Imported Vehicle Registration - California DMV (2024)

FAQs

Can imported cars be registered in California? ›

If you have imported your vehicle directly from another country (a direct import), you need to register the vehicle with DMV. To register your imported vehicle, you'll need: An out-of-state title (or other proof of ownership). Evidence that the vehicle has cleared customs.

The easiest state to import your vehicle, however, is Montana. Montana is the only state that does not mandate a U.S. driver's license, residency in the state, or vehicle inspections. You do not have to pay sales tax there, either.

Simply put, the USA's “25-Year Import Rule” regulates the importation of foreign vehicles into the United States. It stipulates that a vehicle must be at least 25 years old before it becomes eligible for import and deemed street-legal for use on American roads.

Registration fees are based on:

Your vehicle's purchase price or declared value. Dates (for example, the date you purchased your vehicle, or the date your vehicle entered California). The city and/or county you live in. The city and/or county your business is based in.

A vehicle must be imported as a nonconforming vehicle unless it bears the manufacturer's label certifying that it meets U.S. standards. If it is a nonconforming vehicle, the importer must contract with a DOT-registered importer (RI) to modify the vehicle and certify that it conforms to all applicable FMVSS.

Interstate registration allows a vehicle owner to register a vehicle in California and still retain valid out-of-state registration. It does not prevent any vehicle from being registered in California on a nontransferable (goldenrod) basis.

Yes. The registration process is different in each state, however you can buy a vehicle in one state and register it in your home state. You'll need to make sure the vehicle can pass your state's emissions test and road worthiness inspection. You'll also need to confirm that the vehicle title is clear of any liens.

It must also meet the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) emissions standards. Some overseas vehicles are manufactured for sale in the U.S., and meet U.S. safety and environmental requirements. If the car you buy doesn't, you need to have it modified to meet the agencies' standards before you can drive it.

Cars from Japan to California are commonly shipped to Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Oakland. Shipping a vehicle from Kobe to Los Angeles or Long Beach will take about 14 days and cost around $3500. Car transport from Yokohama or Kobe to Los Angeles and Long Beach will take 16 days and cost approximately $3700.

Are imported cars smog exempt in California? ›

However the state of California has a law that requires all foreign direct-imported cars to comply with EPA emissions no matter how old they are in order to be registered in California, DESPITE THE FACT that once the car is registered it will be forever exempt from smog testing requirements if it's a model year 1975 or ...

If the vehicle is less than 25 years old and was not originally manufactured to comply with all applicable FMVSS, and/or was not so certified by its original manufacturer, it cannot be lawfully imported into the U.S. on a permanent basis unless NHTSA determines it eligible for importation.

Fees and penalties may be waived for any registration year when a transferee (including a dealer) applies for transfer and it is determined that the registration fees became due prior to the transferee's date of purchase and the transferee was not aware that the fees were unpaid and due if the license plate assigned to ...

Fees vary depending on your actual vehicle registration transaction. For example, if the purchase price keyed by the customer differs from what is ultimately entered on the title and submitted to DMV, the vehicle registration fees may change when the vehicle is registered.

California collects a 7.25% sales tax on all car purchases – new or used – via the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA).

In order to be lawfully manufactured or imported for sale in the U.S., a motor vehicle must comply with all applicable FMVSS issued by NHTSA. It is possible for a right-hand drive (RHD) vehicle to be manufactured in compliance with the FMVSS.

You must register your vehicle from out of state with the California DMV within 20 days after you brought it into the state and remain as the owner of the vehicle, or within 20 days after purchasing an out of state or non-resident vehicle in California to avoid penalties.

Okay, okay! Here's a ballpark figure: Importing a car from Japan to California can start anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000. But that's just the starting point! The more bells and whistles (or should we say anime decals and neon lights) you add, the steeper the price can climb.