EVSHIFT
Registering an import car
Cars

Registering an import car

By


Posting this in the jdm forum because I figure you guys do this more than the dtm guys…
So I bought this grey market e30 touring from a guy in LA. I have the German title, receipts for the shipment and the customs inspection, and so on. I live in CA but I’m going to register it at a trailer we have in AZ.
I called Arizona Department of Transportation and was told I’d need to get my speedo converted to a MPH US market one, get an HS7 inspection, get my title translated to english, and possibly a vin inspection.
Here’s where my questions begin:
-Do I have to get the inspections done in AZ, or can I do it here and bring the paperwork out there?
-Where can I get a HS7 inspection done?
-Do you guys think a receipt from a mechanic, stating the vin and that the speedo was converted to a US Spec will be enough?
-Is there anything else I need to know or may be forgetting?

Thank you guys so much! Really appreciate any help I can get.

by Soggy-Kraut-9291

Related Posts

1 Comment

  1. tamupinos

    I can tell you about my experience as I just went through this with my Honda Integra – but I’m in Texas so keep in mind your rules are probably a bit different.

    First, the HS7 form should have been provided to US customs by the importer when the car entered the country – And that has to go along with an EPA form (3520-1)

    So if that was never done you’ll have to do some digging on how to get it taken care of. If you look at the forms tho, as long as the car is 25 years or older you’re just providing the information for the port entry time, location, some car info, and the importers contact info.

    Texas requires a law enforcement vin inspection to make sure it’s not a stolen vehicle. For me that was pretty easy as JDM cars dont have a US standard vin number.

    Then I needed the state registration inspection, but here for cars that are over 25 years old it’s basically just checking to make sure the horn and blinkers work

    My car came with an export certificate instead of a “title” indicating that the car had been legally released for export by the Japanese government. My importer in Japan provided a very basic translation for me but honestly i could have just had ChatGPT do it 😂

    For me that was it. I just showed up to the county tax office with a stack full of forms, and in about 20 minutes they applied for a Texas title using the same non-vin registration number off my car and game me my plates.

    They didn’t care about the mileage of the car and they certainly did t require me to get a MPH converted Speedo. That sounds pretty crazy actually. What are you supposed to do if the car was never available in a market that used MPH?

    Anyway, I hope some of this helps. Again this was my experience in Texas so I’m sure others can chime in about AZ specific rules. You might try searching AZs DOT website, Texas has a page with all the rules clearly spelled out.

Write A Comment