Driving my Mexican bought car into the USA as a US citizen
August 9, 2016 9:04 AM Subscribe
Hi folks,
I have a car that I bought in mexico, used, that is in my name and I am planning on driving it from the Yucatan into the USA. I obviously don't want to drive it all the way through mexico only to be turned away at the border with all of my belongings, so any info is greatly appreciated.
I am hoping to keep using this car - a 2008 toyota in good condition - while I resettle back into the USA. I know there are some requirements for emissions and other standards, so again - any info you all can give is greatly appreciated.
Thanks
If you have all the stuff in the car, and look like you are going to stay in the US, they may expect you to import that car when you first cross, which means a good amount of paperwork and (I think) something like a 48 hour notice period between sending the paperwork in and turning up at the border.
You don't mention whether or not you are intending to import your car, but if you aren't that may be an issue unless you can convincingly represent that it will not remain in the US.
posted by Brockles at 9:22 AM on August 9, 2016
You don't mention whether or not you are intending to import your car, but if you aren't that may be an issue unless you can convincingly represent that it will not remain in the US.
posted by Brockles at 9:22 AM on August 9, 2016
You won't be turned away at the border, but you will have to import the car if you eventually want to register it in the US, rather than just driving it across. This ends my knowledge but US CBP has a lot of information online.
posted by ftm at 9:24 AM on August 9, 2016
posted by ftm at 9:24 AM on August 9, 2016
If you're going to California, you need to make sure the car meets California emission standards. All cars sold in the US do, but they may cut corners in other markets. I'm not certain.
posted by jeffamaphone at 9:45 AM on August 9, 2016
posted by jeffamaphone at 9:45 AM on August 9, 2016
Call a customs broker at the border crossing you will be entering the USA. They will know what to do and can even offer their services to complete the paperwork for a fee.
You can also call the Mexican and US border patrol offices at the physical border you are crossing. Not every border is the same and each individual officer can make decisions based on any number of unique, independent reasons that could surprise you.
I imagine that when you say the car is "in your name" that means you do not have a loan on the car, but if you do have a loan on the car you will need to get a release form from the lien holder.
And there is a small possibility that your car is not eligible for permanent importation to the USA. Double check with the manufacturer. Doubtful this is a concern with a global platform like a Toyota but many moons ago a VW that was manufactured in Mexico for the Mexican market could not be imported into the USA, even though the US market VW's were manufactured in the same plant, albeit to slightly different specifications.
posted by lstanley at 9:45 AM on August 9, 2016
You can also call the Mexican and US border patrol offices at the physical border you are crossing. Not every border is the same and each individual officer can make decisions based on any number of unique, independent reasons that could surprise you.
I imagine that when you say the car is "in your name" that means you do not have a loan on the car, but if you do have a loan on the car you will need to get a release form from the lien holder.
And there is a small possibility that your car is not eligible for permanent importation to the USA. Double check with the manufacturer. Doubtful this is a concern with a global platform like a Toyota but many moons ago a VW that was manufactured in Mexico for the Mexican market could not be imported into the USA, even though the US market VW's were manufactured in the same plant, albeit to slightly different specifications.
posted by lstanley at 9:45 AM on August 9, 2016
If you're going to California, you need to make sure the car meets California emission standards. All cars sold in the US do, but they may cut corners in other markets. I'm not certain.
The car might also have to meet federal safety standards (at least those that were in-place in 2008) or you might be required to bring it up to those standards.
posted by Thorzdad at 9:58 AM on August 9, 2016
The car might also have to meet federal safety standards (at least those that were in-place in 2008) or you might be required to bring it up to those standards.
posted by Thorzdad at 9:58 AM on August 9, 2016
If your car is less than 25+ years old and doesn't have a CARB sticker (CA approval), fuhgget about bringing it into California. It is not enough that it passes a regular emissions test, because certification tests the car under the heaviest possible real world conditions (eg hauling a trailer, if the car is rated for that). And that's just for emissions. Safety is another ball of wax.
posted by zippy at 10:52 AM on August 9, 2016
posted by zippy at 10:52 AM on August 9, 2016
By bringing into, I mean registering in CA. Visual smog inspection will note lack of "made for CA" stickers in the engine compartment and will fail it on that basis.
posted by zippy at 11:10 AM on August 9, 2016
posted by zippy at 11:10 AM on August 9, 2016
Response by poster: Yes, I will be trying to register in California. I forgot where the car was manufactured - does this matter as far as the emissions tests would go?
posted by MD_yeahright at 11:42 AM on August 9, 2016
posted by MD_yeahright at 11:42 AM on August 9, 2016
What is your residency status in Mexico?
