Can You Take Your Car From the USA to Canada Permanently?

You can permanently import a car from the USA to Canada, but the move runs through two customs agencies and a federal safety program, and the paperwork has to be done in the right order. On the U.S. side, Customs and Border Protection needs documentation before the vehicle leaves. On the Canadian side, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) collects duties and taxes at the border, and Transport Canada’s Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) program handles safety compliance. If you’re relocating to Canada and already own the car, a settler’s exemption can eliminate most of the cost.

The Settler’s Exemption Comes First

If you’re moving to Canada with the intention of establishing a residence for at least 12 months, you likely qualify as a “settler” under Tariff Item 9807.00.00 and can import your personal belongings, including a vehicle, free of both customs duty and sales tax.¹

The vehicle must have been owned, driven on public roads, and licensed and insured in your name before you arrive in Canada. Buying a car in the U.S. specifically to import it duty-free will not pass scrutiny. If you sell or give away the vehicle within 12 months of importing it, the duties and taxes that would have applied become payable.¹

The exemption covers passenger cars, pickup trucks, vans, motorcycles, snowmobiles, and motor homes used for personal purposes. You still pay the RIV registration fee and cover any required safety modifications, but you avoid the duty and GST/HST charges that hit everyone else.

Check That Your Vehicle Is Admissible

Not every U.S. vehicle can be imported. Eligibility is governed by the Motor Vehicle Safety Act and administered through the RIV program. Transport Canada publishes a Vehicle Import Compatibility List showing which vehicles are admissible.² Check it before you spend anything else.

RIV requirements apply to regulated vehicles less than 15 years old. Vehicles 15 years old or older are exempt from the Motor Vehicle Safety Act and its regulations, so they don’t need to pass the RIV inspection or meet Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.² You still register and insure them provincially.

Export the Vehicle From the United States

Many people skip this step and run into trouble at the border. CBP requires you to present both the vehicle and ownership documentation at the port of exportation.³

The 72-Hour Rule

If you’re driving the vehicle across a land border, submit the required documentation to CBP at least 72 hours before you export it. The vehicle must be presented at the crossing. For vehicles shipped by vessel or aircraft, both the documentation and the vehicle have to be presented at least 72 hours in advance.³

What you file depends on your situation. If you own a U.S.-titled vehicle outright, provide the original certificate of title or a certified copy. If there’s a lien, you need written authorization from the lienholder on company letterhead permitting the export. For a foreign-titled vehicle, provide the original foreign ownership document (with an English translation if necessary) plus two copies.

Filing Electronic Export Information

You must also file Electronic Export Information (EEI) through the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) system, which generates an Internal Transaction Number (ITN). You can file the EEI yourself for free through ACE, though registration requires an Employer Identification Number, a Social Security Number, and a U.S. physical address.⁴ A customs broker can file on your behalf.

Skipping the filing is expensive. Knowingly failing to file can carry civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation, and criminal penalties can reach $10,000 and five years imprisonment. The vehicle itself can be seized and forfeited.⁵

Documents to Bring to the Canadian Border

Gather these well before your trip. Missing one can mean being turned around:

Original vehicle title (or Manufacturer’s Statement of Origin for a new vehicle).
Bill of sale showing the purchase price.
A recall clearance letter from the vehicle’s original manufacturer, on official company letterhead, including the 17-digit VIN, confirming no outstanding safety recalls. Request this from the manufacturer’s customer service department; it can take a few weeks.⁶
Vehicle Import Form (Form 1). You fill this out online through the RIV website, but it cannot be submitted electronically. Print all four pages and bring them.⁶
Your U.S. export documentation, including title, ITN confirmation, and lienholder authorization if applicable.

What It Costs If the Exemption Doesn’t Apply

Settlers skip duty and sales tax. Everyone else should budget for the following.

Customs Duty

The standard Most Favoured Nation duty rate for passenger vehicles is 6.1% of the vehicle’s value.⁷ Vehicles that meet the rules of origin under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) qualify for duty-free treatment, and most vehicles manufactured and substantially assembled in North America meet that threshold.

As of April 2025, Canada imposed a 25% surtax on non-CUSMA-compliant vehicles from the United States.⁸ Trade policy between the two countries has been shifting, so confirm current rates with the CBSA before you cross.

GST and HST

Canada charges a 5% federal Goods and Services Tax on imported vehicles.⁹ In HST provinces, a single combined rate is paid at the border or on registration:

Ontario: 13% HST
Nova Scotia: 14% HST
New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island: 15% HST
Alberta, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Yukon: 5% GST only

British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Quebec collect their Provincial Sales Tax separately, often at registration rather than at the border.¹⁰ Tax is calculated on the vehicle’s value plus any import duty.

