How to import a car from Japan: the beginner's guide

Can you import a car from Japan to the US?

Yes. Cars built for the Japanese market are imported to the US every year, and the route almost every beginner uses is the 25-year rule. Once a vehicle is 25 years old by its date of manufacture, it is exempt from the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards that apply to new cars. At 21 years old it is also exempt from EPA emission requirements, but only if the vehicle is in its original configuration, not modified from the manufacturer's original design. Confirm current requirements with the EPA's official vehicle-import guidance. A Japanese car that is younger than that normally has to go through a registered importer and a compliance process instead, which is slower and more expensive.

So the first question is never "which car?" but "what is the build date?" A car is eligible on its own date of manufacture, not by model year, so two examples that look the same can differ on legality by months. Check the chassis plate before you fall in love with a listing.

What it costs to import a car from Japan

Cost is the question beginners ask first, and the honest answer is that it depends on the car. There is no single number, because the total is built from several separate costs. What you can do is learn the categories and ask for each one in writing.

• The car itself. The purchase price, whether from a dealer or an auction. This is usually the largest line and the most variable.
• Fees in Japan. Auction or dealer fees, inland transport to the port, export paperwork, and any domestic charges the seller passes on.
• Shipping and insurance. Ocean freight from Japan to a US port, plus marine insurance for the voyage.
• US customs costs. Import duty on the vehicle's value, customs fees, and usually a customs bond and a broker to file the entry.
• Compliance and registration. Any port or state fees, plus your state's taxes and registration once the car is here.

Because duty and taxes are based on the declared value, and freight varies with the route and the port, no article can give you a reliable total. A reputable exporter or customs broker will give you an itemised landed-cost quote that names every charge. Ask for that before you commit, and treat any single-figure estimate with suspicion.

The import process, step by step

1. Check the car is eligible. Confirm the vehicle is at least 25 years old by date of manufacture for the DOT exemption, and at least 21 years old for the EPA exemption, which applies only to vehicles in their original configuration, not modified from the manufacturer's original design. If it is younger, it usually needs a registered importer and compliance work instead.
2. Set a landed-cost budget. Add up the purchase price, auction or dealer fees, inland transport in Japan, ocean freight, marine insurance, US customs duty and fees, a customs bond and broker, and your state taxes and registration.
3. Find and inspect the car. Buy from a Japanese dealer or exporter, or bid at auction through a broker. Read the auction sheet and, for any serious car, arrange an independent inspection before you commit.
4. Arrange export from Japan. The Japanese seller or exporter handles deregistration, the export certificate, and booking the vehicle onto a ship bound for a US port.
5. Ship it to the US. Vehicles usually cross the Pacific by roll-on/roll-off or in a container. Marine insurance is worth carrying for the voyage.
6. Clear US customs. At the port, file a CBP entry, pay duty and fees, and submit EPA Form 3520-1 and DOT Form HS-7 to claim the age exemptions.
7. Register it in your state. Take the CBP entry summary and the EPA and DOT forms to your state motor vehicle agency, along with the Japanese export documents, to title and register the car.

The step-by-step guide expands each of these stages, and the paperwork page explains the two forms that trip people up.

Buying at Japanese car auctions

Many of the best Japanese cars sell at auction before they ever reach a dealer. Auctions use condition sheets and grades, and foreign buyers usually bid through a broker or exporter who holds a membership. Understanding the sheet is the difference between a good import and an expensive lesson. The Japan car auction guide explains the houses, the sheets, the grading, and how bidding works.

EPA and DOT paperwork

Two US government forms sit at the centre of a clean import: EPA Form 3520-1 for emissions and DOT Form HS-7 for safety. Both are used to declare the age exemption when the car is old enough. The EPA and DOT paperwork guide explains what each form is for and where it is filed, with links to the agencies that publish them.

Model guides

The eight guides below cover specific models. Each guide covers what the car is and which chassis codes exist, whether and when it is legal to import under the 25-year rule, and what to plan for on the landed cost.

Supporting guides

Where to buy a JDM car

You can buy directly from the Japanese market and import the car yourself, or buy one that has already been imported. To compare Japanese domestic market vehicles that are for sale now, browse the listings at JDMBUYSELL. The model guides above each link to the matching JDMBUYSELL listings, so you can move from the eligibility question straight to real cars.

General information only — not legal, customs, tax or financial advice. Import rules can change. Confirm current requirements with US Customs and Border Protection, NHTSA, the EPA, and your state motor vehicle agency before you buy, ship or register a vehicle.