Another question for owners of imported cars

[Olyar15]

Received my sticker from RIV that I am supposed to attach to the driver's side door pillar. Well, the sticker is quite large, and the only way it will fit is if it covers up one of the other labels on there. Where did you guys attach this label? Did you trim it to fit? Is it supposed to cover up the pre-existing labels?

 

[freeon]

I put mine in the dash. I don't think that they will look for it and if they do I'll just pull it out the dash and say I forgot or didn't know.Did the same with my truck

 

[Bigglezworth]

If you are having a 'proper' mechanic inspect your car so that it passes provincial inspection requirements, it will be a necessity to have it affixed to the door pillar or somewhere else obvious that can ve viewed without obstruction. Pulling it out of the glove compartment box is a first for me. Never heard that one before. There isn't a single registered mechanics shop that I know of that would have passed the vehicle without the RIV label affixed properly. Remember you can't stick it to the door either. Must be on the frame.

 

[Olyar15]

If you are having a 'proper' mechanic inspect your car so that it passes provincial inspection requirements, it will be a necessity to have it affixed to the door pillar or somewhere else obvious that can ve viewed without obstruction. Pulling it out of the glove compartment box is a first for me. Never heard that one before. There isn't a single registered mechanics shop that I know of that would have passed the vehicle without the RIV label affixed properly. Remember you can't stick it to the door either. Must be on the frame.

The car has already passed federal and provincial inspection. They mailed me the RIV label after it had passed inspection. Did you put the sticker over the pre-existing American label? That is about the only place that the RIV label would fit (the other being the on top of the tire pressure label), neither one of which I would want to cover up. My thought is to trim the label and fit only the important info on the door frame.

 

[Bram]

Put it in the glove box...

 

[95EagleAWD]

Put it in the glovebox. You'll never, ever be asked for it.

No one will ever ask you if the car is imported or not. So long as it's registered and insured, no one cares.

 

[Bigglezworth]

Geesh. Which shady mechanics are you guys working with.:tongue: I find your responses somewhat humourous, but in reality more confusing. Pretty certain all the provinces act the same. Can't get a car registered without having it first inspected. Inspection efforts I've had on 4 vehicles now have all done a visual hands on to ensure the sticker is on the car and matches the federal documentation. This has just been my personal experiences. I really couldn't care less where you put it. :wink:

 

[Bram]

The best Acura

 

[angus]

Same here , I have actually only seen maybe one or two cars where the label was on , I have owned five or six imports and NEVER put it on , infact I just found an old sticker for a car I once had!

 

[warrenw]

My RIV was done by Acura. I never got a RIV sticker to apply. When I had the provincial inspection done, it was not asked for.
Now that it is registered in Alberta, I will never be asked for it again. I have a copy of the Alberta out of province inspection in the glove box just in case.

 

[NSXCessive]

I would have to say in the glove box, and it can be easily produced in case the boyz in blue want to see it.

 

[Olyar15]

Well, just for the record, I emailed RIV and they said that it is okay to trim the label to fit, as long as the information remains.

I guess the chances that anyone would ask to see that label is pretty remote, unless you sell the car out of province and the new owner required a provincial inspection.

 

[95EagleAWD]

Well, just for the record, I emailed RIV and they said that it is okay to trim the label to fit, as long as the information remains.

I guess the chances that anyone would ask to see that label is pretty remote, unless you sell the car out of province and the new owner required a provincial inspection.

And then it isn't your problem! :tongue:

 

[warrenw]

Well, just for the record, I emailed RIV and they said that it is okay to trim the label to fit, as long as the information remains.

I guess the chances that anyone would ask to see that label is pretty remote, unless you sell the car out of province and the new owner required a provincial inspection.

The new owner still would not require it. as an out of province inspection is all that is required from the new province.
The RIV is only required to get the car in to Canada. Once it is registered, it is a non issue. The car is then Canadian. I had a 1966 mustang out of California. I never did have a RIV document or sticker. I sold it to a guy and he took it to BC. They did an out of province. No other requirement.

 

[BioBanker]

Yeah! Another 02+ NSX in Canada!

I love it when great cars flee the US to Canada!

 

[lithiumus]

What RIV sticker?? I don't remember having to affix a sticker or given a sticker from the RIV office...

- I was the proper owner of the NSX when I was in Cali so the Pink slip was in my name along with proper DMV registration
- faxed and handed my export papers when driving the NSX to Canada
- Paid the GST, Foreign import taxes, etc at the border
- Did my inspection at Acura (no sticker given), did my federal insp at CT
- Brought all the paper work to RIV, given more paper work
- Provided paperwork to local MTO, paid provincial taxes and got my ownership and plate sticker. That's it.

I had insurance with Geico throughout the entire process and never canceled it until my car was finally plated which was the last step at the MTO and I obtained proper Canadian insurance coverage.

Before it was plated, I kept my Cali license plates on since it was still insured by Geico. I was never given a sticker...

 

[Olyar15]

What RIV sticker?? I don't remember having to affix a sticker or given a sticker from the RIV office...

- I was the proper owner of the NSX when I was in Cali so the Pink slip was in my name along with proper DMV registration
- faxed and handed my export papers when driving the NSX to Canada
- Paid the GST, Foreign import taxes, etc at the border
- Did my inspection at Acura (no sticker given), did my federal insp at CT
- Brought all the paper work to RIV, given more paper work
- Provided paperwork to local MTO, paid provincial taxes and got my ownership and plate sticker. That's it.

I had insurance with Geico throughout the entire process and never canceled it until my car was finally plated which was the last step at the MTO and I obtained proper Canadian insurance coverage.

Before it was plated, I kept my Cali license plates on since it was still insured by Geico. I was never given a sticker...

It is something that they mail to you once your car passes federal inspection. You should have received it a week or so after passing inspection. Look at the RIV website: http://www.riv.ca/english/html/mod_inspect_requirements.html

Under "Passenger vehicles" is states:

"[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Univers,Zurich BT][SIZE=-1]The Registrar of Imported Vehicles will mail a Canadian statement of compliance label to you after passing the federal inspection.[/SIZE][/FONT]"

 

[warrenw]

It is something that they mail to you once your car passes federal inspection. You should have received it a week or so after passing inspection. Look at the RIV website: http://www.riv.ca/english/html/mod_inspect_requirements.html

Under "Passenger vehicles" is states:

"[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Univers,Zurich BT][SIZE=-1]The Registrar of Imported Vehicles will mail a Canadian statement of compliance label to you after passing the federal inspection.[/SIZE][/FONT]"

I just remembered. Cars more than 15 years old do not require the RIV process, and therefore no sticker would be issued. All you need is an out of Province inspection for cars 1994 and older. As well there was no RIV process before 1997. So, if you imported a car before '97 there is no RIV sticker. So who is to know if a car was imported before '97. I still do not belive this paperwork / sticker will ever be asked for.

 

[95ttht]

Don't worry about it, nobody cares about the silly little sticker. Throw it in the glove box.

I've had 4 cars from the states, never put the sticker on, nobody cares about it except the bean counters who collect the fee.

On the one in a million chance somebody does ask, just claim you never got it in the mail. I brought a car back last October and I just got the sticker in the mail last week!