Transport Canada requirements
Transport Canada's requirements apply to vehicles that are less than 15 years old, and to buses manufactured on or after January 1, 1971.
Vehicles originally manufactured to meet the safety standards of countries other than the United States or Canada are usually not allowed into Canada, unless they are 15 years or older or they are buses manufactured before January 1, 1971.
Before importing your vehicle, you can contact Transport Canada at:
1-800-333-0371 (toll-free in Canada and the United States);
(613) 998-8616 (from all other countries).
Vehicles manufactured to meet United States safety standards do not necessarily meet the Canadian ones. As the importer, you are responsible for determining whether your vehicle complies with Canadian safety standards, or whether it can be modified to meet these standards after importation. You cannot import vehicles that cannot be modified to meet Canadian standards.
The Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) is an agency contracted by Transport Canada to administer a national program to ensure that imported vehicles are brought into compliance with Canada's safety standards.
If you are considering importing a vehicle originally manufactured to meet United States safety and emission standards, contact the RIV by telephone at one of the following numbers, to verify that your vehicle is eligible for importation into Canada:
1-888-848-8240 (toll-free in Canada or the United States)
(416) 626-6812 (from all other countries)
If your vehicle does not meet Canadian safety standards but qualifies for importation, you will enter your vehicle into the RIV program when you report to a customs office. The program registration fee is CAN$182 in all provinces except Quebec, where it is CAN$197. You will then have 45 days to bring your vehicle into compliance and have it inspected.
You cannot license your vehicle in Canada until it is modified and passes federal inspection under the RIV program.
Other considerations
Your vehicle may also be subject to provincial or territorial sales tax and safety requirements, so you should check with the vehicle department of the province or territory to which you are moving.
Before you export your vehicle to Canada, make sure you first check with the customs authority of the country from which you will be exporting it. Some countries have export requirements you must meet.
For more information, see the pamphlet called Importing a Vehicle Into Canada (RC4140).
