USA import service 25+ year old car

[yao500e]

Hello Gents,

anyone knows the process in detail?

possibly can refer a good company to import a 25+ year to USA?

also, what are the documents needed for a 25+ year old car to pass customs, then get registered in any state?

I did a search and didnt find any posts on this.

Thanks gents.

 

[2phast]

These guys are in Ferndale Washington and import from Japan all the time.

The Import Guys Auction Highlights | Ferndale WA

The Import Guys Auction Highlights, Ferndale, Washington. 33,426 likes · 65 talking about this. Worldwide service of Japanese auctions & dealer cars with importation services into the USA & Canada.

www.facebook.com

 

[WDB748372]

The carriers do all the legwork. I don't know exactly step by step but from my perspective as the receiver it's providing info then lots of waiting. Maybe occasional acknowledgments/emails. Upon finalizing on a carrier you'll fill out some of their forms. A shipping contract that should contain pickup/delivery info if applicable, vessel and vehicle info. You provide other basics items like bill of sale, vehicle title, registration, and your ID. The carrier will go over the little things say attaching something to the key to describe the car (model/color) or reminding you to not ship extra goods/parts inside the car unless shipping in a container.

The overall process sounds overwhelming but it really isn't in my opinion.

It took me about a month from the vehicle being picked up from the seller to the vessel arriving to the US. Roughly another 2 weeks to go through customs and be delivered to my door.

You'll be provided EPA form 3520-1, CBP form 7501, and HS-7 by the carrier. I had the original title and bill of sale accompanied by their notarized translations. This is all I needed in Illinois to apply for a U.S title.

 

[gsxr]

also, what are the documents needed for a 25+ year old car to pass customs, then get registered in any state?

Do you really mean registered in any of the 50 states? Including California? Because it will be exponentially more difficult and expensive to register in CA... another forum member is documenting his journey here.

 

[Matin]

I completed this process back in Sept 2023 - I imported my 500E from UK to USA (North Carolina to be specific).

Step 1 (Origin country shipment)
I had a shipment company in the UK (I used AutoShippers UK) to load the car onto a container and was sent from the Tilbury UK Port to Charleston, South Carolina, USA.

I then had a US agent work with the UK shippers to arrange taking over the shipment so they could sort out all the paperwork on the US side.

Step 2 (US agent for paperwork / customs)
The US agent that I used were Horizon Auto Shipping (They were ok...their communication was quite slow and frustrating at times, but they managed to get the car to me in 1 piece).

They will give you an option to collect the car from the port yourself or pay an extra fee and they will find a broker to deliver the vehicle to you.

The US agent will then work with US customs to get the following forms completed (they need to provide you with the originals - make sure you get this!!!!):

1. Customs Form 3461 Cargo Release
2. Customs Form 7501 Entry Summary
3. Environmental Protection Agency Form 3520-1
4. Department of Transportation Form HS-7

You may get an export certificate and if this is in a foreign language, you will need to get this translated/notarized by a certified translator so that it is in English. Lucky for me, the UK does not provide any export certificates, so I did not have to provide in my case.

Make sure you also have the originals from the origin country to prove the car is yours, it was registered, insured, etc. If you are buying the vehicle, I believe you need a bill of sale (from the original owner) to prove that the car was sold to you, and it is in your name.

This is extremely important. In my case, I had to only bring the insurance documents (from the UK) that I had and the V5C (registration certificate) to prove that I had everything in my name in the UK.

Step 3 (Getting it registered and titled in the US - VIN INSPECTION)
You will need to get the car a VIN inspection by the License Theft Bureau to ensure that (1) the VIN is confirmed and checked (2) to ensure the vehicle is not in their stolen vehicle database.

The VIN inspector will give you a certificate with their stamp which basically shows that the vehicle is absolutely squeaky clean and does not report in any databases.

In my case, the inspector was extremely nice, my car (for whatever reason) was returning to a random 2000 Mercedes, however, because I had the VIN numbers in all the correct places and it didn't report in any databases, he acknowledged this and signed it off.

Step 4 (Taking all paperwork to DMV to get a title/registration).

