Importing a vehicle into Canada looks simple from the outside  drive it to the border, pay some tax, register it. In practice, it runs through a federal safety program most first-time importers have never heard of, a duty calculation that depends on where the car was built rather than where you bought it, and a 25% surtax that only applies to some vehicles and not others.

Get any one of those wrong and the vehicle doesn't get seized dramatically at the border  it just sits there, un-registerable, while you find out which agency needed which form first. This guide walks through admissibility, the Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) process, what you'll actually pay, and where importers most often stall.

Key takeaways: Most vehicles from the US need RIV registration (Form 1, currently $325 plus applicable sales tax) and a CBSA-verified compliance inspection before provincial registration (CBSA, Customs Notice 20-26; RIV.ca). Vehicles built 15+ years ago are exempt from RIV and safety-standard compliance under Memorandum D19-12-1 (CBSA). Duty runs 6.1% MFN for non-CUSMA vehicles, 0% for qualifying CUSMA-origin vehicles, plus a 25% surtax specifically on US-origin vehicles that took effect in 2025 and remains active into 2026. This guide covers personal, non-commercial imports  importing vehicle parts for resale is a separate topic we cover elsewhere.

What Determines Whether Your Vehicle Is Admissible to Canada

Before cost ever comes up, CBSA and Transport Canada ask one question: does this vehicle meet Canadian safety and emissions standards, or does it qualify for an exemption from them?

Importing a vehicle into Canada is only permitted under one of two paths: registration through the RIV Program for vehicles that can be brought into compliance with Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS), or an exemption that removes the compliance requirement entirely — most commonly the 15-year age rule (CBSA, Memorandum D19-12-1). A vehicle that fits neither path is inadmissible, full stop  no amount of duty payment fixes that.

The first move, before shipping or driving anything toward the border, is checking Transport Canada's Vehicle and Engine Compliance list for the specific make, model, and model year. Not every US-market trim was built to standards Canada recognizes as convertible, and the list is the only authoritative answer.

The Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) Program: Who Needs It

The RIV program exists because a US-market vehicle isn't automatically road-legal in Canada — the two countries' safety standards overlap heavily but aren't identical. RIV is the federally mandated bridge between "built to FMVSS" and "compliant with CMVSS."

If your vehicle is a US retail unit (or a prescribed Mexican-market vehicle) less than 15 years old, RIV registration is not optional. The process requires the original US Certificate of Title, manufacturer compliance labels, and a completed Vehicle Import Form 1 (or the e-Form 1 equivalent) submitted before or at the border (CBSA, Memorandum D19-12-1). The current fee is $325 plus applicable sales tax for a standard Form 1, or $100 plus tax for a parts-only Form 3 (CBSA, Customs Notice 20-26).

Paying the fee doesn't finish the job. RIV schedules a mandatory inspection — generally required within 45 days of importation — confirming the vehicle matches its compliance label and hasn't been structurally altered in a way that voids it. Only after that inspection passes does the vehicle become eligible for provincial plates.

The 15-Year Rule: Which Vehicles Skip RIV Entirely

Vehicles manufactured 15 or more years before the date of importation are exempt from the Motor Vehicle Safety Act's compliance requirements  and therefore from RIV registration (CBSA, Memorandum D19-12-1). Buses built before January 1, 1971 get the same treatment.

This is where classic-car and collector imports usually land, and it genuinely simplifies the process — no compliance label review, no RIV fee, no mandatory inspection tied to the program. But the exemption isn't automatic on paper alone: CBSA needs identification markings on the vehicle (VIN, build plate) that actually verify its age. A vehicle with no readable identification can't claim age-exempt status even if you're confident it qualifies — and that failure mode catches more people than you'd expect on older imports with replaced body panels or missing tags.

Age exemption also doesn't waive duties, taxes, or provincial registration. It only removes the safety-compliance layer.

