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Bus Importing from Canada
First, if you have the correct paperwork, it’s an easy process. My bus was in Eugene, OR and we took it to the Port of Entry in Portland. what was needed was the Canadian Registration, Bill of Sale and proof the vehicle conforms to US EPA and DOT requirements.
We had a previous MT title and the seller assumed that would satisfy the US requirements. Wrong… The Custom dude insisted on a previous US registration. The previous Title copy didn’t work for him. So, we then needed a letter from the manufacturer (Marathon) or we were SOL. Fortunately, a call to Marathon and Steve Irvin saved the day by faxing a letter stating the bus met all US requirements.
They never even inspected the bus or verified the VIN and when I explained to the Custome Agent there was a plate in the engine compartment clearly stating all US requirements were met, he could have cared less. So, I suppose it all boils down to who you end up talking to and if the stars and planets are all in the right order. There was no cost for the import.
Your state of registry may require more, but MT requires a notorized MT bill of sale and the US Customs form Import Summary. With the correct documents, it would have been a 15 minute process.
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4 Replies
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We looked at buying a Liberty that had been originally owned by someone in Memphis. In about 2010/2011 or so it was sold to a guy from near Calgary, Alberta, Canada. When I asked about title for a Canadian bus, he said in Canada they didn’t have titles. I thought that was a strange situation. We didn’t move on it fast enough and it was sold to someone from Fargo. Thanks for clarifying the situation.
What would you have done had the bus been an orphan? Go back to Prevost for documentation that the coach was originally exported to the US?
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Great thread Tom. Something like this would have helped me immeasurably with my bus importation. I purchased my Vantare/H3 in Kamloops, BC. It was a private party transaction and I became the importer. I enlisted the help of a Custom’s Specialist within prevost. Ultimately I put together the following list of documentation:
1) Signed British Columbia Registration,
2) Signed APV9T, BC’s version of what we call a Title (Each province is different in how this is handled),
3) An Affidavit of Engine Manufacture, given to me by Detroit Diesel Corp,
4) Form 3520-21 for my engine, given to me by Detroit Diesel Corp,
5) Form HS-7, stating FMVSS compliance,
6) An FMVSS, DOT, and EPA compliance letter for my chassis, provided by Prevost Car (on Prevost letterhead),
7) Motor Vehicle Invoice, that I cobbled together showing: manufacturer, country of origin, model, vin, odometer reading, purchase price, and any other particulars about the purchase; signed by all parties and notorized. This was basically my Purchase Contract.
The Custom’s Agent was pleased with all of this documentation. While there he had me fill out two more forms: (1) an Entry Summary, and (2) Pro Forma Invoice.
Since I took delivery of the bus in Kamloops I had to go to a local Autoport Broker (aka, state run insurance agency), to obtain temporary insurance and tags to get me to the border.
Before departing for Kamloops I aquired a full US insurance coverage plan with a rider for Canada, I also had in my possession temporary tags for the US state in which I’ll ultimate register the vehicle.
It went very smoothly at the border, but the Custom’s Agent was very clear with me that the vehicle was not for a business, was not for resale by me, and that it was for my personal use, implying that anything that hints at business ownership, commercial use, or a quick resale triggers a more stringent approach at US Customs Border Patrol. If they can be assured the vehicle is being imported for personal ownership and use, the whole importation process becomes more relaxed and dare I say, ‘casual’! 🙂
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Had I bought that Liberty in Alberta in late February or early March … I’d still be at the border trying to get all the paperwork together to bring it across!
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Canadain autos do not have titles I have imported lots of trucks and buses into states it’s easy, as long as it’s for personal use only that’s easy
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