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Transport

Transport for buyers within Canada

Formula Auctions is uniquely able to offer transport quotes for all buyers across Canada and the United States. Buyers located in Canada can input their postal code into our Transport Calculator on any vehicle listing page and receive an immediate estimate for transport.

If you are a successful bidder on an auction and you would like to use our transport services to deliver your new vehicle, we will contract out your transport order to our network of professional carriers. 

We will be right there with you every step of the way and we are available 24/7 to answer any questions you might have while your new vehicle is in transit.

Wondering how to register your new vehicle from out-of-province? Scroll down to read about your province-specific information.

Transport for buyers in the United States

Formula Auctions is uniquely able to offer transport quotes for all buyers across Canada and the United States. Buyers located in the United States can input their Zip Code into our Transport calculator on any vehicle listing page and receive an immediate estimate for transport. 

If you are the successful bidder on an auction and would like to use our transport services to deliver your new vehicle, we will contract out your transport order to our network of professional carriers. 

We will be right there with you every step of the way and we are available 24/7 to answer any questions you might have while your new vehicle is in transit.

Import/Export to USA

Import a vehicle from Canada as a US buyer

Importing a vehicle into the United States from Canada can be a daunting process, however Formula Auctions has streamlined the process and all the information you will need is below.

We can also take care of the entire procedure for you, right up until the point the vehicle arrives at your door!

If the vehicle you are looking to import from Canada was originally sold in the U.S. then you will benefit from dutie free importation.

The vehicles that you can import into USA fall into two categories: Vehicles that are under 25 years old and Vehicles that are 25 years and older. 

If the vehicle you are looking to import located in Canada is under 25 years old, then it must have been originally built for the North-American market (Canadian & U.S. market examples). If it was originally sold in the European market, Japanese market, etc. then it cannot be imported into the USA until it is 25 years or older.

There are some vehicles that have exceptions to this rule. These import exceptions can be imported under the “Show and Display” rule that is a statutory amendment to the United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). These show and display vehicles have to be approved by the NHSTA for a "Show and display" vehicle title and have a limit on how many miles they can be driven every year.

Scroll down to read each section for import categories:

Vehicles that are under 25 years old

For vehicles that are under 25 years old, there are five critical documents that you will need. See below:

  1. Bill of sale (Any generic Bill-of-sale is fine, however an official Bill-of-Sale from the province where the vehicle is currently registered is recommended.)

  2. Canadian Registration (Canadian registration is the same concept as a U.S. Title, however in Canada the piece of paper is called Registration.) 

  3. Letter of compliance: To import vehicles into the U.S. that are under 25 years old, you require a letter of compliance from the vehicle Manufacturer’s USA customer service. You can obtain this by providing the Canadian registration to the vehicle manufactures United states Customer service contact. We also recommend to all of our seller’s that they acquire this Letter of compliance in advance for U.S. bidders.

  4. EPA form 3520-1 (This form can be submitted and completed on your behalf by the transport driver or Broker. This is an emissions form required for vehicle under 25 years old, that must be completed or pre-filled and submitted at the border. If importing on your own, this form will be provided by the border agent.)

  5. DOT form HS-7 (This form can be submitted and completed on your behalf by the transport driver or Broker. This is U.S. Safety standards form that must be completed or pre-filled and submitted at the border. If importing on your own, this form will be provided by the border agent.)

Vehicles that are 25 years and older

For vehicles that are under 25 years and older, they are all exempt from all U.S. DOT & EPA requirements so you do not need a letter of compliance. There are four critical documents that you will need. See below:

  1. Bill of sale (Any generic Bill-of-sale is fine, however an official Bill-of-Sale from the province where the vehicle is currently registered is recommended.)

  2. Canadian Registration (Canadian registration is the same concept as a U.S. Title, however in Canada the piece of paper is called Registration.) 

  3. EPA form 3520 (This form can be submitted and completed on your behalf by the transport driver or Broker. This is an emissions form required for vehicle under 25 years old, that must be completed or pre-filled and submitted at the border. If importing on your own, this form will be provided by the border agent.)

  4. DOT form HS-7 (This form can be submitted and completed on your behalf by the transport driver or Broker. This is U.S. Safety standards form that must be completed or pre-filled and submitted at the border. If importing on your own, this form will be provided by the border agent.)

After you have the required documents for each respective category of vehicle, your vehicle will be ready to cross the border. The EPA & DOT forms do not need to be completed or submitted by you personally if you use a transporter through us.

Duties and Fees

There will be duty owed at the border in the form of 2.5% of the price listed on the bill of sale. If the vehicle you are importing was originally sold in the U.S. then may have to pay duties. If you use a transporter through us, we will hire a broker to clear the vehicle at customs and the cost for the brokerage service is $315 USD ($400 CAD). If you are importing it on your own, you do not have to pay the brokerage fee but you will have to fill out the DOT and EPA forms and be at the border in person to do so.

If you use a transporter through us, when the vehicle arrives at your house, you will receive all the documents from the transport driver, which you will then take to your local DMV and register your newly imported vehicle!

Canadian out-of-province registration information

In Canada, if you purchased a vehicle outside the province of your primary address, you will typically need to have the vehicle Inspected prior to obtaining registration from your respective province. Please click the links below to review your own province-specific procedures.