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What is the best way to import a Z (or any car) from Canada?

    Thinking about bringing a Canadian car to the U.S (with you while moving)? Moving a car from Canada to the US involves a *lot* of hassle, especially if the car is old, or the car only uses the metric system (like the speedometers using km/h only). However, in cases where a new employer is ready to pay for moving expenses (as was the case for me) or you *really* don't want to sell your car (which may be a problem in itself if you do, especially if your moving time frame is very small), then you'll have to deal with some of the following things:
     
    • Moving the car from A to B (across the border)
    • Getting the certificate of conformity by your manufacturer
    • Getting the EPA stamp of approval
    • Getting the DOT stamp of approval
    • Filling the 3299 Customs form
    • The smog test
    • Registering the car
    • Getting insurance for the car


    Moving the car from A to B.
    First of all find a company that will move the car. This can be the same company that moves all household goods, it can be a company that moves just cars, or you can drive it there yourself: The company that moves the household goods: This company will basically weigh the car in as part of the household goods and put it in the same trailer. Considering the cost of transporting goods per pound in this manner, this is *not* the most cost effective alternative. However, it might be a lot simpler. If it's a good moving company and you tell them to keep the cost down, they will probably help with the other alternatives and probably also take care of most of the paperwork. The company that moves the car only: This company moves the car and only the car. Now, there are many ways to do this and the cost varies from method to method:
     

    • By train: Moving the car by train was my first idea. I was told that some companies did that in the US, so I called CN and CP, who referred me to a smaller company. I then discovered this smaller company only moves cars in Canada. I could not find a company that would move my car by train to the US, however, I was told have my car moved, say, to Vancouver, then have it moved or drive it to California. It was too complicated for me. Another option, I discovered, was to drive the car to US city close to Montreal and then have it moved to California. This was also too complicated for my taste.

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    • By truck: This method seemed to be the simplest way at this point. The company basically comes over, drives the car to a loading location, puts it on a special trailer and moves the car to a desired location (California in this case). Many of those companies only deal with short distance or only in Canada, so you'll have to do some shopping. In my case, I could only find one company that would move my car to San Francisco, so it was pretty simple. Here's the phone number of one moving company: Traffic - (416)234-0400. The following documents might/will be needed by the moving company:
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        Copy of Car Registration
        Copy of Proof of insurance
        Copy of Certificate of conformity, stamped by the EPA and DOT (see previous topics)
        Copy of Passport photo and Work VISA
        Copy of Driver's license
        Customs form 3299 - Declaration for free entry of unaccompanied articles
        Form - Supplemental declaration for unaccompanied personal and household goods
    • Driven to the US by someone else: Some companies specialize in moving cars by driving them. Paying a fee (350$ CAN for example) and for the gas, and the car will be there in about ten days. The only problem is putting about 5000km on the car. Other than that, it seemed simple (and cheap!) enough, but I ultimately chose to move my car by truck, since my employer was paying for it.

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    • Drive the car to California yourself: Well, other than the fact it's an additional 5000km on the car, you'll have to drive for five days straight (10 hours a day), it's not a bad idea. Also, if moving household goods in a small truck, it might be possible to somehow tow your car behind (ask the company where you rented the truck). I thought about using that solution, but my time frame was too small and I really did not want to take the risk of driving in unknown territory for extended periods of time (which would augment my chances of either getting lost or having an accident).


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    Getting a certificate of conformity from your car manufacturer
    This certificate is needed in order to get the stamp from the DOT and EPA, and ultimately, it is needed by the company moving the car. It also proves the car meets all the requirements to enter the US. Call a dealer and ask how to get a certificate of conformity. Chances are, they'll give the number of the national manufacturer's office (for me, it was Volkswagen of Canada). Call that phone number and ask them about the certificate. At that point, send them a copy of the car registration. If possible, send it by fax, it'll be faster. Otherwise, send it by snail mail. Once sent, make sure they have it and they're working on it (I had to send it three times before someone noticed I was in a hurry!). Also, this can take a couple of weeks, and since you'll have to get the EPA and DOT stamps afterward, give yourself a good couple of months to get the whole thing done. At some point, they will send the certificate of conformity by snail mail (or ask for it to be sent by fax!). This is actually written by the US manufacturer specifying that the car meets US standards, so don't be surprised (mine was from Volkswagen of America). The certificate should be a small written letter indicating that the car meets EPA standards (if it says it doesn't, well, you'll have to check with the EPA) and DOT standards (except for some minor things).

