Shipping a vehicle between Canada and the United States involves two separate areas of planning:
- Arranging the vehicle’s transportation
- Confirming the border, import, export, ownership, and use requirements that apply
This checklist can help organize the transport request. It is not legal, customs, tax, registration, or import advice.
Confirm the direction and route
Start by identifying whether the vehicle is moving from Canada to the United States or from the United States to Canada.
Record the complete pickup and delivery locations rather than only the countries, provinces, or states. Include the preferred shipping date and the person responsible at each end.
The direction of travel, destination, ownership situation, and intended use may affect the questions you need to resolve.
Separate transportation from admissibility
A request to transport a vehicle does not determine whether that vehicle can enter the destination country or what requirements may apply.
Confirm admissibility, import, export, customs, tax, registration, declaration, inspection, and documentation questions with the relevant government and border authorities.
Do not treat a transportation estimate as confirmation that the vehicle may enter, remain in, or be registered in the destination country.
Gather vehicle and ownership information
Prepare the vehicle’s:
- Year, make, and model
- Body style
- Identification information
- Operating condition
- Modification details
- Ownership, purchase, or registration records relevant to your situation
The exact documents required may depend on the vehicle and purpose of the move. Use official sources to determine what applies.
Identify the responsible contacts
Provide the name and contact information for the person responsible at pickup and delivery.
If a seller, buyer, dealership, storage facility, customs broker, or another party is involved, record each person’s role. Make sure everyone understands who is coordinating transportation and who is responsible for border-related requirements.
Disclose condition and special circumstances
State whether the vehicle starts, rolls, and steers normally. Disclose existing damage, modifications, unusual dimensions, or other conditions that could affect handling.
Also explain whether the vehicle is being purchased, sold, relocated, imported, exported, or temporarily moved. These details help keep the transportation request accurate without determining the legal outcome.
List unresolved questions
- Which documents must be ready before the move?
- Which authority should confirm vehicle admissibility?
- Who is responsible for customs or import coordination?
- What vehicle information must be supplied?
- Who should be listed as the pickup and delivery contacts?
- What must be updated if the route, vehicle, or date changes?
Use the relevant official authorities for regulatory answers. Resolve unclear requirements before committing to the move.
Review the transport information
The cross-border car shipping page is the appropriate Send Your Car starting point for transportation information. Read it alongside official government guidance.
If the Canadian side of the route involves Ontario, British Columbia, or Toronto, the corresponding Ontario, British Columbia, and Toronto pages provide location-specific context.
Planning a Canada–US vehicle move? Submit the route and vehicle details through the Car Shipping Cost Calculator, then confirm border and import requirements with the appropriate authorities.