Importing From US

[Moisted]

So I'm flying down to NYC to pickup my NSX, and drive it up to Ottawa through one of the border crossings.

I talked to the US border agency and they want the original Title of the car delivered to them in person 72 hours before crossing the border. Which means I have to fly down to NY buy the car, drive it to the border (about 5 hrs drive), give them the title, stay in a hotel for 72 hours at the border. Then cross...

This sounds ridiculous to me. Have others who imported from US had to do this?....

 

[myw]

It thought they needed 72 hours notice/paperwork to be begin before the car is to be imported over. This is the first time I've read that the paperwork has to be the original title

 

[arista5]

which car did you buy from NYC? just wondering who parted with their car from around here.

 

[Moisted]

It thought they needed 72 hours notice/paperwork to be begin before the car is to be imported over. This is the first time I've read that the paperwork has to be the original title

I called the US customs at Prescott bridge directly, and talked to the most unpleasant person in the world, who proceeded to tell me he didn't give a crap what I do for 72 hours at the border, but he needed to have the original Title in his hand 72 hours before he allowed me to cross the border.

 

[type-j]

They just need a faxed copy of the title and bill of sale 72 hrs prior to you crossing. Although I crossed over 36 hrs after I faxed my title to them and nobody cared. But this was the pembina crossing into Manitoba.

 

[Moisted]

They just need a faxed copy of the title and bill of sale 72 hrs prior to you crossing. Although I crossed over 36 hrs after I faxed my title to them and nobody cared. But this was the pembina crossing into Manitoba.

Maybe it's different in Manitoba, at NY they're very specific, they will not accept faxes our copies. I'm gonna try calling a different border office.

 

[Bram]

You got someone that is having a bad day and don't know...You need to send them the information by fax 72 hours before you cross....on the American side all they care about is that you purchased the car and it was not stolen.
On the Canadian side they are looking for monies, so make sure you have the correct invoice and all the back-up information like, email's, banks drafts, Bill of sale, owners name & Phone numbers for varification etc.....dont F#$% around with these Guys
Queeston Bridge is one the crossing or Detroit between 8 - 4:30PM

Bram

 

[Moisted]

You got someone that is having a bad day and don't know...You need to send them the information by fax 72 hours before you cross....on the American side all they care about is that you purchased the car and it was not stolen.
On the Canadian side they are looking for monies, so make sure you have the correct invoice and all the back-up information like, email's, banks drafts, Bill of sale, owners name & Phone numbers for varification etc.....dont F#$% around with these Guys
Queeston Bridge is one the crossing or Detroit between 8 - 4:30PM

Bram

Yea, I think the guy just had a stick up his a$$. But I did call RIV and they said each border is different, so I need to call around and find a "friendly" border.

Another question, when I pick up the car, what plates do I put on it to drive it back? Canadian min. of transport doesn't give out temporary plates and stickers. So do I have to get temp stickers from DMV in NY?

 

[nsxsimon]

and have you looked into the insurance coverage from NYC ?

 

[Mr. Fuji]

This is consistent with my experience. The US side was quick and relatively easy. The Canadian side was slow...about 2 hours all told.

Bottom line: do your research and arrive prepared. I also recommend bringing duplicate or triplicate copies of everything and not going to the US border late on a friday afternoon. It is a pain in the rear, but do it right and you'll be enjoying your NSX in no time!

You need to send them the information by fax 72 hours before you cross....on the American side all they care about is that you purchased the car and it was not stolen.
On the Canadian side they are looking for monies, so make sure you have the correct invoice and all the back-up information like, email's, banks drafts, Bill of sale, owners name & Phone numbers for varification etc.....dont F#$% around with these Guys
Queeston Bridge is one the crossing or Detroit between 8 - 4:30PM

Bram

 

[Moisted]

Ok, I've been on the phone for about an hour now calling different border offices.

Most NY-Ont borders require the original Title of the car physically in their office 72 hours before crossing. This means you have to either deliver the paper work to the border yourself, then go drink at a hotel near by for 3 days, ... OR you can courier the Title to them, wait 72 hours, then drive up to the border.

Queenston Bridge is an exception as Bram correctly mentioned. They have a system where you can email the car info to them prior to crossing, and that's enough for them to start the process...

I will do an updated write-up when I'm done with this whole nightmare.

I still don't know how to get temporary license plates to drive the car when I pick it up...

 

[Bram]

Ray,
You can get the Seller to get a temp Lic effective from the date of purchase, these are usually good for 30 days depending on the State. Second, and just as important is insurance coverage. Now keep in mind that most insurance company will want to inspect the car before issuing Full coverage, therefore you will only have third party liability coverage.

So don't try an see how fast the NSX is on the NY State Thruway:smile: You will have lots of time for that

Oh and expect to be pull over, just so they can look at your car.

Bram

 

[GECKO]

Actually it doesn't work that way at all but understanding all the free info you get on line can certainly screw anyone up. I'm not about to Post the entire process but if you want to call me and find out the correct procedure (not that I don't work with this stuff every day as my real job..........well, I used to do it every day) then PM me your email address and I'll send you my number. If you don't follow the proceedure the Customs can be *&@! and not let your car in.........or email me at [email protected]

 

[Moisted]

Actually it doesn't work that way at all ...

What doesn't work that way Gecko?

... So don't try an see how fast the NSX is on the NY State Thruway:smile: ...

Don't worry Bram, I'm gonna drive that NSX like a grand mother driving an oldsmobile...