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    Getting Approval from the EPA
    When I called in January, there was a partial shutdown of the government and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) was part of that shutdown. The message heard when I called basically said that as long as I had the certificate of conformity, I did not need further approval from the EPA. However, the message also stated other constraints (year/make of the car, etc.), so you will have to check. Since I did not go through the whole process, I will only state what I know about it. Basically, fill out the EPA form 3520-1 and send it to the EPA (by fax or snail mail), along with a copy of the certificate of conformity. They will send back (again, ask for it to be faxed) the certificate with the EPA stamp a couple of weeks later. Here's how to reach the EPA:

    Phone: (202) 233-9660
    Fax: (202) 233-9596
    Mailing Address:
    Attn.: Prior Approval
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
    Manufacturers Operations Division
    401 M St. S.W.
    Washington, D.C.
    20460

    Courier Service Mailing Address:
    Attn.: Prior Approval
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
    Manufacturers Operations Division
    490 South Capital St. S.W.
    Washington, D.C.
    20024

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    Getting Approval from the D.O.T.
    In order to get approval from the DOT (Department of Transportation), all conditions stated in the certificate of conformity must be met (such as speedometer in miles/hour). You may want to do the modifications yourself (if you're like me), but be warned: once the modifications are made, you will need a written confirmation by your dealer, and in this case (that gave me a lot of grief), dealers don't like to do it.. They would much rather do it themselves than write an official confirmation for work they haven't done. Don't ask me why! I mean, it's pretty easy to check a speedometer to see if it reads in miles/hour correctly, right? Well, I had to go through five dealers until I found one who agreed to write the confirmation. The easiest thing is probably to ask the dealer to do the modifications, then write an official confirmation the car meets the certificate of conformity conditions. Also, I must stress that the modifications must be made by your dealer: an independent mechanic will not do. I know, I tried! Once this is done, send both the certificate of conformity and the official confirmation to the DOT (fax or snail mail). A couple of weeks later, they will send the certificate (fax or snail mail) with their stamp of approval (rectangular with a flower symbol, signed and dated) . When I called the DOT, I felt like my submission was going to be lost in a pile of papers for many days, and since I was in a hurry, I could not afford to wait that long. Fortunately, I talked to a woman named Kathy Rice, who was very empathic to my situation and put a rush on my submission. This way, I was able to get the approval the same day. Needless to say, I was *very* impressed! If they ever do the same for you, please be very thankful! They'll appreciate it and they'll give even better service! (A rare thing for government agencies).If there isn't time to have the necessary modifications made to the car, all is not lost. It's still possible to have the car in the U.S. for a maximum period of one year. However, it won't be able to be registered in the U.S., and it will have to remain registered and insured in Canada. At the end of one year, the modifications will have to have been made or do all the work in reverse to return it to Canda. Ask the DOT for more details. It seemed like too much hassle for me. Here's how to reach the DOT:

    Phone: (202) 366-5313 or (202) 366-0385
    Fax: (202) 366-1024
    Mailing Address:
    U.S. D.O.T./N.H.T.S.A.
    Director, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance Nef 32
    400 Seventh St. S.W., Room 6115
    Washington, D.C.
    20590

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    Filing the Customs form 3299 - Declaration for free entry of unaccompanied articles.
    If going through a moving company to move the car to California, fill out a Customs form 3299, which states what is being moved and asks for some details on yourself, the owner. Additionally, fill out a "Supplemental Declaration for Unaccompanied Personal and Household Effect" form, which comes with the 3299. (Don't ask me why they need it... sounds like plain bureaucracy to me). Here are some ideas on how to fill the 3299 form (most of it taken from an information booklet):

    Part I: You (the shipper) must complete the following sections of Part 1 of form 3299:
     

      1. Importer's (your) name.
      2. Date of birth
      3. Date of arrival (the date you arrived in the United States).
      4. U.S. Address (if you have no U.S. address yet, put your new employer's address)
      5. Port of arrival (the port - airport for example - at which the importer first arrived in the United States)
      6. Name of arriving vessel/carrier and flight (Example: Air Canada 745)
      7. Name(s) of accompanying household member(s).


    Part II: The following sections of Part II must be completed:
     

      9. Residency. This section is used to indicate previous and present residency status. (If you lived in Canada all your life, indicate your age in the "Length of Stay")
      10. Statement(s) of eligibility for free entry of articles. Indicate the items seeking duty-free entry (Check C. Applicable to NONRESIDENT ONLY, paragraph 2).


    Part III: If your shipments are moving under a Government Bill of Lading, complete Part III of form 3299.

    Part IV: Mark all the applicable boxes and declare any items contained in the shipment. (Do not check anything. On second page, indicate Make/Model/Year of car, as well as VIN number..)

    Part V: Nothing to fill out in this section..

    Part VI: Sign form 3299 in Part VI, Section 2 and date the form in Part VI, Section 3. The completed, signed form should then be sent to the moving company. (Also check Section 1, Part B).

    Here are some indications on how to fill the "Supplemental Declaration for Unaccompanied Personal and Household Effect form:
     

      1. Owner of household goods: Your last, first and middle name, in that order.
      2. Date of birth: Month/Day/Year
      3. Citizenship: "Canadian"
      4. Passport: Country and number
      5. Social security number: Your Canadian social security number.
      6. Resident Alien No. : Your work VISA number
      7. U.S. Address: Your employer work address if you don't have a home address yet.
      8. Foreign Address: Your old Canadian address
      9. Reason for moving: "New employer"
      10. Employer: Your new employer's company name
      11. Position with company: Your new position
      12. (error, there is *no* twelve)
      13. Nature of business: Your new employer's type of business
      14. Name and telephone of company official who can verify above information: Your new supervisor
      15. Name and address of freight forwarders...: Don't fill this section.
      16. Shipper Itinerary: Don't fill this section.
      17. Certification: Check B. Importer.
      18. Signature: Sign the form.