Now you have all the original paperwork in Step 2, and you have the signed completed VIN inspection form from Step 3 you can now take all of this paperwork to the DMV.

You need to make sure you have insurance for the vehicle too - I used Progressive.

They will examine all the paperwork and give you a title/reg.

Make sure that they deliver your title in a timely manner - for whatever reason it took me approx. 3 months to receive my title. It was caught up in their system because it was a grey market vehicle. I had to make a few calls to the DMV to get them to escalate, but finally they were able to deliver, and I now have all documents for my 500E.

I believe this should be the same process EXCEPT FOR CALIFORNIA - that is an extreme hassle from what I've read. I'm relocating to CA in March, however, will be going down the Montana route as I'm not sure if I will stay their long term and do not feel like sinking $X0,000's into getting it CARB certified.

I may have missed some info here and there, but this should be a very good outline on everything you need. If you have any Q's, please ask away.

I believe the whole process cost me approx. $2,200. I was originally going to go with Schumacher, who do the complete door-to-door shipment for you/paperwork (all through 1 company) but their prices were around $5k, so this saved me quite a lot of money. As @WDB748372 mentioned, it looks extremely complicating, but it is very, very simple.

Thanks
Matin

 

[yao500e]

I completed this process back in Sept 2023 - I imported my 500E from UK to USA (North Carolina to be specific).

Step 1 (Origin country shipment)
I had a shipment company in the UK (I used AutoShippers UK) to load the car onto a container and was sent from the Tilbury UK Port to Charleston, South Carolina, USA.

I then had a US agent work with the UK shippers to arrange taking over the shipment so they could sort out all the paperwork on the US side.

Step 2 (US agent for paperwork / customs)
The US agent that I used were Horizon Auto Shipping (They were ok...their communication was quite slow and frustrating at times, but they managed to get the car to me in 1 piece).

They will give you an option to collect the car from the port yourself or pay an extra fee and they will find a broker to deliver the vehicle to you.

The US agent will then work with US customs to get the following forms completed (they need to provide you with the originals - make sure you get this!!!!):

1. Customs Form 3461 Cargo Release
2. Customs Form 7501 Entry Summary
3. Environmental Protection Agency Form 3520-1
4. Department of Transportation Form HS-7

You may get an export certificate and if this is in a foreign language, you will need to get this translated/notarized by a certified translator so that it is in English. Lucky for me, the UK does not provide any export certificates, so I did not have to provide in my case.

Make sure you also have the originals from the origin country to prove the car is yours, it was registered, insured, etc. If you are buying the vehicle, I believe you need a bill of sale (from the original owner) to prove that the car was sold to you, and it is in your name.

This is extremely important. In my case, I had to only bring the insurance documents (from the UK) that I had and the V5C (registration certificate) to prove that I had everything in my name in the UK.

Step 3 (Getting it registered and titled in the US - VIN INSPECTION)
You will need to get the car a VIN inspection by the License Theft Bureau to ensure that (1) the VIN is confirmed and checked (2) to ensure the vehicle is not in their stolen vehicle database.

The VIN inspector will give you a certificate with their stamp which basically shows that the vehicle is absolutely squeaky clean and does not report in any databases.

In my case, the inspector was extremely nice, my car (for whatever reason) was returning to a random 2000 Mercedes, however, because I had the VIN numbers in all the correct places and it didn't report in any databases, he acknowledged this and signed it off.

Step 4 (Taking all paperwork to DMV to get a title/registration).

Now you have all the original paperwork in Step 2, and you have the signed completed VIN inspection form from Step 3 you can now take all of this paperwork to the DMV.

You need to make sure you have insurance for the vehicle too - I used Progressive.

They will examine all the paperwork and give you a title/reg.

Make sure that they deliver your title in a timely manner - for whatever reason it took me approx. 3 months to receive my title. It was caught up in their system because it was a grey market vehicle. I had to make a few calls to the DMV to get them to escalate, but finally they were able to deliver, and I now have all documents for my 500E.

I believe this should be the same process EXCEPT FOR CALIFORNIA - that is an extreme hassle from what I've read. I'm relocating to CA in March, however, will be going down the Montana route as I'm not sure if I will stay their long term and do not feel like sinking $X0,000's into getting it CARB certified.