So for plates, I found out that I need to get a NY Temporary Permit from DMV after I purchase the car. They issue temporary permits that allows you to drive to other parts of US or other countries for registeration. They want a whole bunch of documents and forms to issue one of these temporary permits. Here's the Information.

I'm tempted to just take my Ontario plates from my other car and hope that I don't get pulled over on the way to Canada.

 

[Oyagi]

The Ottawa NSXers are getting together for coffee his Fri night or a quick breakfast cruise on Sat. Let me know if you want to be added to the mailing list.

 

[GECKO]

The title parts................I'm speaking with him on the phone and will give hime the 'proceedure' since I own a shipping company and do this as part of my biz. It's not entirely complicated and Lewiston is the crossing for vehicles being imported in the Buffalo area FYI..........

 

[ENT]

I don't recall having to courier the signed ownership to the border prior to export at Queenston-Lewiston. All I had to do was email them the VIN and indicate an intent to export 72 hours prior.

FWIW, I followed the procedure outlined here:

http://www.monsieurmaggot.com/Autoimporthome.html

Cheers,
Ian

 

[NSX2398]

I just faxed the stuff to the border crossing (Sask/N.Dakota) when I did mine about 12 years ago .. and I don't think I even gave them 72 hrs notice. I bought a temp permit in the US which supposedly allowed me to drive through various states to Canada and before I left, I got a 7 day temp permit from provincial motor vehicle licenser (Sask Gov't Insurance) to cover me from the US border to my house and any local driving I needed to do to get it safety inspected. I also bought extra insurance for a week from my local auto package policy agent.

I don't know if you're aware of it but before RIV would allow you to register it, there used to be a requirement to have a clearance letter from Acura saying that all safety recalls had been done .. and this was difficult (if not impossible) to do once the car was in Canada. The easiest route was to get the US seller or dealer to make that request for you in advance. Thing may have changed .. not sure if that's still an issue.

 

[J KRIB]

What year is the car, if it is older than 15yrs you do not need to deal with RIV. You will need to get a permit from the NY DMV in order to legally drive the vehicle on their roads. You will also need to get an insurance binder from your auto insurance company in Canada, do not be surprised if the insurance agent has no idea what that is, I knew more about the paper work when I imported my NSX from California than the insurance agent I dealt with did. As for plates that will depend on your province, in BC all I needed was the DMV permit on my windshield and a copy of the binder in my glove box. Owe and FYI that is 72 hours not including sat/sun, ask me how I know that one.

 

[Moisted]

The Ottawa NSXers are getting together for coffee his Fri night or a quick breakfast cruise on Sat. Let me know if you want to be added to the mailing list.

Yes for sure, please add me to the list, name is Ray.

- - - Updated - - -

What year is the car, if it is older than 15yrs you do not need to deal with RIV. You will need to get a permit from the NY DMV in order to legally drive the vehicle on their roads. You will also need to get an insurance binder from your auto insurance company in Canada, do not be surprised if the insurance agent has no idea what that is, I knew more about the paper work when I imported my NSX from California than the insurance agent I dealt with did. As for plates that will depend on your province, in BC all I needed was the DMV permit on my windshield and a copy of the binder in my glove box. Owe and FYI that is 72 hours not including sat/sun, ask me how I know that one.

Thanks for that info. Yes, I've been reading the DMV website, I have to get a NYS permit and an insurance binder. I fully expect to be pulled over to explain why I'm driving a car without plates.

... I'm seriously starting to consider having the car shipped. They'll ship it to a bonded custom warehouse close to my home. I can clear the custom requirements in an hour on my own turf, no hassles. Getting a quote...

 

[quonzilla]

they dont need the physical title as i recall, i have imported 4 cars in the past 3 years.
Just fax the work sheet, title ( front and back signed ) and bill of sale 72 hours before you arrive at the border and you should be fine.


I did one where the drive didnt take me 72 hours ( much like you in your case ) so i worked something out with the owner. I paid in full for my NSX, and i had him courier the title signed to me , once i received it i signed it and faxed it in to the border 2 days before i left which worked out to exactly 72 hours that they needed. remember to bring the title back with you when you are going down, because the us border people will need to see the title in hand.


Good luck! pm me if you have any questions.

 

[Moisted]

Thanks everyone for your input. I also spoke to Shawna (GECKO) on the phone and she was very helpful as well.

The basic process is outlined for the most part on RIV and other official websites, but there are some gaps and important details that are left out. I intend to do a detailed write-up shortly to help people in the future who intend to go through the import process.

As for me, I have decided to get the car shipped. The auto transport companies specialize in cross-border transports and do customs brokerage too. I think the convenience is worth the price. They pickup the car, do all the paperwork, and deliver it to your door.

I'm getting quotes and will choose one shortly. I will update in this thread my experience with them.

 

[myw]

+1. it may be beneficial to create a thread re brokerage/shipping companies to use. i am sure about half a dozen replies will jump in immediately.

if not i would pm butter78, joy2drive, as i know they had their cars shipped.

ps. i love how you're holding out on us!

As for me, I have decided to get the car shipped. The auto transport companies specialize in cross-border transports and do customs brokerage too. I think the convenience is worth the price. They pickup the car, do all the paperwork, and deliver it to your door.

 

[sliqq]

I used TFX International when I shipped one of my cars from Alberta (they do cross border as well). It wasn't cheap but everything went through painlessly including the pickup and drop off. They have a super cool trailer making it practically impossible to scrape a lowered car.

 

[Joy2Drive]

TFX International will do a great job. You pay a bit more but service and level of care are second to none.