You may have remembered me writing some helpful posts about bringing my car to Canada and what documents that entails, and also finishing off the whole long process. I paid my overpriced insurance and my overpriced registration, but that was ok, and I just dealt with it.
And then it was time to bring the car back to the United States. And literally, the guards at the border in Detroit thought I stole my own car because I was an American citizen moving back to the United States, and I had Ontario plates.
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| Jean-Luc, you're so applicable. |
Really. I got hit with "failure to import a vehicle," after I showed them my title, which is still Pennsylvania-based (remember how they stamped "REGISTERED IN ONTARIO" to my title and then gave it back to me because I was only taking it temporarily to Canada?). They did not like that at all, even after I explained the situation. Sir, I have a Ph.D. Sir, this car is 12 years old. Sir, my family and I have owned this car since it was first driven off the lot in 1999.
"Well where is it originally from?"
"Georgia."
Oh my goodness, it's like people don't understand that some people have moved states at least once in their lifetime.
After demanding to see the title, the registration, my passport, and my Pennsylvania plate (which was on the moving truck and not with me), they asked how much cash I was carrying on me and directed me to go inside their little hut. I wasn't allowed to take anything. I was to leave my keys on the dashboard and take only my wallet inside. Windows were to be completely rolled down. As I went inside, I saw 2 guards converging on my car. I thought that was it. I was going to come back to all my stuff stolen.
Inside the importation office, I explained the situation to the guard who eventually laughed it off, told me I had done nothing wrong, but to get a Michigan title, plates, and insurance, which I was of course going to do anyway, as that's what you do when you move states. I got out of there really fast before they changed their minds.
The thing is, I still don't even know what it was the border guy wanted me to do, especially since I had a bunch of wordly goods with me in the car and was obviously moving. How can you have a license plate already for the country in which you're not yet a resident?
Fast forward to the Michigan Secretary of State office, where you get everything changed over. This place is... an interesting place to people-watch.
I brought everything. Michigan no-fault insurance. My passport. Both work visas. My lease. 2 bills. My title. My registration. Everything was ok, until she looked at that problematic title.
"You need an import form for this car."
Even though it was never exported from the United States? "Yes. It's registered in Ontario."
But it's titled in Pennsylvania. You're telling me I have to drive to Detroit, hop the border, then hop the border BACK again, pick up the import form, and pay $10 in bridge fees? "Well.... we MIGHT be able to look at your border crossing record. Take a number."
The lady who helped me next blinked not a single eye at the Ontario registration, but ran through the transfer of license, registration, title and plates efficiently with no questions. So now I'm 100% Michigan, and the only remnants I have of Ontario are the plates, which are now hanging up on my wall along with the GA and PA ones.
A common thing I've done every time I've had to do something with international nonsense and the car: If they give you what you want, get out of there before they realize they've messed up, if they have. Just goes to show you how little faith I have in people who do vehicle imports/exports between the U.S. and Canada.
How were you able to register a car in Ontario without importing it to Canada? Did you go through the RIV? Ontario safety and emmissions inspection?
ReplyDeleteI did go through the RIV, and they said that since I was a temporary resident, I didn't have to import it, but I COULD register it. I did do Ontario safety and emissions inspections, and I did have to get daytime running lights installed on the car. If you see the posts I linked to above, you can read about the whole ordeal.
DeleteHmm, I see that you actually did import it to Canada. If you imported to Canada, you were technically supposed to have "exported" from the United States first. Typically, this involves faxing the title to the US port of exit at least 72 hours prior to bringing the vehicle across. Still, even if you didn't do this (and if you didn't you violated U.S. Customs law)--the act of importing it to Canada could effectively be construed as having "exported" it from the U.S.
ReplyDeleteI did NOT import it into Canada. No AC taxes, no taxes paid PERIOD (if you do import it from the U.S., you rack up hefty fees), no Canadian title (the title was Pennsylvanian the entire time, and the car is now titled in Michigan). Therefore, it remained an American car and was never exported, because it was never imported. No customs law was violated. I'd be happy to help you with whatever your situation, but implying I broke laws is off-base, considering that this is what I was told to do, and it worked out fine, once I learned to navigate the system.
