Buying a car from an individual in the US and drive it into Quebec

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darkestfenix

darkestfenix

Well-known member
Guys, please dont bash, I know we've seen these titles a hundred times but I cant come across a thread with the answer I seek.

If I buy a car off a guy in the US,


How do I get the title to the car? What paper will prove this?
What kind of "sales receipt" would customs need if I'm buying it off an individual?
And for registration? Obviously its not registered in Quebec yet, so how do we go about this?

Also am I allowed to just go to Connecticut, get into the car and drive straight back to Quebec?

I'll let my insurance know of course, but is that enough?

Licence plate?

Passes to be allowed to drive through Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and then finally into home sweet home? Are any of this needed?

And then once I cross the Canadian border? Dont I need a license plate or I drive "plate-less until I get back home?

All the stuff in between I already know, I just need answers to these specific questions!

Really appreciated and reps in advance to useful answers!
 
g-ng said:
what's the car that is worth all the trouble in the first place? :D

Another Lude?
Click to expand...

WS6, FWD seems to be the biggest issue for DarkFenix.

From a Japanese Icon car to American Muscle. I give you a month of Rehab and 3 fractures.

LOL CHOUBOUCCCCCCHOUUUUU
 
C'est fesable, marco est allé aux states en bus et est revenu avec son rabbit.
Parcontre je peut pas lui demander rien je le voit juste au julep l'été.
 
darkestfenix said:
How do I get the title to the car? What paper will prove this?
Click to expand...
All cars in the USA have a title. On the back of the document there is a place where you can sign over the title to someone else. That's how you transfer ownership. They need your signature, the seller's signature, and I think one witness. As soon as the title is signed over to you, the car is yours. Legally, whoever holds the title owns the car.

darkestfenix said:
What kind of "sales receipt" would customs need if I'm buying it off an individual?
Click to expand...
It doesn't really matter too much. Canada Customs will determine what the car is "worth" based on the blue book value. You can buy a car for $500. But if the blue book says the car is worth $2000, then you're going to be taxed accordingly.

Still, it never hurts to draw up a "bill of sale" when you buy a car. Basically, just saying that the seller agrees to sell you the car for X amount of US dollars.

darkestfenix said:
And for registration? Obviously its not registered in Quebec yet, so how do we go about this?
Click to expand...
You won't have to worry about that until after you import the car. You'll be given a few weeks to get the car inspected then road registered and plated.

darkestfenix said:
Also am I allowed to just go to Connecticut, get into the car and drive straight back to Quebec?
Click to expand...
That's not how it works. Before you can import the car into Canada, you first need to export the car from the US. Say you're coming up through New York. You'll have to stop at US Customs in Champlain and fill out the export paperwork. They sometimes hang onto the car for a day or two. After US Customs releases the car, you can take it over the border into Canada and start the import process.

As for how to get from wherever you buy the car to the border, that's not so simple. You cannot drive the car on the road without a license plate. There's no way in hell you can get away with that, especially not on the major US highways. You'll get your car impounded for sure.

Without a valid US address and driver's license, I don't think there is any way you're going to get the car registered and plated in the US. That means you'll have to trailer the car up to the border.

I've never tried to import a car into Canada that wasn't already legally road registered in my name. Maybe someone else can jump in here...
 
I've bought a few cars in the USA from a private party.

Just ask the seller to keep the license plate on the car after going to his DMV to say that the car isn't his anymore.

Also keep the bill of sale and the original title in the car at all times. You'll be fine.

If a cop pulls you over tell him you're driving the car back to Canada and have the title and bill of sale. They won't impound the car if you have those documents...

Once you drive back to the border drop the car off at a place called ''Peterbilt''. It's near the Champlain border crossing, zip code 12919. It's like 5$ a day. Have a friend pick you up at the border.

Personally hand over the original title to export control USA and then you have to wait 3 business days to be able to come back to the border and drive the car back home after having paid taxes at the Canadian building which is accross the street from export control.

Make sure the seller in the USA has the title in hand. You don't want to wait 2-3 weeks for the bank to release the title and then wait another week because stupid USA Export Control lost your title and can't find it.

Give the title in person to export control YOURSELF. Do NOT trust US Postal services of the seller to do this for you. It is worth it.

Also if you drop the car off at 4:00PM then that day is not counted in the 3 business days needed for the US export control pricks to hold the original title. Make sure you arrive at the border crossing before noon.

And when you give your bill of sale to the Canadian customs, do not say you bought the car for 10 000$ less than it is actually worth on the used market. They are kind of stupid, but not that stupid.

Say your car usually sells for 15K and you bought it for 15K. Write on the bill of sale that you bought it for 11-12K. Don't put something stupid like 4000$....

And if you're buying an American car or any car built in the USA (BMW Z3-Z4 for example) you save 6.1% taxes.

Anyways it's not really worth it to buy an American car these days...You start off by multiplying the American price by 1.25....Try to find something in Canada. You'll be surprised at how priced have gone down in the used market here.
 
Jacques79 said:
I've bought a few cars in the USA from a private party.

Just ask the seller to keep the license plate on the car after going to his DMV to say that the car isn't his anymore.

Also keep the bill of sale and the original title in the car at all times. You'll be fine.

If a cop pulls you over tell him you're driving the car back to Canada and have the title and bill of sale. They won't impound the car if you have those documents...