Vehicles You Cannot Import Into Canada

A handful of categories are inadmissible regardless of age, price, or paperwork quality (CBSA, Memorandum D19-12-1):

• Used vehicles originally sold at retail outside the US or Mexico (a "grey market" vehicle imported to the US to meet American standards, then re-imported to Canada, doesn't inherit US-market status)

• Trucks assembled around glider kits with incomplete or mismatched powertrains

• Kit cars and replicas lacking documented proof of 15+ year age

• Vehicles substantially modified away from their original compliance configuration

If your vehicle falls into one of these, the answer usually isn't "pay more" — it's "this vehicle doesn't clear, structure the purchase differently."

Duties, Taxes, and Surtaxes on an Imported Vehicle

This is where importing a vehicle into Canada gets genuinely confusing, because four separate charges can apply, and none of them are optional line items you can skip by choice.

Customs duty depends on where the vehicle was manufactured, not where you bought it. A vehicle that qualifies as CUSMA-originating (built in the US, Mexico, or Canada, meeting the applicable regional value content rules) enters duty-free. A vehicle manufactured outside the CUSMA region — Japan, Germany, South Korea, and so on  is dutiable at the standard Most-Favoured-Nation rate for passenger vehicles.

The 25% surtax on US-origin vehicles, introduced in 2025 as part of Canada's retaliatory tariff measures, sits on top of ordinary duty treatment and remains in effect through 2026. It applies specifically to vehicles manufactured in the United States  a CUSMA-qualifying US-built vehicle can be duty-free under the trade agreement and still owe the surtax, which is a distinction a lot of importers miss going in. Confirm current surtax scope before finalizing a purchase; it has been amended and adjusted since introduction.

GST and provincial sales tax apply the same way they would to any major purchase  5% federal GST calculated on the vehicle's value for duty, plus whatever provincial sales tax or HST your province of registration charges.

Excise and levy charges round things out: a flat $100 air conditioning excise tax on any vehicle equipped with A/C, and a Green Levy on vehicles manufactured after March 2007 with weighted average fuel consumption above 13 L/100km — the levy scales with how far over that threshold the vehicle sits. Vehicles priced above $100,000 also fall under the Select Luxury Items Tax Act, which charges the lesser of 10% of the full vehicle value or 20% of the amount exceeding $100,000.

Non-Resident and Temporary Vehicle Imports: Different Rules Apply

Moving to Canada with a vehicle, or bringing one in for an extended visit, isn't the same transaction as a permanent commercial-style import — and treating it that way usually means overpaying or over-processing.

Non-residents can temporarily bring a personal vehicle into Canada under the Non-Residents' Temporary Importation of Baggage and Conveyances Regulations without going through full RIV registration or paying duties and taxes upfront, provided the vehicle isn't sold, leased, or disposed of while in Canada and the importer genuinely maintains non-resident status for the length of the stay (CBSA, Memorandum D2-1-1). The moment that non-resident status changes  a work permit becomes permanent residency, for instance — the temporary basis no longer applies, and the vehicle needs to go through standard importation.

This distinction matters most for new permanent residents and returning Canadians: a vehicle owned and used personally abroad before the move may qualify for settler's effects relief on duties, which is a different mechanism from a straight commercial-style import and worth confirming with CBSA before assuming standard duty rates apply.

Step-by-Step: How to Import a Personal Vehicle Into Canada

1. Check the vehicle's make, model, and model year against Transport Canada's Vehicle and Engine Compliance list before purchase.

2. If exporting from the US, confirm US export requirements are satisfied on the seller's end (AES/EEI filing, where applicable).

3. Determine your path: RIV registration for a compliant, under-15-year vehicle, or the 15-year age exemption.

4. Gather documentation Certificate of Title, bill of sale, manufacturer's compliance label information, and (for RIV vehicles) Form 1 or e-Form 1.

5. Declare the vehicle to CBSA at the border, pay applicable duty, surtax, GST/HST, and excise charges, and receive the stamped vehicle import form.

