Import a Canadian vehicle at Orlando CBP (Customs Border Protection) office

[Bob&Debbie]

So far we have been driving our Canadian car back and forth to The Villages for the winter months and so it has stayed as a Canadian registered, licensed & insured vehicle.

But we now intend to leave the vehicle in Florida at the end of April 2018, but understand that we will need to have it imported into the U.S. using the required forms for EPA, U.S. safety compliance etc.. then have it locally registered, licensed and insured in Florida.

But the question we have is; can we import the vehicle into the U.S. at the Orlando CBP office without the need to do this at a Canadian/U.S. border point. I believe it is possible but just wondering if someone has done this without any issues? Thanks.

[waverley9]

In January 2017 I imported my Canadian registered car. I used a Canadian broker. Cost about $300.
U can do the paper work yourself...but there are a lot of forms for each agency. At the CDA/USA border U follow the commercial truck line & they stamp the papers. They have to be in order.
First U need Florida/USA car insurance.
Then U go to the local tax office for license plates. The Villages tax office could not issue plates to a foreign registered car. I had to go to the Ocala Tax office. A person there was qualified to certify that the vehicle VIN # corresponded to the import paperwork. IMPORTANT. I had to show the stamped CDA/USA border crossing papers. If I did not have those papers I would have to go to a marine border entry point to have the import papers processes. Tampa, Miami, Jacksonville etc. Then U go to the local tax office with the import papers to get your car license plates.

[B&DHickey]

Thanks waverley9, that is exactly the info that I am after.

Whether the CBP entry needs to be done at Tampa and not Orlando, is no big deal, I just wanted to make sure that I did not have to get the car back to a U.S. Canada border point which would be quite a hike.