FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do you import vehicles other than Land Rovers? Yes! And more!  We handle vehicle imports from all over the world; Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, just to name a few!  In addition to importing vehicles of all makes and models we also import vehicle parts.

I have a Land Rover Defender that is less than 25 years old, can I import it?  Save for a few exceptions, the answer is ordinarily going to be “NO.”  Generally speaking, all vehicles sought to be imported into the US that are less than 25-years old must conform to applicable Federal Motor Vehicles Safety Standards.  The date of a vehicle’s import eligibility is determined by taking the original date of manufacture (i.e., day, month, & year) and adding 25-years (i.e., 9,125 days). [ Example: A vehicle produced on  15 July 1993 is eligible for U.S. importation on 15 July 2018. ]

I’ve made modifications to my vehicle, is it legal to import?  It depends on what modifications have been made to the vehicle.  A compliance review would be needed to determine eligibility. (See “What is a compliance review?” for more information”.)

What is a compliance review?  Importing any vehicles into the U.S. can be a daunting task for anyone not familiar with American import regulations and processes.  Add to it non-U.S. compliant vehicles and it can be downright scary especially considering the many denials of entry, seizures, and, in some cases, destruction of vehicles orchestrated by U.S. Customs & Border Protection (“CBP”).  Is the vehicle previously stolen? Does the vehicle have a non-original engine? Has the vehicle been previously salvaged and not disclosed?  Is the vehicle excessively dirty?  These are just a few examples of situations where if the answer turns out to be “yes”, then the vehicle would likely be detained or seized by CBP.

We save you from dealing with the hassle and stress that comes with such an undertaking by reviewing every vehicle to ensure compliance with U.S. regulatory requirements.  Each compliance review is conducted by, Will Hedrick, an attorney whose legal practice focuses exclusively in the legal and regulatory compliance of automobiles and automobile parts, particularly imports.  He reviews every vehicle in its entirety prior to shipping to ensure that each meets all of the requirements for U.S. entry.  This includes everything from a vehicles current physical configuration, to verification of its manufacturers records, chain of ownership, and, when possible, records from the nation of export.  Suffice it to say that it’s much less costly to address and deal with a compliance issue on a vehicle prior to shipping than it is to do so after the vehicle has already arrived here in the U.S.  Every vehicle we ship undergoes compliance review, providing additional qualified legal assurance of their eligibility for U.S. import!

How much does it cost to import a vehicle?  We’d be happy to provide you a quote.  Our pricing is competitive and we can prepare a custom quote free of charge.  We pride ourselves on transparency, setting us apart from others in the marketplace.  We make certain to present comprehensive shipping quotes which are broken down into individual costs that are easy to follow and understand.  We assume every shipment to be “door-to-door” and we prepare our quotes on this basis.  We work with reputable vendors to source the best available rates, and we then pass the savings along to you, our client!  Whatever costs our vendors quote to us is what we provide to you!  Shipping quotes will typically consist of inland transport charges, export and import filings costs, ocean/air freight charges, with our office’s own reasonable fees for compliance review and handling of your shipment accounted for clearly and separately.

Can you help me find a certain make/model of vehicle?  This has to be one of the most commonly asked questions we receive.  While we would love to spend every day helping clients in their hunts to chase down vehicles, we candidly admit that it will not be cost effective for most clients to engage us to do so.  That said, we can offer some suggestions on places to begin your search.  In addition, we highly recommend that any prospective vehicle purchase be physically inspected in-person, whether by yourself, or by a qualified and knowledgeable individual.  Understanding the nature of everyone’s busy day-to-day life, we recognize self-inspection may not be an option, in which case we do have a network of highly trained experts with whom which we can arrange the inspection of a vehicle being considered for purchase.  BEWARE OF SCAMS! Unfortunately, there are many scams on the internet.  Remember, if a deal is too good to be true, then it probably then is!

I am a U.S. military service member or contractor, and I plan on using government contract shipping services but I’m not sure whether my vehicle will pass a U.S. Customs inspection, can you help me?  In light of our work with U.S. military service members, we have developed an ongoing relationship with the current government contractor responsible for shipping service members POV’s.  We are happy to offer vehicle compliance reviews for U.S. military service members returning from overseas duty stations at a significantly reduced rate, this as a token of our gratitude and appreciation for your service.  Please refer above to the question “What is a compliance review?” for further information.

What services do you provide?  We offer a range of services to fit your needs.  In addition to import/export services we offer compliance reviews and legal assistance.

Do you export vehicles?  Yes!  The process varies depending to the country of import.  Contact us for more information.

What documents do you need to import my vehicle?  Our client intake form (Form CI-2R) specifically identifies what documents and information are needed in order to ship and import your vehicle.  We will provide you with a copy of the form when you engage us to handle your vehicle shipment.

How do I register my vehicle? At this time, we are able to offer titling and registration services for the following states: North Carolina, California, & Montana.  Please keep posted as we plan to expand this service to additional states in the coming months.

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