You can drive or ship your car from Toronto to Austin, but no—TN status does not let you skip declaring it and satisfying the applicable U.S. car-import rules.

All articles brought into the United States by any individual must be declared to a CBP officer at the port of first arrival in the United States, on a conveyance en route to the United States on which a CBP officer is assigned for that purpose, or at a preclearance office in a foreign country where a United States CBP officer is stationed for that purpose.

Importing a motor vehicle

You will also be required to complete EPA form 3520-1 and DOT form HS-7, declaring the emissions and safety provisions under which the vehicle is being imported.

Before you go

Shipments are cleared at the first port of entry unless you arrange for a freight forwarder abroad to have the vehicle sent in bond to a CBP port more convenient to you.

Before you go

For CBP clearance you will need the shipper's or carrier's original bill of lading, the bill of sale, foreign registration, and any other documents covering the vehicle.

Code M

code M - miscellaneous exemption , either 1) Canadian vehicle as described above (proof required) and the importer is either permanently emigrat- ing to the U.S. or will reside in the U.S. for greater than one year under a worker or student visa, or 2) Canadian vehicle received by U.S. resident through inheritance, or 3) EPA hardship letter based on unforseen and extraordinary circumstances is attached to this form.

Code EE

code EE - identical in all material respects to a U.S. certified version - either 1) Canadian vehicle (proof required e.g. Canadian emission control label, registration or title, or letter from the U.S. or Canadian manufacturer representative on letterhead verifying manufacture for sale in Canada) or 2) vehicle from any country with letter attached to this form from the manufacturer’s U.S. representative on letterhead (not a dealer or mechanic) stating that the vehicle is identical to a U.S. EPA certified version with respect to emissions.

Code O

code O - imported by nonresident for personal use by an individual for a period up to a year. EPA letter of approval must be attached to this form.

Canadian-certified vehicles

A motor vehicle that bears a label certifying compliance with all applicable Canadian motor vehicle safety standards (CMVSS), but not with the FMVSS, can still be imported as a conforming motor vehicle under Box 2B on the HS-7 Declaration form to be presented to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (Customs) at the time of entry if the following requirements are met:

Canadian-certified vehicles

The importer obtains a letter from the vehicle’s original manufacturer, on the manufacturer’s letterhead (and not that of a franchised dealer), identifying the vehicle by vehicle identification number (VIN) and stating that the vehicle conforms to all applicable FMVSS except for the labeling requirements of Standards Nos. 101, 110 or 120, and/or the specifications of Standard No. 108 relating to daytime running lamps.

Nonconforming Canadian-certified vehicles

The vehicle is imported by a registered importer (RI) or by a person who has a contract with an RI to modify the vehicle so that it complies with all applicable FMVSS following importation.

Temporary importation by nonresidents

A vehicle registered in a country other than the United States may be imported for personal use by a non-resident of the United States for a period not to exceed one year. The vehicle cannot be sold while in the United States and must be exported within one year from the date of entry. This period cannot be extended under any circumstances. The importer’s passport number and the name of the country that issued the passport must be supplied on the HS-7 Declaration form. Use Box 5 on the HS-7 Declaration form.

Nonresidents

Nonresidents may import a vehicle duty-free for personal use up to (1) one year if the vehicle is imported in conjunction with the owner's arrival.

Foreign vehicles

The vehicle must meet all federal and state importation requirements prior to titling and/or registering the vehicle in Texas.

Foreign vehicles

U.S. Department of Transportation Form HS-7, or any other document establishing customs entry/clearance and compliance with, or exemption from, federal safety standards.

Foreign vehicles

Upon completion of this VIN inspection, you will be provided with an original Law Enforcement Identification Number Inspection (Form VTR-68-A) signed by the investigator.

Foreign vehicles

If you live in one of the following emissions counties, you will need to obtain a passing vehicle emissions inspection prior to registering your vehicle: Brazoria, Collin, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Ellis, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Johnson, Kaufman, Montgomery, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, Travis, Williamson.

Page 2, New Resident Tax

New Texas residents are subject to a $90 use tax on a vehicle brought into this state that was previously registered to the new resident in another state or foreign country. This is in lieu of the 6.25 percent use tax imposed on a Texas resident.

Page 2, General Instructions

All new residents applying for a Texas title and registration for a motor vehicle must file at a county tax assessor-collector’s office within 30 days of establishing residency.

Canadian citizens

If you are a Canadian citizen residing outside the United States, you are not required to apply for a TN visa at a U.S. consulate.

USMCA eligibility

To qualify for duty-free treatment under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), all vehicles – new and used – must meet the USMCA rules of origin for automotive goods, including regional value content (RVC), labor value content (LVC), steel purchasing, and aluminum purchasing requirements.

68-A vehicle inspections

You will need to bring your photo ID and the vehicle’s title.

Registration fees

The standard fee for cars and lighter pickup trucks is a base registration fee of $50.75.