6. Register with RIV (if applicable) and complete the mandatory compliance inspection, generally within 45 days.

7. Bring the RIV inspection form (or age-exemption documentation) and CBSA paperwork to your provincial licensing office.

8. Complete provincial safety inspection and register and plate the vehicle.

Provincial Registration and Safety Inspection After RIV Clearance

Federal clearance through CBSA and RIV doesn't put plates on the car — that's a provincial matter, and requirements vary by province. Most provinces require their own out-of-province vehicle safety inspection in addition to (not instead of) the RIV compliance inspection, along with proof of the CBSA-stamped import documents and, for RIV vehicles, the RIV inspection form showing a pass result.

Provinces also apply their own vehicle history checks, and a branded title (salvage, rebuilt, flood) from the origin country can trigger additional inspection requirements or outright registration refusal, independent of anything CBSA or RIV required. Confirm your specific province's process before assuming the federal paperwork is the finish line.

Common Mistakes That Delay or Block a Vehicle Import

What we see most often isn't fraud or bad faith — it's importers assuming vehicle import works like importing any other good, and skipping a step that only applies to vehicles specifically.

• Buying before checking the compliance list. By the time the vehicle is at the border, "it's not on the list" is an expensive discovery.

• Assuming CUSMA origin waives the US-vehicle surtax. It doesn't — origin and surtax are two separate determinations that can both apply to the same vehicle.

• Missing the RIV inspection window. The 45-day clock starts at importation, not at your convenience.

• Treating a branded or salvage title as a paperwork detail. Several provinces will not register a vehicle with certain title brands regardless of federal clearance.

• Assuming non-resident temporary import status once residency changes. The exemption is tied to your status at the time, not the status you had when the vehicle entered.

Vehicle Import Checklist

• Confirmed the vehicle against Transport Canada's Vehicle and Engine Compliance list

• Identified your admissibility path — RIV registration or 15-year exemption

• Gathered Certificate of Title, bill of sale, and compliance label documentation

• Calculated expected duty (CUSMA vs. MFN), surtax exposure, GST/PST, and any excise or luxury tax

• Confirmed non-resident or settler's-effects treatment doesn't change your calculation

• Budgeted for the RIV fee and scheduled the compliance inspection within the 45-day window

• Checked your province's specific safety-inspection and title-brand registration rules

Importing a Vehicle Into Canada: FAQ

Do I need to use RIV if my vehicle is more than 15 years old?

No. Vehicles manufactured 15 or more years before importation are exempt from RIV registration and CMVSS compliance under Memorandum D19-12-1, provided the vehicle's identification markings can verify its age.

Does CUSMA make a US-built vehicle duty-free?

It can, if the vehicle meets CUSMA's regional value content rules of origin — but that duty-free treatment is separate from the 25% surtax currently applied to US-origin vehicles, which can still apply even when duty itself is zero.

How much is the RIV fee?

$325 plus applicable sales tax for a standard Form 1 vehicle registration, or $100 plus tax for a parts-only Form 3, per CBSA Customs Notice 20-26.

Can a non-resident bring a car into Canada without paying duty?

Yes, temporarily, under the Non-Residents' Temporary Importation of Baggage and Conveyances Regulations — provided the vehicle isn't sold or disposed of in Canada and the importer's non-resident status holds for the length of the stay.

What happens if my vehicle isn't on Transport Canada's compliance list?

It's inadmissible for standard importation unless it separately qualifies for the 15-year age exemption or another recognized exception. There's no duty-payment path around a straightforward admissibility failure.

Conclusion

Importing a vehicle into Canada is entirely manageable once you know which of two paths applies before you buy — RIV registration for a compliant, newer vehicle, or the 15-year exemption for an older one. Almost every costly surprise in this process traces back to skipping that determination and finding out at the border instead of before the purchase.

Confirm admissibility first, price out duty, surtax, and tax exposure second, and treat provincial registration as its own separate checklist rather than an afterthought to federal clearance.