I may have missed some info here and there, but this should be a very good outline on everything you need. If you have any Q's, please ask away.

I believe the whole process cost me approx. $2,200. I was originally going to go with Schumacher, who do the complete door-to-door shipment for you/paperwork (all through 1 company) but their prices were around $5k, so this saved me quite a lot of money. As @WDB748372 mentioned, it looks extremely complicating, but it is very, very simple.

Thanks
Matin

Hello Matin. this is very helpful. thanks very much. hows your e500 holding up? post some pics please!

 

[bgalakazam]

Matin summed it up perfectly. Form-wise, it's not that many and the shipping company usually handles it. You'll have some leg work with the DMV of your chosen state.

If you go with a country that has a lot of US presence, there will be a many shipping companies that work with Americans already there (Germany, Japan, England, Italy, etc). Keep in mind that German and English cars, unless pampered will be rusted. The garage kept ones will cost a small fortune.

Germans import Mercedeses from the states. If you look at the older cars, a lot are US or Japan re-imports. Good luck!

 

[yao500e]

Matin summed it up perfectly. Form-wise, it's not that many and the shipping company usually handles it. You'll have some leg work with the DMV of your chosen state.

If you go with a country that has a lot of US presence, there will be a many shipping companies that work with Americans already there (Germany, Japan, England, Italy, etc). Keep in mind that German and English cars, unless pampered will be rusted. The garage kept ones will cost a small fortune.

Germans import Mercedeses from the states. If you look at the older cars, a lot are US or Japan re-imports. Good luck!

good information thank you! so does that probably means you only need to consult 1 car shipping company and they take care of getting the car pass customs in USA to the next buyer or for youself (if you importing the car for yourself)? no need to also consult another US based company to help with local customs?

 

[steve h]

I completed this process back in Sept 2023 - I imported my 500E from UK to USA (North Carolina to be specific).

Step 1 (Origin country shipment)
I had a shipment company in the UK (I used AutoShippers UK) to load the car onto a container and was sent from the Tilbury UK Port to Charleston, South Carolina, USA.

I then had a US agent work with the UK shippers to arrange taking over the shipment so they could sort out all the paperwork on the US side.

Step 2 (US agent for paperwork / customs)
The US agent that I used were Horizon Auto Shipping (They were ok...their communication was quite slow and frustrating at times, but they managed to get the car to me in 1 piece).

They will give you an option to collect the car from the port yourself or pay an extra fee and they will find a broker to deliver the vehicle to you.

The US agent will then work with US customs to get the following forms completed (they need to provide you with the originals - make sure you get this!!!!):

1. Customs Form 3461 Cargo Release
2. Customs Form 7501 Entry Summary
3. Environmental Protection Agency Form 3520-1
4. Department of Transportation Form HS-7

You may get an export certificate and if this is in a foreign language, you will need to get this translated/notarized by a certified translator so that it is in English. Lucky for me, the UK does not provide any export certificates, so I did not have to provide in my case.

Make sure you also have the originals from the origin country to prove the car is yours, it was registered, insured, etc. If you are buying the vehicle, I believe you need a bill of sale (from the original owner) to prove that the car was sold to you, and it is in your name.

This is extremely important. In my case, I had to only bring the insurance documents (from the UK) that I had and the V5C (registration certificate) to prove that I had everything in my name in the UK.

Step 3 (Getting it registered and titled in the US - VIN INSPECTION)
You will need to get the car a VIN inspection by the License Theft Bureau to ensure that (1) the VIN is confirmed and checked (2) to ensure the vehicle is not in their stolen vehicle database.

The VIN inspector will give you a certificate with their stamp which basically shows that the vehicle is absolutely squeaky clean and does not report in any databases.

In my case, the inspector was extremely nice, my car (for whatever reason) was returning to a random 2000 Mercedes, however, because I had the VIN numbers in all the correct places and it didn't report in any databases, he acknowledged this and signed it off.

Step 4 (Taking all paperwork to DMV to get a title/registration).

Now you have all the original paperwork in Step 2, and you have the signed completed VIN inspection form from Step 3 you can now take all of this paperwork to the DMV.