If you are a Mexican national or a resident with right of return, you can bring a Mexico-plated car into the US for one year... but you won't be able to re-register or sell it in the US. You have to re-export it back to Mexico within the year. You'd claim at the border that even though you are a citizen, you are not a US resident, and fill out the DOT/EPA paperwork for a nonresident temporary import. Then you'd take the car back to Mexico and sell it once you've gotten settled.
It doesn't sound like that's what you want to do, but it may be your only option... unless you car was (also) made for the US market.
Check under your hood for a sticker that looks like one of these. It might be on the hood, or on the strut tower, sometimes near the dashboard.
If you have one of those, and it says that your car is made to California standards, then you'll be able to import it and register it without great difficulty (this usually means that the car was originally sold in the US or Canada -- some, but not most, cars in Mexico fit that description). If you can show that it was once registered in the US, it'll be duty-free.
If your car has a similar sticker that says it was made to Federal EPA standards, you'll be able to get it into the US, but you probably won't be able to register it in California... unless you claim residency in and register it in another state first (you'll still have to pass the tailpipe-sniff smog test, but your 49-state sticker is acceptable when you're moving into CA from another state -- but not another country).
California calls a car that was most recently registered out of the country (including Canada or Mexico) a "Grey Market Vehicle". California's "cars from out of state" brochure touches on this.
You'll also want to look at the EPA's book of procedures for importing vehicles [PDF], as it is fairly comprehensive.
TL;DR: if you have a California emissions system and the sticker to prove it, then importing your car is do-able, but will be a pain in the neck. If you don't have that sticker, you'll need to leave the car in Mexico or only keep it in the US temporarily.
posted by toxic at 12:16 PM on August 9, 2016 [1 favorite]
If you are a Mexican national or a resident with right of return, you can bring a Mexico-plated car into the US for one year... but you won't be able to re-register or sell it in the US. You have to re-export it back to Mexico within the year. You'd claim at the border that even though you are a citizen, you are not a US resident, and fill out the DOT/EPA paperwork for a nonresident temporary import. Then you'd take the car back to Mexico and sell it once you've gotten settled.
It doesn't sound like that's what you want to do, but it may be your only option... unless you car was (also) made for the US market.
Check under your hood for a sticker that looks like one of these. It might be on the hood, or on the strut tower, sometimes near the dashboard.
If you have one of those, and it says that your car is made to California standards, then you'll be able to import it and register it without great difficulty (this usually means that the car was originally sold in the US or Canada -- some, but not most, cars in Mexico fit that description). If you can show that it was once registered in the US, it'll be duty-free.
If your car has a similar sticker that says it was made to Federal EPA standards, you'll be able to get it into the US, but you probably won't be able to register it in California... unless you claim residency in and register it in another state first (you'll still have to pass the tailpipe-sniff smog test, but your 49-state sticker is acceptable when you're moving into CA from another state -- but not another country).
California calls a car that was most recently registered out of the country (including Canada or Mexico) a "Grey Market Vehicle". California's "cars from out of state" brochure touches on this.
You'll also want to look at the EPA's book of procedures for importing vehicles [PDF], as it is fairly comprehensive.
TL;DR: if you have a California emissions system and the sticker to prove it, then importing your car is do-able, but will be a pain in the neck. If you don't have that sticker, you'll need to leave the car in Mexico or only keep it in the US temporarily.
posted by toxic at 12:16 PM on August 9, 2016 [1 favorite]
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posted by sparklemotion at 9:19 AM on August 9, 2016