which we didn't even think to check beforehand, which was our fault. Luckily it's a Jeep so it was only a $9 import fee and didn't require a EPA letter since it's American made.

When we went to register the car they wouldn't let us for the lien reason, so we went and got a bank loan, paid it off...and waited and waited and waited and waited. Scotiabank kept "sending out" the lien release papers. Well, we still haven't got them. We ended up driving and going to a Scotiabank in Sask and asking them for a letter the car was paid off. Got that no problem, and the DMV finally allowed us to re register the car this March, just shy of 1 year. Luckily with Hubbys job in oil we only had a temporary residence, so we were allowed to get a non-resident temporary plate sticker that ND offers. Kind of a grey area, but we got lucky with it.

This too! Make sure you're insured in both countries.

LOL I totally get it.

I've already been in touch with my bank, who has a lien on my truck (chattel for my mortgage down payment). They're going to issue me a letter saying I'm allowed to register the truck in Utah, when the time comes. My banker has been on the ball for everything else I asked her for, so I have no doubt she'll come through with this too.

I have a good feeling that the letter from my Credit Union, for the lien, and the EPA compliance letter (even though the truck was manufactured in the US), should be more than ample.

Did you need to fill out a DOT form?

[B-2-Z 37]

LOL I totally get it.

I've already been in touch with my bank, who has a lien on my truck (chattel for my mortgage down payment). They're going to issue me a letter saying I'm allowed to register the truck in Utah, when the time comes. My banker has been on the ball for everything else I asked her for, so I have no doubt she'll come through with this too.

I have a good feeling that the letter from my Credit Union, for the lien, and the EPA compliance letter (even though the truck was manufactured in the US), should be more than ample.

Did you need to fill out a DOT form?

Wow you're really lucky! They really gave us the run around lol. We didn't have to fill out a DOT form, but we live in a tiny town and I think the DMV was just happy to see someone come in.

[NikLR 13,227]

Wow you're really lucky! They really gave us the run around lol. We didn't have to fill out a DOT form, but we live in a tiny town and I think the DMV was just happy to see someone come in.

I'd like to live somewhere with a DMV like that instead of a 3-4 hr wait to register a vehicle the first time.

I miss Alberta with it's "One Stop License Shop" places.

[B-2-Z 37]

I'd like to live somewhere with a DMV like that instead of a 3-4 hr wait to register a vehicle the first time.

I miss Alberta with it's "One Stop License Shop" places.

The small towns definitely have their perks sometimes!