Import desk for US buyers of Japanese cars 輸入窓口

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JDM Imports 101The import desk

FORM 01Eligibility check 適合確認

Is it US legal yet?

Enter the chassis code and the build month from the car's plate. You get the date it turns 25 for NHTSA and 21 for the EPA, and a straight answer.

On the plate in the engine bay or on the export certificate. For example JZX100, BNR34, EA11R.

2 Identified asToyota Supra MK4JZA80, built 1993–2002

Dates follow the NHTSA 25-year exemption (49 CFR 591.5(i)) and the EPA 21-year exemption. General information, not legal advice.

Three possible answersLegal nowLegal from Mar 2027Not yet: 4 years 2 months

Result 判定

Checked 2026-11-14
JZA80

Toyota Supra MK4Built April 2001, from the plate you entered

Turns 25 for NHTSA25 years from the date of manufacture, 49 CFR 591.5(i)
Apr 2026Passed
Turns 21 for the EPACounted by calendar year, original configuration only
2022Passed
Forms at the port Filed with the customs entry
HS-7 · 3520-1
Legal now輸入可2026.04

This car cleared both age lines by Apr 2026, 25 years from its date of manufacture. Confirm the build month on the chassis plate before you pay. The EPA exemption covers cars in original configuration only.

Estimate the landed cost →Read the Supra MK4 file →

The form runs in your browser. With JavaScript off, the example result, the two rules and the chassis-code table below still work. Rules checked November 13, 2026.

02

The two age lines 二つの年式

Two different agencies, two different counts. A car has to clear both, and they do not fall on the same date.

25 years: NHTSA, safety

A motor vehicle 25 or more years old is exempt from the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards under49 CFR 591.5(i), and the importer declares that on Form HS-7 at the port. NHTSA counts the 25 years from the date of manufacture, which is the build date on the chassis plate, not the model year in a listing. The regulation does not spell out a month-level count; this tool works in months because the plate records a month. Treat the month as the date to confirm.

21 years: EPA, emissions

The emissions route is separate.40 CFR 85.1511(f)(2) exempts a vehicle more than 20 years old when it is imported by a certificate holder, andEPA Form 3520-1 code E, the form ordinary importers file, uses a 21-year test. That test counts calendar years: the year of importation minus the year of manufacture must be at least 21. It also requires the vehicle to be in its original unmodified configuration. A replacement engine of a different model can take a car out of the exemption.

Check the plate, not the listing

A car first registered in 2002 can have been built in late 2001, or the other way round. Ask for a photograph of the chassis plate and the export certificate before you pay.

Current requirements are the ones that apply on the day of entry. Read theNHTSA importation FAQ and theEPA vehicle-import rules.

03

Chassis codes and production years

The codes the tool recognizes, with the model years each was built. Type either the short code or the full chassis code from the plate.

Chassis codes on this site, and the year each build turns 25
ChassisModelBuiltTurns 25 from
C10 · PGC10Nissan Skyline GT-R1969–19721994–1997
C110 · KPGC110Nissan Skyline GT-R1972–19731997–1998
R32 · BNR32Nissan Skyline GT-R1989–19942014–2019
R33 · BCNR33Nissan Skyline GT-R1995–19982020–2023
R34 · BNR34Nissan Skyline GT-R1999–20022024–2027
S12Nissan Silvia1983–19882008–2013
S13Nissan Silvia1988–19932013–2018
S14Nissan Silvia1993–19982018–2023
S15Nissan Silvia1999–20022024–2027
A60 · MA61Toyota Supra MK41981–19862006–2011
A70Toyota Supra MK41986–19932011–2018
A80 · JZA80Toyota Supra MK41993–20022018–2027
Z10Toyota Soarer1981–19852006–2010
Z20 · MZ20Toyota Soarer1986–19912011–2016
Z30 · JZZ30Toyota Soarer1991–20012016–2026
X70 · GX71Toyota Mark II1984–19882009–2013
X80 · GX81Toyota Mark II1988–19952013–2020
X90 · JZX90Toyota Mark II1992–19962017–2021
X100 · JZX100Toyota Mark II1996–20012021–2026
X110 · JZX110Toyota Mark II2000–20042025–2029
GC8Subaru WRX STi1992–20002017–2025
GDBSubaru WRX STi2000–20072025–2032
GRBSubaru WRX STi2007–20142032–2039
VA · VAFSubaru WRX STi2014–20212039–2046
Evolution I · CD9AMitsubishi Lancer Evolution1992–19932017–2018
Evolution II · CE9AMitsubishi Lancer Evolution19942019
Evolution III · CE9AMitsubishi Lancer Evolution19952020
Evolution IV · CN9AMitsubishi Lancer Evolution1996–19972021–2022
Evolution V · CP9AMitsubishi Lancer Evolution19982023
Evolution VI · CP9AMitsubishi Lancer Evolution1999–20002024–2025
Evolution VII · CT9AMitsubishi Lancer Evolution2001–20032026–2028
Evolution VIII · CT9AMitsubishi Lancer Evolution2003–20052028–2030
Evolution IX · CT9AMitsubishi Lancer Evolution2005–20072030–2032
Evolution X · CZ4AMitsubishi Lancer Evolution2007–20162032–2041
SA/FB · SA22CMazda RX-71978–19852003–2010
FC · FC3SMazda RX-71985–19912010–2016
FD · FD3SMazda RX-71991–20022016–2027
EA11RAutozam AZ-11991–19952016–2020
DA63TSuzuki Carry truck2002–20132027–2038
S500PDaihatsu Hijet truck2014–present2039 onward

This is the short list the tool opens with. The researched register behind it (649 chassis codes, with the source for every date and CSV and JSON downloads) is the JDM chassis code list.

04

Turning 25 this month 今月で25年

Cars built in November 2001 clear the NHTSA 25-year line during November 2026. These chassis codes were in production that model year.

Next month: Dec 2001 builds of the same codes.Computed when this page was built, November 14, 2026.

Common questions

Does the 25-year rule count from the model year or the build date?

From the date of manufacture. Customs and registration documents use the build date on the chassis plate, so two cars sold as the same model year can cross the line months apart. Enter the month and year from the plate, not the model year in an advertisement.

What happens in the month a car turns 25?

The 25 years run from the date of manufacture, and the plate records a month, so this tool treats the car as eligible in that same month 25 years later. The CFR does not spell out a month-level count, so confirm the date with your broker before you book shipping.

Does the EPA exemption work the same way?

No. EPA Form 3520-1 code E counts calendar years: the year of importation minus the year of manufacture must be at least 21. It also requires the vehicle to be in its original configuration, so a replacement engine of a different model can cost a car the exemption.

My chassis code is not in the list. Is the car illegal?

Not necessarily. The list covers the models this site writes about and the common full chassis codes. If your code is not there, the tool still works the dates out from the build month you entered; check the code against the plate and the export certificate.

General information only, not legal, customs or tax advice. Rules change. Confirm current requirements with CBP, NHTSA, the EPA and your state motor vehicle agency before importing.