Vehicles, trailers and self propelled equipment
Did you know...
You have to provide US customs 72 hours notice before crossing the border with a vehicle you purchased there.
JDM Vehicles often have to be picked up in New Westminster, BC.
You cannot import a vehicle from a country other than the USA, unless it is over 15 years old.
Recreational Vehicles (RVs) are exempt from the luxury vehicle tax.
What do you need?
There are many rules and requirements governing the importation of vehicles, trailers and self propelled equipment. The importation could involve multiple parties: US customs (twice), a US Customs Broker, Transport Canada, Registrar of Imported Vehicles, Canadian Customs Broker.
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Let's break down what we need to assist you, and why we need it. The info below is for self propelled vehicles entering from the USA. For vehicles importing from other countries, give us a ring at 403 472 6999 and we will go over the specific requirements for importing from those countries.
Title
We require a scanned copy of front and back of a valid title for the vehicle and it must be signed over to you (or your business). The party that the title is signed over to must also be the purchaser on the bill of sale. This party will also be the importer of record on the customs declaration and it is the name that will be provided to the Interprovincial Registry.
We send this document, electronically, to US and Canadian government departments, so it needs to be a very clear picture or it will be rejected.
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The original has to be with the vehicle when it arrives at the border. If it is not, you will have to return to the USA and you will not be able to import the vehicle.
Bill of Sale
The bill of sale needs to contain the name and address of buyer and seller, specifics of the vehicle (Make, model, year, VIN, etc) and a purchase price. It needs to be signed by both parties
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The original has to be with the vehicle when it arrives at the border. If it is not, you will have to return to the USA and you will not be able to import the vehicle.
Passport
If you will be driving back the vehicle yourself then we require a copy of your passport to identify you as the carrier. If you are having a carrier haul it up for you then a copy of your passport is not required. Note that it can get complicated when "my friend Dave is driving it across for me". It should always be the buyer or carrier.
Your info
Legal name, address, phone number and email address to set up your account and provide to customs authorities. We will also need to know when and where you would like to cross the border.
What does Alberta Customs and Freight do next?
We will submit all of your paperwork to US customs, to obtain your ITN number. Once that has been completed we then send a 72 hour notice to the border that you want to cross at. Once this is confirmed and accepted, the clock until your crossing time starts. Often, their response will state when the earliest you can cross is. There may be some leniency with the 72 hour time limit, but don't count on it, many people have had to spend a night in the US, waiting for their time to be up, so it's important to plan accordingly.
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Once US customs is taken care of, we begin the process to submit your information to Canadian customs. We submit copies of the title and all relevant sale / purchase information, along with the vehicle and VIN information for the interprovincial registries. We then generate a barcode for you to use to cross the border.
What do I have to do at the border?
As you approach the border, there will be signage for "US Vehicle exports" and they will guide you where to park. US customs will require the ITN number we obtained (usually best written on the bill of sale) and they will check the information against the VIN on the vehicle and the original title and bill of sale. It is critical that you have the originals with you, email / photocopies are not accepted.
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After they approve your vehicle for export they will stamp the title, with a rather large stamp, that it is approved for export. Then you can head over to Canadian Customs.
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At Canadian Customs they will need all of your original documents, along with the barcode we sent you. Ensure that you print the barcodes before you get to the border. Customs officers don't like devices being waved at them and may not accept it.
How do I register it, when I get home?
When Canadian Customs process the release of your vehicle, the release is sent electronically to us, along with an email with your Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) case number. If the vehicle is less than 15 years old, you will need to go to www.riv.ca and click on the link to "make an RIV payment" on the right side menu. Enter the last 6 digits of the VIN and your case number to make the payment.
When complete, you will need to generate the RIV inspection form and take the vehicle to a recognized inspection facility (generally Canadian Tire, it is not like an out of province inspection where you have a lot of choices for a service centre).
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When the vehicle has passed the inspection they will enter that information into the Interprovincial registries database and you can then go to a registry office to register your vehicle.