Please explain to me step by step on how to bring my vehicle from the States??

[hoping75]

I do not have actual daytime running lights on my car, but by law they were allowed to make my yellow running lights into the daytime running lights. The law states that the yellow lights count also, so now when I start my car, the yellow running lights come on.

I also thought I needed the recall certificate, but I was told in person that it was not necessary.

I registered the car without it, and without anyquestions of recalls.

 

[heatherusa]

I wonder if my vehicle has the daytime running lights??? I have a 2004 Sienna I realize something was recalled (something to do with the wire or something to hold the spare tire) but is it mandatory to get fixed? On the website said something about volunteery recall... Hmmm more pain! :'(

Many of the cars in the US do NOT have DRL... so crazy because it really makes it easier to see cars on the road in any weather conditions.

 

[heatherusa]

I went to a garage that did electrical work and it cost me 90.00 for the daytime running lights. It only took about 45 minutes.

I also never at any point needed a recall certificate.

It depends what car you have if you can use a store bought kit. If you have a car with flip up headlights like mine is, I could not find a kit that worked.

In the US or in Canada?


Everyone I approached in the US thought I was off my rocker!

 

[michaelab]

Healtherusa,

I got more questions to ask you...(I will PM you the same post just in case you don' t see my post)

When you crossed the border to land, you said you weren't intending to import the vehicle yet but they let you import. Did they ask you to export the vehicle out of the States by getting some sorts of certificate from the US border? Something about I must submit my title to the US border 72 hrs before. I am really confused on this part since only way I know how to get to the US border is coming out from Canada and not on the way to Canada..which is not a bad thing since I am "visiting" Canada right now but once I get back into the States I would not know what to do or where to go..so I need to make sure what I should do before leaving.

Thanks!!!!

They did not ask about a recall certificate. The place that does the federal inspection will do that, not the border. The border doesnt do the inspection.

When I presented at the border I had the title to the vehicle. I had my passports (CDN and US) and a letter from my husband stating that I could take my daughter across the border without him.

I told the border that I hadnt planned on importing the car. The IO looked it up in his book, told me it was worth 10k and that I may as well import it now. He walked out to the car, opened the door and looked inside and verified that the vin number matched the title. He then wrote the car and vin down on the B4 and told me that I needed to log on to the RIV.ca website in the next few days to pay for the federal inspection.

I waited two days and logged in using the vin number, case number from the B4 form and the point of entry code that they gave me.

About a week later I got a letter in the mail with information about what I needed to do and the date it had to be done by.

I knew that I needed to have day time running lights added to the car so when I went to get it inspected I first had them do that. Any items that need to be done according to the RIV site will need to be done before presenting the car for inspection.

After I got the federal inspection done I took the piece of paper to the registry office and they gave me another form that was for the provincial inspection that I then had to take with me for that second inspection. The provincial inspection cost me another 165 (something like that). Once the car passed that inspection I took the clearance to the registry office to register the vehicle. I needed power of attorney authorization (from my husband) to title the car in my name and my husbands name since he wasnt yet in the country.

In the mail came the RIV sticker that needed to be stuck to the door of the car to prove it has passed the federal inspection.

 

[can_usa_97]

Healtherusa,

I got more questions to ask you...(I will PM you the same post just in case you don' t see my post)

When you crossed the border to land, you said you weren't intending to import the vehicle yet but they let you import. Did they ask you to export the vehicle out of the States by getting some sorts of certificate from the US border? Something about I must submit my title to the US border 72 hrs before. I am really confused on this part since only way I know how to get to the US border is coming out from Canada and not on the way to Canada..which is not a bad thing since I am "visiting" Canada right now but once I get back into the States I would not know what to do or where to go..so I need to make sure what I should do before leaving.

Thanks!!!!

I am not Heather, but I was under the impression you can Fax the title to them, ahead of time - which would be doable then.
Though I'm not sure how Heather was able to do it since it wasn't 72 hours. Hmm. Hopefully she's along to answer

 

[michaelab]

I called the US border and there was an automated service (uggghhh). They really didn't explain how to export a vehicle but they said something about faxing the title and original VIN number. I am wondering that's what I should do at least 72 hrs before I leave Canada to go to the US border to get the export approval.

I am not sure about sending the title since I am afraid they might lose it so I am hoping to fax them so they can work on it before I get there.

