I have just successfully imported a HDJ81 from Canada. I bought the vehicle in Vancouver B.C. and drove it across the border and to Atlanta GA.
I have gotten a lot from this forum and I don't know too much about the vehicle just yet to contribute back, so I really hope that this will help a couple of people get their dream vehicle home without frustration and pitfalls.
My experience was as close to perfect as can be. I had zero issues partly because the guy I bought the car from was in the insurance business and knew exactly what to do on the Canadian side. This helped me not have to pay any taxes on the Canadian side and got me insurance as well as temporary plates that are valid in the US to get me home safely in an amount of time which enabled me to go on so many trails that I have always wanted to go to.
The Sale:
This part should be obvious. Inspect etc etc. Once you are satisfied with the vehicle make your offer and if accepted make the bill of sale:
Bill of Sale MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
1. Date of Sale
2. Name and Address of Seller (as noted on drivers license)
3. Name and Address of Buyer (as noted on drivers license)
4. Vehicle info - Year, Make, Model, Vin#, Mileage
5. Signature of both buyer & seller
Here is a link to a sample bill of sale:
http://car.elpasoco.com/MotorVehicle/Documents/VEHICLEBILLOFSALE.pdf
Its always a good idea to print out three or four copies just in case someone messes up. Modifications to a document are frowned upon at Customs as well as tax offices
Before handing over any kind of cash to the seller its a very good idea to go to the local insurance agency. It seems like quite a few strip malls have them. I went to one with the seller and the first place was incompetent and had zero clue how to do temporary plates etc. They wanted me to register the car in B.C which would have resulted in me having to pay 12% tax
The good thing is that the guy selling me the vehicle was in the business and just took me to another agency.
We went to ALL WEST INSURANCE www.allwestins.com
Now these guys are super competent. They knew exactly what to do. The seller brought his current registration of the vehicle and the agency gave us a form called TRANSFER /TAX FORM We filled it out and the ladies did their thing transferring the vehicle to my name from the PO.
It is at this point that we requested for temporary plates to cross the border as well as insurance for the duration of the trip. They were able to give me plates as well as really excellent full coverage for 10 DAYS from the date of sale. All this cost me $264 Canadian which at the date of this writing translates to USD 205.
So they gave me the paper plates to affix tho both my front and rear windshields and the PO took off his Canadian plates and surrendered them.
It is at this point the seller got paid. I was now the proud owner of a HDJ81!!
The Border Crossing:
Its a good idea to go through the car wash before the border crossing. Customs and Border Patrol don't like cars caked in mud and landscape.
So now I have my new ride and I am armed with the following documents:
1. Bill of Sale
2. Previous Owners registration
3 Transfer/Tax form
4. Temporary Plates and supporting documents
5. Temporary Insurance documents
6. EPA FORM 3520-1 You have to bring the form and because its over 21 years old it is exempt from EPA emissions regulations. Here a link to the form as Customs does not provide this: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-04/documents/3520-1.pdf
You will need the EPA form later when you go to register your vehicle in your home town.
When you get to customs tell the officer you are importing the vehicle. He will direct you to a bay where you park the car and you will go to the customs and Border patrol office (Homeland Security) Tell them that you went on this trip specifically to buy the vehicle. Why? Because this will give you a tax exemption to a certain amount. All foreign vehicles will get taxed at 2.5% of the sale price. I paid $7500 for mine. As a returning resident, you may apply your $800 CBP exemption and those of accompanying family members toward the value of the vehicle if it:
So in the end I had to pay US$172.
The entire process took about 30 minutes and it was absolutely painless. They will give you 2 pieces of paper stamped with the Homeland security stamp to take with you. DO NOT LOSE THESE. YOU WILL NEED IT WHEN YOU GO TO GET THE US TITLE AND REGISTRATION!!!!!!
And now you are state side. All you have to do is make it to your local DMV with all the paperwork and they will process it and give you a local title for your car. This is where you pay your state taxes. Each state is different. In Georgia they asked me to take the car to a local cop station to have the VIN number verified. I went back, paid my 6% of the "fair value" of the vehicle and I got my plates and I was good to go.
