Q&A for How to Import a Car from Japan to USA

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I understand that I can import a Japanese car 25 years or older. Can the steering wheel be on the right?

Community Answer

Cars in the US are not required to be left-hand-drive. For example, most postal trucks are right-hand-drive here in the United States.

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Question

I want to ship a car from Japan to Utah, what do I have to do?

Community Answer

First check if the car is legal to drive or if you need a special permit, like the Nissan Skyline GTR R34 is not legal and same with the Nissan Silvia S15.

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Question

Can I ship our 2015 Suzuki APV-GA van from the Philippines to Washington State, USA for our one-year stay in the USA?

Community Answer

You're better off selling the van in the Philippines and buying something used in the U.S. You'll save shipping costs, and you won't have to worry about whether your Suzuki van is road legal in America.

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Question

I have a 25 year-old Japanese car. How do I determine the model year?

Community Answer

If you have any details about the car, you can google it and look through the images available to find the one that looks most like your car.

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Question

Can I ship any type of vehicle to California from Japan?

Community Answer

No. As California has SMOG testing, even a 25 year old car will need to be brought up to SMOG standards before it will be legal in the state of California.

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Question

Will I need a broker to retrieve my vehicle? If I don't use a broker, what will I need to do at the Port?

Ken Johnson

Community Answer

I work for an exporter here in Japan. I think it would be smart to get a broker if it's your first time. Ask them if they will arrange for the inland transport of the vehicle you are importing.

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Question

Can I buy a car in Japan and have it sent to another country?

Ken Johnson

Community Answer

Every country is different so you will want to check with your country's customs and boarder control website. Some countries will require EAA or JEVIC inspection. Some countries require the car to be older than 15 to 25 years. On the other hand, some countries will allow you to import cars if it is newer. Importing a car from Japan is not the hard part. Knowing your country's rules and regulations is the hard part.

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Question

How do I drive the car from the port of entry to its next destination without a license plate?

Community Answer

The car will need to be towed, since it won't have a registration/title or tags.

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Question

Can the imported car be newer than 25 years old?

Community Answer

If the vehicle is newer than 25 years old, it will all depend on the make and model and whether or not the same vehicle was made and sold in the country you are importing it into. Some cars were sold in multiple countries so those cars (if exactly the same or have a united states safety rating) would be able to be imported to the USA. There is a list online of all the vehicles newer than 25 years as of 2015 or 2016 that were legal to import to the US.

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