What is the point of the 25-year import law?

The 25-Year Import Rule
This stated that any car that is 25 years or older is legal to import to the US without having to meet the United States vehicle regulations. This also meant that any car that was 24 years or younger was illegal to import to the United States.
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Why do imports have to be 25 years old?

The Imported Vehicle Safety Compliance Act, commonly known as the 25-year import rule. It prevents individuals from importing new foreign-market vehicles without undertaking a lengthy—and costly—testing and federalization process. Proponents of the legislation claim the IVSCA keeps American drivers safe.
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Can you get around the 25-year import law?

According to the NHTSA, it is only legal to import an R34 into the United States before 2024 for track use, meaning it can't be registered or driven on public roads.
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What is the 25-year rule?

A motor vehicle that is at least 25 years old can be lawfully imported into the U.S. without regard to whether it complies with all applicable FMVSS. Such a vehicle would be entered under Box 1 on the HS-7 Declaration form to be given to Customs at the time of importation.
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Is their a 25-year import for cars rule in Canada?

The only exceptions to the rule are vehicles 15 years old or older and buses manufactured before January 1, 1971. For more information, please call Transport Canada's Road Safety and Motor Vehicle Regulation Directorate at 1-613-998-8616.
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25 Year Import Ban on your Favorite Cars Explained



Is it worth buying a car in the US and bringing to Canada?

Importing a Car From the United States into Canada

Should you import a car from the U.S.? Financially, the answer is very often – no. The expense and work required to import a vehicle is substantial. However, if you are making a purchase of a vintage car or another vehicle with sentimental value, then keep reading.
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Is JDM illegal in Canada?

Every year, more JDM vehicles become 15 years old, making them legally importable to Canada from Japan.
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Who created the 25-year import law?

So in 1985, the EPA and NHTSA began regulating the importation of foreign market vehicles. While there are many intricacies to these regulations, the most maligned part of these new laws was the 25-year import rule.
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How many years until you can import a car?

Safety, Bumper, and Theft Prevention Standards

As a general rule, motor vehicles less than 25 years old must comply with all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) in order to be imported permanently into the United States.
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How old car can be imported in Australia?

When you apply to import a vehicle under the 25-year rule, you have to prove its month/year of manufacture is 25 years ago or more. As with the outgoing pre-1989 rule, you can import any vehicle, but it must comply with basic safety requirements (see 'What compliance requirements are there?' below).
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Can a US citizen drive a Mexican plated car?

General US law allows us to drive our Mexican-plated cars around the USA for up to a year, but some acquaintances have said that California does not allow this. They say California law requires us to register the car in California within 20 days.
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Can British cars be driven in the US?

Since they're non-standard, the legality of driving a right-hand drive car, or RHD, in the United States is probably the first question you have. The short answer to whether or not it's legal to drive this type of vehicle is yes, it's perfectly legal. The postal service is a fantastic example.
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Can I buy a car in Mexico and bring it to California?

Your vehicle from Mexico will need a California smog inspection in order to be eligible for import and California registration. If your vehicle does not conform to U.S. emissions or safety standards, you will not be able to register it in California (or the US for that matter).
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Is a 25 year old car a classic?

The Antique Automobile Club of America notes classics must be older than 25 years (with cars over 45 years old known as antiques), whereas insurance providers have a wide range of classifications.
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What year JDM cars are legal in US?

Officially U.S. Legal: JDM Cars Eligible For Import In 2022.
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Can we use car after 15 years in USA?

While passenger cars, trucks, buses, two- and three-wheelers older than 15 years will be taken off the road under the vehicle scrappage policy to be announced soon, vehicles above this age could still ply on the road provided they get a fitness certificate from the designated authority and registered anew, according to ...
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What cars Cannot be imported to USA?

What Cars are Illegal in the US?
  • 1990 BMW M3 Sport Evolution III. With only 600 ever made, the third M3 Sport Evolution featured a 2.5 L engine designed to compete against Audi's v8. ...
  • 1993 Jaguar XJ220-S. ...
  • 1993 Lamborghini Strosek Diablo. ...
  • 2002 Morgan Le Mans '62 Prototype. ...
  • 1999 Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R V-spec.
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Can I drive right-hand car in USA?

However, can you drive a right-hand drive car in the USA? The answer is Yes, and it's perfectly legal. Of course, when you use these cars, obeying the traffic laws is the same as other vehicles.
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How long can I drive a US registered car in Canada?

The Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA) allows Canadians to temporarily import a U.S. plated vehicle to Canada for a period of up to 30 days, during which time the vehicle can NOT be used in Canada.
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Can I buy a used car in Mexico and bring it to the US?

Thankfully, importing a car from Mexico isn't that much different from most anywhere else. Aside from the fact that you can simply drive the car over the border, the steps to import a car from Mexico are mostly the same as if you were shipping one from overseas.
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Is the Nissan Silvia legal?

Why is this car illegal in the United States: This particular vehicle was declared illegal because it did not meet federal safety and pollution standards and it had a right-hand steering column, similar to cars in England.
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Is the R34 GTR illegal in Canada?

Canada's import laws allow cars 15 years or older to be imported whereas it's 10 years more in the United States. So since 2014, R34 Nissan Skylines are technically legal to buy in Canada.
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Is RHD hard to drive?

According to Jalopnik, making a left-hand turn in a RHD drive is not that hard, you just need to lean over and look. However, it can still be tricky. If you find yourself in a left-turn-yield situation, you might not be able to see the oncoming traffic to time your left turn correctly.
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Are right handed cars legal in Canada?

You're all right to buy a right-hand drive car – there are no plans to ban them nationally, although two provinces have made it tougher to drive them. Ottawa decides which vehicles can be imported – and right-hand drive cars come from countries like Japan, where they drive on the left.
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Can I take my car from USA to Canada permanently?

If you're planning to immigrate and live in Canada permanently, you'll need to export your car from the US and import it into Canada, which means you'll need to fill out the export and import paperwork for both countries and pay the appropriate fees.
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