I have gotten a lot from this forum and I don't know too much about the vehicle just yet to contribute back, so I really hope that this will help a couple of people get their dream vehicle home without frustration and pitfalls.
My experience was as close to perfect as can be. I had zero issues partly because the guy I bought the car from was in the insurance business and knew exactly what to do on the Canadian side. This helped me not have to pay any taxes on the Canadian side and got me insurance as well as temporary plates that are valid in the US to get me home safely in an amount of time which enabled me to go on so many trails that I have always wanted to go to.
The Sale:
This part should be obvious. Inspect etc etc. Once you are satisfied with the vehicle make your offer and if accepted make the bill of sale:
Bill of Sale MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
1. Date of Sale
2. Name and Address of Seller (as noted on drivers license)
3. Name and Address of Buyer (as noted on drivers license)
4. Vehicle info - Year, Make, Model, Vin#, Mileage
5. Signature of both buyer & seller
Here is a link to a sample bill of sale:
http://car.elpasoco.com/MotorVehicle/Documents/VEHICLEBILLOFSALE.pdf
Its always a good idea to print out three or four copies just in case someone messes up. Modifications to a document are frowned upon at Customs as well as tax offices
Before handing over any kind of cash to the seller its a very good idea to go to the local insurance agency. It seems like quite a few strip malls have them. I went to one with the seller and the first place was incompetent and had zero clue how to do temporary plates etc. They wanted me to register the car in B.C which would have resulted in me having to pay 12% tax
The good thing is that the guy selling me the vehicle was in the business and just took me to another agency.We went to ALL WEST INSURANCE www.allwestins.com
Now these guys are super competent. They knew exactly what to do. The seller brought his current registration of the vehicle and the agency gave us a form called TRANSFER /TAX FORM We filled it out and the ladies did their thing transferring the vehicle to my name from the PO.
It is at this point that we requested for temporary plates to cross the border as well as insurance for the duration of the trip. They were able to give me plates as well as really excellent full coverage for 10 DAYS from the date of sale. All this cost me $264 Canadian which at the date of this writing translates to USD 205.
So they gave me the paper plates to affix tho both my front and rear windshields and the PO took off his Canadian plates and surrendered them.
It is at this point the seller got paid. I was now the proud owner of a HDJ81!!
The Border Crossing:
Its a good idea to go through the car wash before the border crossing. Customs and Border Patrol don't like cars caked in mud and landscape.
So now I have my new ride and I am armed with the following documents:
1. Bill of Sale
2. Previous Owners registration
3 Transfer/Tax form
4. Temporary Plates and supporting documents
5. Temporary Insurance documents
6. EPA FORM 3520-1 You have to bring the form and because its over 21 years old it is exempt from EPA emissions regulations. Here a link to the form as Customs does not provide this: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-04/documents/3520-1.pdf
You will need the EPA form later when you go to register your vehicle in your home town.
When you get to customs tell the officer you are importing the vehicle. He will direct you to a bay where you park the car and you will go to the customs and Border patrol office (Homeland Security) Tell them that you went on this trip specifically to buy the vehicle. Why? Because this will give you a tax exemption to a certain amount. All foreign vehicles will get taxed at 2.5% of the sale price. I paid $7500 for mine. As a returning resident, you may apply your $800 CBP exemption and those of accompanying family members toward the value of the vehicle if it:
- Accompanies you on your return;
- Is imported for personal use;
- Was acquired during the journey from which you are returning.
So in the end I had to pay US$172.
The entire process took about 30 minutes and it was absolutely painless. They will give you 2 pieces of paper stamped with the Homeland security stamp to take with you. DO NOT LOSE THESE. YOU WILL NEED IT WHEN YOU GO TO GET THE US TITLE AND REGISTRATION!!!!!!
And now you are state side. All you have to do is make it to your local DMV with all the paperwork and they will process it and give you a local title for your car. This is where you pay your state taxes. Each state is different. In Georgia they asked me to take the car to a local cop station to have the VIN number verified. I went back, paid my 6% of the "fair value" of the vehicle and I got my plates and I was good to go.
