The red tape and money to everyone in licencing game are too daunting for this amateur,so have to confine in looking domestically.

IMPORTING A U.S. CAR TO CANADA

If you have purchased a new or used vehicle in the United States, and you wish to import it to Canada, you will have to pay the appropriate duty and taxes. In addition to this, your vehicle will have to meet several other requirements imposed by Transport Canada. The amount of red tape involved might make you decide to resell the vehicle in the United States or to leave it there.

The current duty rate on cars imported from, and made in, the United States is 1.8%. Cars made outside of North America are subject to a much higher duty rate, and in some cases are illegal to import. This duty rate applies to the full amount you paid for your car, including all taxes and other costs, converted into Canadian funds. If your car was purchased more than 30 days after it had been received by the dealership, you will be allowed a depreciation deduction. You must also pay GST on the vehicle. After you license the vehicle in your home province, you will have to pay applicable provincial taxes. If the car has air-conditioning, you must pay an excise tax of $100. Cars that weigh over 2,007 kg, and station wagons or vans that weigh over 2,268 kg, are subject to additional excise taxes.

At the border, you will have to register your car in the Imported Vehicles Program; the cost is $210 at designated ports, and $262 at non-designated ports. You must also provide a Statement of Compliance (SOC) label from the original manufacturer of the vehicle, which states that the vehicle adheres to United States Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. You will need the bill of sale, a valid driver's licence, and evidence of clear title to the car. Finally, you will need to notify the United States Customs Service at least 72 hours before you export the car.

For your vehicle to be licensed in Canada, it must meet strict safety and emission standards, as set by Transport Canada. Several vehicles meet the less stringent standards that exist in the United States, but fall short of our domestic requirements. If this is the case, you must have your vehicle upgraded. After you cross the border, you have 45 days to have the necessary modifications made to your vehicle. Common modifications include installing daytime running lights and metric speedometers. On other models more extensive changes need to be made. After it has been upgraded, you must have the vehicle inspected at a Regional Inspection Centre, where an inspector will, hopefully, give your car the stamp of approval so that it can be licensed.

If you are importing a car from the United States, you need to contact Transport Canada's Registrar of Imported Vehicles. You can write to or call them at:

Registrar of Imported Vehicles

22 Wellesley St. E.

Toronto, ON M4Y 1G3

Telephone: (800) 511-7755

Fax: (416) 967-9970

Email: Postmaster@riv.com

Internet: www.riv.com

You should request from the Registrar of Imported Vehicles two useful and free publications: List of Vehicles Admissible and Non-Admissible from the U.S., and Your Guide to Importing a Vehicle from the U.S. into Canada.

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Notice an error in the site? Comment? Suggestion? ... contact us Last updated: Jan 20, 99