You need to make sure you have insurance for the vehicle too - I used Progressive.

They will examine all the paperwork and give you a title/reg.

Make sure that they deliver your title in a timely manner - for whatever reason it took me approx. 3 months to receive my title. It was caught up in their system because it was a grey market vehicle. I had to make a few calls to the DMV to get them to escalate, but finally they were able to deliver, and I now have all documents for my 500E.

I believe this should be the same process EXCEPT FOR CALIFORNIA - that is an extreme hassle from what I've read. I'm relocating to CA in March, however, will be going down the Montana route as I'm not sure if I will stay their long term and do not feel like sinking $X0,000's into getting it CARB certified.

I may have missed some info here and there, but this should be a very good outline on everything you need. If you have any Q's, please ask away.

I believe the whole process cost me approx. $2,200. I was originally going to go with Schumacher, who do the complete door-to-door shipment for you/paperwork (all through 1 company) but their prices were around $5k, so this saved me quite a lot of money. As @WDB748372 mentioned, it looks extremely complicating, but it is very, very simple.

Thanks
Matin

Yes, Matin summed it all up nicely. When I imported my LTD to Florida, the MB data sheet helped to prove the car was 25 years old & title/registration was a walk in the park in Florida. Just needed someone from the DMV to check the VIN # (again after US customs had already done it) I don't see any added value to getting a company to do the paperwork, there is nothing magic about it.

 

[bgalakazam]

Luck as it might be it, my next place in the states will be CA, albeit for a few months I have to look into importing to another state, just got to get the car out of Germany.

 

[bgalakazam]

An update. Ended up in Colorado. Paid for shipping and customs was easy with car being over 25. Since I had a military registration, the DMV took that and started the CO title process no issues. No bill of sale or German title was needed. No emissions since I am not in Denver

 

[yao500e]

An update. Ended up in Colorado. Paid for shipping and customs was easy with car being over 25. Since I had a military registration, the DMV took that and started the CO title process no issues. No bill of sale or German title was needed. No emissions since I am not in Denver

View attachment 212322

Wow! no bill of sale? no title needed to pass customs? Amazing.
How did you get the car registered and titled in USA?

 

[steve h]

An update. Ended up in Colorado. Paid for shipping and customs was easy with car being over 25. Since I had a military registration, the DMV took that and started the CO title process no issues. No bill of sale or German title was needed. No emissions since I am not in Denver

View attachment 212322

Very surprised you got the car out of Europe & into USA without a title.

 

[bgalakazam]

I have them, nobody asked for them... the base registration from Germany counts as a title, not in the standard sense. I also shipped a container, not a standard roll on/roll off service.

Colorado had me fill an out of state VIN verification (dealer did it), and I just applied for a Colorado title. They used the base registration documents.

 

[steve h]

I have them, nobody asked for them... the base registration from Germany counts as a title, not in the standard sense. I also shipped a container, not a standard roll on/roll off service.

Colorado had me fill an out of state VIN verification (dealer did it), and I just applied for a Colorado title. They used the base registration documents.

I don't know what you mean by "base registration"

The fahrzeugbrief (Teil1) is the title of ownership. The fahrzeugschein (Teil 2) is the registration document. The latter is not a title of ownership, therefore if you used the schein to export the car, it is quite surprising, especially if you shipped directly out of Germany. The finance company or bank normally holds the Brief, until the car is paid off. If the car is fully paid then the owner has the brief, which should never be left in the vehicle.

Shipping by container or RoRo makes no difference to the export paperwork.

 

[bgalakazam]

I have both teil 1 and 2 in hand. Base registration is a military registration, equivalent to a state dmv title.

‘U.S. FORCES POV REGISTRATION/TITLE/POL AUTHORIZATION ZULASSUNGSCHEIN/BESITZURKUNDE FÜR PRIVATKRAFTFAHRZEUGE’

Google translation:

"U.S. FORCES POV REGISTRATION/TITLE/POL AUTHORIZATION REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE/CERTIFICATE OF OWNERSHIP FOR PRIVATE MOTOR VEHICLES"