Hi.
I’m finding more information about importing from US into Canada than the other way around. I guess mainly because the cross-border shopping has historically made sense that way. Also a lot of the info is about importing new cars, not a personal-use older car.
I’ve done a bit of poking around dmv.org and mass.gov for info related to this, but much of the info is about moving from another state, not another country.
1. Do I have to import my car, if I become a resident of MA (If I’m still a citizen of Canada, and can maintain registration in Canada)? I know that MA has some firm laws about titling…
http://www…usetts.php
…but see third bullet here: http://www…/index.htm
I don’t need an MA title if my car is titled somewhere else.
2. Do I have to change the speedometer if I am just bringing the car for my own personal use and not selling it? (sucks if I do as I just replaced a broken one, so my odometer is already reset with a note in the door stating the old mileage) http://willz.ca/importcanadatousa.htm
It’s a 2000 Honda Civic Hatchback. I’m not too concerned that it won’t meet EPA or DOT standards for emissions (should I be??).
I am also pretty sure I don’t have to pay duty http://www…ehicle.xml
But, if I’m missing anything big in terms of moving to Massachusetts and keeping my car, I would appreciate any good CarTalk wisdom out there. Thanks in advance…
If you’re keeping your Canadian citizenship and keeping your Canadian driver’s license, the easiest way to do it would be just to keep the car registered in Canada.I know most States in the US let you keep a car registered in their state so long as you are still a legal resident, even if your physical and mailing address is somewhere else. Legally, I believe you are usually required to register your vehicle in the state after some number of days after you become employed in the state, so if you’re only in the states for school or something you may not need to at all.
You might try calling up a car dealership near the border-- they probably know all the procedures and may even be able to do all the paperwork for you for a fee. I know it’s not a big problem if it’s a model sold on both sides-- doing it the other way is usually more difficult because you have to put on DRL’s and security stuff not required stateside.
I do know you are not obligated to change the metric speedometer/odometer. There are sticker kits that you can put over the speedometer face, but the odometer will still read in KM’s.
A 2000 Canadian Civic meets all the US regs (except perhaps California) on emission and safety. Most states want you to register your vehicle there after 6 months or so. My company brought in an engineer from Canada to Utah for several years, and both his vehicles had to be locally registered after 6 months. You can get an international drivers license from the AAA for about $20 and it is valid for 12 months. I drove on one of those for 5 years (renewed 4 times) in Asia wihtout getting a local driving permit.
Since there is a free trade agreement in place on autos, I believe there is no duty, but maybe MA sales tax, and you would only need to meet the MA smog & safety check.
You need to consult with a US Customs broker. Look them up in the yellow pages and keep calling until you get someone who knows about vehicle importations. I know this because I am a Customs broker but I don’t want to use this board as a sales tool. Look for a broker in Boston. There are plenty there. Good luck since importing a car is never simple.
Robert
In NH at least its really not a big deal. A friend from Newfoundland had no issue with a 2000 Saturn she brought in for two years. For your year there really are no special requirements to modify the vehicle.
I would simply contact the state DMV via phone(better) or email.
Contact a Mass. Insurance Agent.
the easiest way to do it would be just to keep the car registered in Canada.I know most States in the US let you keep a car registered in their state so long as you are still a legal resident, even if your physical and mailing address is somewhere else
If you keep your car in MA for more than 30 days consecutively, the law says you have to register it in MA. There are many scofflaws that ignore that requirement however.
If you “import” a car into MA, they will want proof you paid sales tax on the vehicle purchased within the last year. They will charge the difference between what you paid and what would have been the MA sales tax. If they do not have a reciprocity agreement with the prior taxing body, they will charge the full MA sales tax upon registration.
wow, i’m blown away by all the responses here. they are all helpful, uncovering some thoughts and angles i hadn’t thought of.
i have to study up more, but i do have some time before push comes to shove.
i had read about the school thing, RMV has a form that a student is supposed to send to the local police station and the school, which allows them to keep their out-of-state car in MA while in school. not my situation, at this point.
thanks again
TwinTurbo said: If you “import” a car into MA, they will want proof you paid sales tax on the vehicle purchased within the last year.
i think you’re talking about a newly purchased car (used or new). this doesn’t apply in this case, since i’ve had the car for 8 years.
If you maintain your legal residence and car registration in Canada I think I would just not worry about it. I would talk to your insurance agent to make sure you are covered during your stay, but the local police are not going to check unless you are in an accident or get stopped for a violation. Even then, how will they know how long you’ve been in MA? If they do check the worst they’ll probably do is make you get your registration changed then. When I took a Virginia registered motorcycle to France I just made sure I took a weekend trip out of the country every couple of months so if they asked I could honestly say I had not had the bike there longer than 6 months (which is France’s limit). Unless you plan on selling the car in MA, I really don’t think they’ll care.
Now, I am not a lawyer and I don’t live in MA. I do, however, know a lawyer who practices in MA if you need a referral.
Normal Canadian insurance coverage is good in the US, just don’t go to Mexico! If you are in and out of the country regularly with the car, there is not much point in changing over the registration.