DeleteI am actually in a similar situation and I am just trying to figure out how you navigated it. It is all so confusing. The left hand doesn't know what the right had is doing and they leave you with no way to comply with the law.
ReplyDeleteYour last sentence is so true. When they told me at Pearson that I owed not a single red cent, because I was a temporary resident and would not be keeping the car in Ontario permanently, I almost jumped for joy. However, they DID caution that if I ever tried to get permanent residency, I would need to officially import the car.
DeleteHmm, that's interesting. There is a law in Michigan that actually requires you to register your car there if it will be in the state for more than 90 days even if you are not a Michigan resident, but they will not register a foreign car w/o customs paperwork (i.e. importing the car). There seems to be a contradiction there. How can a Canadian who is in the state temporarily register their car, if they are not permanently importing it???? The Secretary of State office is clueless......
DeleteI wish I could help you with that. Did you actually go to a Secretary of State in person? I find you can get much better answers in person.
DeleteCanada Customs is a federal agency, it is not their responsibility to understand the rules in each province - A US customs officer would not know the registration rules in each state. They can only advise to what is legally required to have the vehicles in the country, what is required to drive them is set by the province or state.
DeleteGood post on importing cars. I will follow the same tips the next time I am going for a ride outside my own residential area.
ReplyDeleteRegards
.A-
vehicle transport
So I know this is an older post, but for others looking for information, when coming from the US to Ontario on a temporary work permit, you do in fact export your vehicle from the US an import it into Canada. You do all of this without paying taxes because you are exempt from the registrar of imported vehicles program. Our original Virginia title is stamped with an export date from the US an we have two seperate forms showing we imported the vehicle into Canada temporarily and are exempt from RIV. When registering the vehicle in Ontario, I fist had issues with taxes, but that was due to a lack of knowledge in my particular service Ontario office. After calling Canadian border services and service ontario's helpline. I was able to register the car without paying taxes. The key import form is called simply: Vehicle Import Form 1. (Please forgive the lack of d's on my ands and any other typos. My phone hates me.). One more thing, in Ontario and Quebec, registration papers and titles are on the same document. So by having an Ontario registration, you have an Ontario title. Also according to the extensive directions I was given, the service Ontario office should have taken my Virginia title and destroyed it. But like it has been said, no one really knows what they are doing.
ReplyDeleteAre not required to surrender your US title and should not you will need it to return to the US. This is not a difficult process, and use the link below.
Deletehttp://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dandv/vehicle/rgoutcan.shtml
A new requirement is a B15 personal goods import receipt. (it says B4) but US citizens are only eligable for a B15. Both the B15 and Canada customs Form 1 can be aquired at Dixie road or Front Street locations.
Ask questions of the mechanic to be sure he understands you are not importing the vehicle and the RIV program doesn't apply. Move on to another place if they don't understand.
Good post! This is exactly what I encountered (though they told me multiple times that I WASN'T actually importing it.... I'm starting to think that "import" doesn't mean very much). Yes, you are exempt from RIV, and I did have to fill out Form 1. I wish I could mark your reply as super-useful somehow.
DeleteIt's very hard to have a car in Canada. For me, I do prefer to get on a bike. My friend, who used to live in Ontario told me that place is not good for a car to be functional because of the narrow streets and the bikes all over the place. This is why she never transported her car in the first place.
ReplyDeleteI agree that I didn't use my car very much in Canada, because I took the subway everywhere. But when I needed to go to the U.S., or go up north, or just get something heavy from the store, it really proved to be a godsend. I'd even drive other people around for the same purpose.
DeleteThanks for this blog. (Some of us, Rickie Scherer, cannot transport children, dogs and daily materials on a BIKE). My question is, would you have considered putting your PA plates back on the vehicle before bringing it back into the US to expedite the border crossing? Showing your USA registration, title, etc as well? Just curious if that would have been simpler...
ReplyDelete....I'm a bit embarrassed to say that I didn't even think of that! I think it might be seen as a bit sketchy, though, because my registration and insurance were both Ontario, even though the title still said Pennsylvania. It was going to look sketchy no matter what I did, unfortunately. But good thought!
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