    Arrival of the car to the U.S. Customs.
    If driving the car to the U.S., stop at the U.S. Customs. If the car will be driven/moved here, go to the Customs office within ten days. Call customs and ask them where to go and what papers are needed to officially bring it in the U.S. For starters, here's what I was told I would need:
     

      Certificate of conformity (with EPA and DOT approval)
      Canadian passport
      Canadian car registration
      Title for the car (if you have such a thing)
      Release Document or Bill of Lading (from the moving company)
      Customs form 3299 (from the moving company)
      IT 7512 Document (from the moving company)
      Any other documents from the moving company.
    Here is one place you can have the car inspected by U.S. Customs, in San Francisco:

    Phone: (415) 876-2818
    Address: 501 South Airport Blvd., San Francisco
    Hours: 8 am - 5 pm, Monday - Friday, Don't need appointment.

    One other thing: When the car arrives in California, make sure it is still insured. This is the only way it can be legally driven in California, while doing all the work (My insurer gave me 30 days to find a new insurer). Your current drivers license should still be valid. If everything is in order, drive the car around for a little while until you get a new drivers license, new registration and new insurance.

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    Smog Test.
    In order to register the car in California, it has to pass a smog test. There might be conditions where it might not have to, but since I haven't done it yet, please bear with me. Go to a dealer or independent mechanic and have the car tested. If it doesn't pass, pay the $300 Smog Tax or spend up to $300 to have it modified to pass the test. At that point, they will give a smog check certificate, which is needed to register the car.

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    Car Registration.
    To register the car, go to the nearest DMV Office(Blue Pages, State:Motor Vehicle Dept.). Take the following:

      Canadian car registration
      Title for the car (if you have such a thing)
      Smog Check Certificate (if required)
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    Driver's license.
    In order to get auto insurance in California (and probably the rest of the U.S.) a drivers license is needed. To get the written test, take the following:

    • Canadian driver's license
    • Canadian passport
    • U.S. Social Security Number
    • $12 (you get three tries to the written test, and the drive test)

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      To get the drive test, take the following:

    • Proof that you passed the written test
    • An appointment for the drive test
    • Canadian car registration
    • Canadian passport
    • Canadian driver's license
    • Proof of insurance in Canada


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    Auto Insurance.
    When I started calling the various insurance companies, I was surprised at how different these companies rate their future clients. Some companies asked me if I ever had accident in Canada or the U.S., some didn't care. Some asked about past traffic tickets, some didn't. Some considered my past experience in Canada, some didn't. Here's some of the facts that I could glean:

    If the insurance company considers driving experience from Canada, they will also consider accidents and traffic tickets. If they are on record, the premiums will be *very* high. Occasional minor speeding tickets in Canada are an everyday thing, it is much more serious here in California. When I was asked how many tickets I had in the past 2 years and I said 4, one company even refused to insure me. Obviously, try to find a company who will only consider the driving experience and nothing else.

    Some companies will consider you to be a completely novice driver with no experience (in the U.S., that is) , and will charge accordingly, independently of previous driving experience/record. This is good, since you don't feel like you have to hide your past from them (see next fact), and even if the premiums are high (because you're considered a new driver, they're never as high as in the previous case)

    *Never* lie or hide anything to an insurance company. They might just decide not to cover some tight situation when they discover a lie in the application. There is some legal issue here, but that's all I know.

    No company seemed interested in getting my previous insurer's phone number. Strange. I would've thought it would've been a good way for them to get an idea of the risk I represent.

    Rates vary a lot from one company to another, so *shop* as much as possible. One salesperson even told me that he didn't care his rates were really high, since out they where meeting their quotas anyway. Talk about a customer oriented business!! Also, make sure to compare oranges with oranges: get a typical quote from one company and ask the other companies to give you a quote for the same coverage.

    Liability for one million dollars is *very* expensive here, if it's even offered.

    A good idea is to go for a big insurance company. Usually, this means they'll have more offices, better rates and better coverage. Also, their service will probably be more professional, and with a big insurance company, complete packages are offered for home/life/auto insurance, and that means better rates again. I chose to go with AAA (American Automobile Association) because they have all of the above and their service is very courteous (the company was formed to help customers, after all). Check also with your bank, they might have insurance too.

    Some insurance companies might give better rates depending of the kind of job you do (professional engineer, for example), if the car is stored in a garage, if the car has an alarm, if you're married, if you don't drive to work, etc.

    This information has been provided by Philippe Lewis, Shl Systemhouse, California.
    415-951-0500x3006.

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