Once you drive back to the border drop the car off at a place called ''Peterbilt''. It's near the Champlain border crossing, zip code 12919. It's like 5$ a day. Have a friend pick you up at the border.

Personally hand over the original title to export control USA and then you have to wait 3 business days to be able to come back to the border and drive the car back home after having paid taxes at the Canadian building which is accross the street from export control.

Make sure the seller in the USA has the title in hand. You don't want to wait 2-3 weeks for the bank to release the title and then wait another week because stupid USA Export Control lost your title and can't find it.

Give the title in person to export control YOURSELF. Do NOT trust US Postal services of the seller to do this for you. It is worth it.

Also if you drop the car off at 4:00PM then that day is not counted in the 3 business days needed for the US export control pricks to hold the original title. Make sure you arrive at the border crossing before noon.

And when you give your bill of sale to the Canadian customs, do not say you bought the car for 10 000$ less than it is actually worth on the used market. They are kind of stupid, but not that stupid.

Say your car usually sells for 15K and you bought it for 15K. Write on the bill of sale that you bought it for 11-12K. Don't put something stupid like 4000$....

And if you're buying an American car or any car built in the USA (BMW Z3-Z4 for example) you save 6.1% taxes.

Anyways it's not really worth it to buy an American car these days...You start off by multiplying the American price by 1.25....Try to find something in Canada. You'll be surprised at how priced have gone down in the used market here.
Click to expand...

Nice read! Informative
 
Thanks to all of you.

The car I want to import is retardedly expensive here compared to the states. They normally sell for 22k here where as the states more like 12k.

The cheapest I could find till now is here on MR for 19k and its VGA.....

So f that.

US it is.

I'll keep you guys posted and update this thread for all the steps I took.
 
g-ng said:
what's the car that is worth all the trouble in the first place? :D

Another Lude?
Click to expand...

No, next car is rwd.

It hurts me to sell my current car. I've spent so much time and money on the Lude and its absolutely gorgeous but the truth is the car is limited because of its fwd capability and the number of issues let it be tranny or engine for high power results and unreliability.

So I end the spending now and spend it on a car which will have more than the power I seek and potential as well.
 
Jacques79 said:
And when you give your bill of sale to the Canadian customs, do not say you bought the car for 10 000$ less than it is actually worth on the used market. They are kind of stupid, but not that stupid.

Say your car usually sells for 15K and you bought it for 15K. Write on the bill of sale that you bought it for 11-12K. Don't put something stupid like 4000$....
Click to expand...


Nice read, but I would add to that, just declare the true value you paid.

For a few months now, canadian border agents are extremely thorough when checking the value declared. If you tell them you bought something off ebay, they'll ask you to log into your ebay or paypal account.

If you bought it of craigslist, they'll go check to find the ad.

And if you get caught, the fine is substancial.
 
RdKetchup said:
Nice read, but I would add to that, just declare the true value you paid.

For a few months now, canadian border agents are extremely thorough when checking the value declared. If you tell them you bought something off ebay, they'll ask you to log into your ebay or paypal account.

If you bought it of craigslist, they'll go check to find the ad.

And if you get caught, the fine is substancial.
Click to expand...

;) I noticed as well. Dont worry about it! Thanks for pointing it out though!
 
Jacques79 said:
I've bought a few cars in the USA from a private party.

Just ask the seller to keep the license plate on the car after going to his DMV to say that the car isn't his anymore.

Also keep the bill of sale and the original title in the car at all times. You'll be fine.

If a cop pulls you over tell him you're driving the car back to Canada and have the title and bill of sale. They won't impound the car if you have those documents...

Once you drive back to the border drop the car off at a place called ''Peterbilt''. It's near the Champlain border crossing, zip code 12919. It's like 5$ a day. Have a friend pick you up at the border.

Personally hand over the original title to export control USA and then you have to wait 3 business days to be able to come back to the border and drive the car back home after having paid taxes at the Canadian building which is accross the street from export control.

Make sure the seller in the USA has the title in hand. You don't want to wait 2-3 weeks for the bank to release the title and then wait another week because stupid USA Export Control lost your title and can't find it.

Give the title in person to export control YOURSELF. Do NOT trust US Postal services of the seller to do this for you. It is worth it.

Also if you drop the car off at 4:00PM then that day is not counted in the 3 business days needed for the US export control pricks to hold the original title. Make sure you arrive at the border crossing before noon.

And when you give your bill of sale to the Canadian customs, do not say you bought the car for 10 000$ less than it is actually worth on the used market. They are kind of stupid, but not that stupid.

Say your car usually sells for 15K and you bought it for 15K. Write on the bill of sale that you bought it for 11-12K. Don't put something stupid like 4000$....

And if you're buying an American car or any car built in the USA (BMW Z3-Z4 for example) you save 6.1% taxes.

Anyways it's not really worth it to buy an American car these days...You start off by multiplying the American price by 1.25....Try to find something in Canada. You'll be surprised at how priced have gone down in the used market here.
Click to expand...


j'ai fais la meme chose pour mon s14 acheter chez un dealer ... la seul difference c'est que j'avais une plaque temporaire du dealer pour rouler l'auto !!!!
 
no. Oh I cant hold back.

Its american, but the best that it could offer in that price range thats not a corvette, viper or GTO.

Camaro is ugly.

This is just a monster.

330-345 rwhp with exhaust and intake and the wonderous joy of being stock and having the extremely reliable and full of potential LS1.

BrittWS68001.jpg
 
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