Federal Excise Taxes

A flat $100 excise tax applies to any vehicle equipped with air conditioning, which covers nearly every modern car.¹¹ A separate “Green Levy” of $1,000 to $4,000 applies to new passenger vehicles that consume 13 or more litres per 100 kilometres; pickup trucks and commercial vehicles are exempt.¹² Because the Green Levy targets new vehicles, it’s unlikely to hit a used personal car.

RIV Fee

The RIV program charges a mandatory registration fee of $325 CAD plus applicable GST/HST for most vehicles less than 15 years old.¹³ This fee applies even if you qualify for the settler’s exemption.

Modifications

If your vehicle doesn’t already comply with Canadian safety standards, you’ll pay for modifications before it passes the RIV inspection. The two most common are daytime running lights (typically $200 to $300) and a speedometer that displays kilometres per hour ($250 to $500 depending on the vehicle). Many newer vehicles already have both, so check yours first.

At the Canadian Border

At the port of entry, declare the vehicle to the CBSA officer and present identification, the vehicle title, bill of sale, recall clearance letter, and printed Form 1. The officer reviews the paperwork, verifies the vehicle information, and calculates any duties and taxes owed.⁹

If you’re claiming the settler’s exemption, declare the vehicle on your personal effects accounting document (Form B4) at the same time. The officer stamps your Form 1 and returns the processed copy, which you’ll need for the RIV inspection and provincial registration. Keep every document; losing the stamped Form 1 can delay registration by weeks.

After You Cross

RIV Inspection Within 45 Days

For vehicles less than 15 years old, the mandatory RIV inspection must be completed within 45 days of import (or one year for salvage vehicles).⁶ The inspection verifies that the vehicle was originally built to U.S. or Canadian federal safety standards, that it has no outstanding manufacturer recalls, and that you’ve completed any required modifications.² Authorized locations are listed on the RIV website and are often found at Canadian Tire stores. Miss the 45-day deadline and the RIV program can refuse to certify the vehicle, leaving you unable to register it.

Provincial Registration

After passing the RIV inspection, you register the vehicle with your province’s licensing authority. Requirements vary, but expect to provide the completed RIV inspection form, proof of ownership (your stamped U.S. title), and valid insurance. Many provinces also require a separate provincial mechanical safety inspection covering brakes, tires, lights, exhaust, and similar components, distinct from the federal RIV inspection.² Contact your provincial licensing authority before you import to confirm exactly what they need.

Insurance

You cannot register a vehicle in any Canadian province or territory without valid auto insurance meeting that province’s minimums. Line up Canadian coverage before or right after crossing. Some Canadian insurers will write a policy based on your U.S. driving history, but rates and coverage rules vary between provinces, so shop around. Until you have Canadian plates and insurance, you generally should not be driving the vehicle beyond getting it home or to an inspection centre.

Salvage and Rebuilt Titles

Importing a salvage-titled vehicle is possible but often impractical. Under Canada’s Salvage Vehicle Program, a salvage-branded vehicle can be imported only if the damage was not flood-related, the vehicle is less than 15 years old, and it was originally built to U.S. or Canadian safety standards.¹⁴

Even if a salvage vehicle clears federal import requirements, provincial licensing and insurance can be a dead end. Some provinces run their own salvage and rebuild programs that limit registration regardless of RIV certification.² Some manufacturers also refuse to issue recall clearance letters for vehicles that were once declared salvage, which blocks the import at the federal step.¹⁵ If your vehicle has a salvage or rebuilt title, call both the RIV program and your intended province’s licensing authority before you start.

1
Canada Border Services Agency. Settlers’ Effects – Tariff Item No. 9807.00.00
2
Canada Border Services Agency. Memorandum D19-12-1 – Importing Vehicles Into Canada
3
eCFR. 19 CFR 192.2 – Requirements for Exportation
4
U.S. Census Bureau. How to Receive an Internal Transaction Number (ITN) through the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE)
5
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 13 U.S. Code 305 – Penalties for Unlawful Export Information Activities
6
Transport Canada. Importing a Vehicle From the United States and Mexico
7
Canada Border Services Agency. Customs Notice 25-15 – United States Surtax Order (Motor Vehicles)
8
Canada.ca. List of Vehicle Products From the United States Subject to 25 Per Cent Tariffs Effective April 9, 2025
9
Canada Border Services Agency. Importing by Mail or Courier – Paying Duty and/or Taxes on Imported Goods
10
Canada.ca. GST/HST and Motor Vehicles
11
Canada.ca. Current Rates of Excise Taxes
12
Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer. Modelling Other Excise Taxes and Duties
13
Canada Border Services Agency. Customs Notice 20-26
14
Transport Canada. Frequently Asked Questions – Importing Vehicles Purchased in the United States Into Canada
15
Transport Canada. Frequently Asked Questions – Importing Vehicles Purchased in the United States Into Canada