What do you guys think? This is more pain than I expected! Do I really need to get the export approval from the US side?? (I am getting whiney here lol)
Thanks~~

You need to Fedex the title to your car to the US border crossing that you will be using at least 72 hours before you present yourself to that border crossing on the US side. They need 72 hours to run a check on your title. You can send it more than 72 hours in advance, but not less.(Check to see what the hours of operation are for the Us side because it closed at 9:30 PM weekdays, and it was closed on weekends when I crossed). You then present yourself to that same border crossing after at least the 72 hours to just pick up your title which will have a clearance stamp on it. The title with the clearance stamp on it is what you will present to the border crossing agent on the Canadian side to be able to register it in Canada.

I also had to send a photocopy of both sides of the title as well as a copy of the registration.

It was all very simple

Good luck

 

[hoping75]

In the US or in Canada?


Everyone I approached in the US thought I was off my rocker!

I went here in Canada to have it done. I could have had it done for 65.00 but I had to wait a few days for an appointment, so Ipaid the 90.00 to get it done faster.
They do not install lights, they just wire the car for the lights that are there to come on when you start the car.

 

[michaelab]

I am not Heather, but I was under the impression you can Fax the title to them, ahead of time - which would be doable then.
Though I'm not sure how Heather was able to do it since it wasn't 72 hours. Hmm. Hopefully she's along to answer

Thanks for your reply! I was wondering about the same thing.. Any help or suggestions appreciated!

 

[hoping75]

I called the US border and there was an automated service (uggghhh). They really didn't explain how to export a vehicle but they said something about faxing the title and original VIN number. I am wondering that's what I should do at least 72 hrs before I leave Canada to go to the US border to get the export approval.

I am not sure about sending the title since I am afraid they might lose it so I am hoping to fax them so they can work on it before I get there.

What do you guys think? This is more pain than I expected! Do I really need to get the export approval from the US side?? (I am getting whiney here lol)
Thanks~~

It has to be sent because they must put the export stamp on your original title to give in to Canada custom agents.

 

[can_usa_97]

I thought there was a reason for the export - something to do with returning to the US.

 

[michaelab]

I thought there was a reason for the export - something to do with returning to the US.

What do you mean? I am landing very soon but currently I am in Canada..5+ hrs away from the border. My vehicle is with me and it is from the States.

 

[hoping75]

The reason for the stamp is to show the title is clear for export out of the USA.
While I was at the Canadian customs office waiting to have my car processed, there was another man there trying to import his car into Canada with the intention of later importing it back into the USA. The agent said that that was not possible. Once it is imported into Canada it becomes a Canadian registered car. She advised him that you don't just import them back and forth like he wanted to do.

 

[can_usa_97]

What do you mean? I am landing very soon but currently I am in Canada..5+ hrs away from the border. My vehicle is with me and it is from the States.

I think like hoping said it's about the paper trail that proves you had legal ability to remove it from the US to become registered in Canada. I thought it was also to assist for the odd chance you'd ever move back to the US and bring teh same car, and hope to export & import on the opposite way (CA to US then).
Hoping says that might not be possible... but I Thought that was the main purpose. To clear the vehicle in the US as gone - and keep a clear record there - so you aren't sent registration information, ect every year, ect. But I guess I didn't think it was never able to be imported back. Hmm.

 

[michaelab]

I think like hoping said it's about the paper trail that proves you had legal ability to remove it from the US to become registered in Canada. I thought it was also to assist for the odd chance you'd ever move back to the US and bring teh same car, and hope to export & import on the opposite way (CA to US then).
Hoping says that might not be possible... but I Thought that was the main purpose. To clear the vehicle in the US as gone - and keep a clear record there - so you aren't sent registration information, ect every year, ect. But I guess I didn't think it was never able to be imported back. Hmm.

I have no intention of importing/exporting back n forth...once this vehicle is registered in Canada it will stay there. I am hoping that there was a way to get around the acutual sending in the title beforehand. thanks~

 

[Kess]

I have no intention of importing/exporting back n forth...once this vehicle is registered in Canada it will stay there. I am hoping that there was a way to get around the acutual sending in the title beforehand. thanks~

From what I heard you can fax these documents to the US border that will be processing the export. I'd call ahead and confirm. If you go to the RIV web site they have a checklist that you fill in which crossing you will be using and it gives the contact information.

http://www.riv.ca/ImporterChecklist.aspx