How to import a car from Mexico to the US

Do you have a car in Mexico that you want to bring north across the border? There are certain safety and emissions standards you must meet; otherwise the car may be sent back or destroyed.¹

Read on for what you need to know to import a car from Mexico to the US.

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Can I import a car from Mexico to the US?

Yes, but it depends on the kind of car you have and the budget that you have in mind. Most importantly, the vehicle must meet certain safety and emissions specifications. We’ll cover these below.

You might be able to bring a car over that doesn’t meet these federal specifications, but you’d have to agree to modify it up to standard. This can be very expensive.

There is one shortcut — the 25-year rule. If your car is more than 25 years old from the date of manufacture, it’s exempt from nearly all regulations.¹ In this case, you’ll only have to consider logistics and import duties as part of the cost to import your car from Mexico to the US.

How to import a car from Mexico to the US

What you need to do to import a car from Mexico to the US all depends on the specific car that you want to bring. Let’s dive in.

Find out your vehicle’s eligibility and compliance

This is the first part and the most difficult. Your vehicle must meet US specifications for two separate federal agencies:

• Department of Transportation (DOT)
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

The 25-year rule

If your car is at least 25 years old from the date of manufacture, the DOT regulations don’t apply.¹ The EPA regulations are waived for vehicles that are at least 21 years old and in their original unmodified condition.²

Therefore, if your car is 25 years or older, both major federal hurdles are cleared, making the importation process much smoother.

In all other cases, you’re going to need to verify compliance with safety and emissions standards. Here’s how to do it:

Safety standards compliance³

Your vehicle has to be in certified compliance with the DOT’s safety standards to be imported into the US from Mexico. These standards are called the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) administered by the DOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

To check your car’s compliance, look on the inside of the driver’s side door. If you see a white label that states that your vehicle complies with FMVSS, you’re golden.

Most cars in Mexico won’t comply with FMVSS. If this is the case for you, you’ll need to modify the car to bring it into compliance. This must be done via a contract with a registered importer (RI) approved by NHTSA. You also need to post a bond that’s 150% of the car’s value.

Not all cars will be eligible to be modified by an RI. You can check if your car is eligible for modification on the NHTSA website. If it’s not on the list, the RI will need to petition to have the modifications approved by NHTSA.

The cost to import your car from Mexico to the US will depend heavily on the work that your car needs to achieve compliance with NHTSA standards. The more work that you need to do, the more the importation will cost.

Emissions standards compliance

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets emissions standards for every car in the United States.

You can find a label for emissions standards under the hood of your car or on the engine compartment. The label should say "Vehicle Emission Control Information” with identifying information for the vehicle.⁴

If there’s no such label, the car is “nonconforming” in the eyes of the EPA and needs to be brought into compliance. This could involve significant modifications, and you’ll need to contract with an EPA-sanctioned Independent Commercial Importer (ICI) to do the work.¹

The EPA warns that these costs may be impractical and that some models will simply not be able to be imported.

Prepare necessary documentation

If your car is eligible for importation by both agencies, then the next part of the process is to get your forms in order.

Make sure these documents are filled out carefully and correctly, and that you have all of them with you when you arrive at the border checkpoint at your designated time.

Clean and prepare your vehicle¹

Your car is not supposed to transport any other items, including personal items. It’s important to clean it out completely to avoid any fines, delays, or theft.

You’ll also need to get the undercarriage of your car thoroughly cleaned, as CBP will need to make sure that no foreign soil enters the US through imported cars.

Import your car at the border

With all your requisite paperwork in hand, bring the car to a US border checkpoint. It is highly recommended to call the specific CBP Port of Entry ahead of time to avoid a significant wait.

If your car requires modification, you must have all arrangements and contracts finalized with the RI or ICI. The CBP process will be completed first; then, the vehicle must be transported to the RI/ICI facility for the necessary modifications to meet US standards.

Register your car in the US

Once you’re back in the US, you must register your vehicle.

Mexican vehicles on a Temporary Importation Permit (TIP) for tourism can generally tour in the US for up to a year without US registration.

However, if you are living in a US state, you must obey that state's vehicle registration laws, which often require you to register your vehicle within as few as 30 days.

Generally, vehicle registrations require an active insurance policy for the car, so you’ll want to set that up first.

To register your vehicle and get US plates, head to your state motor vehicle office with:

• An active insurance policy
• Proof of ownership
• Your own identification

How much does it cost to import a car from Mexico to the US?

Here are the fees you can expect to pay to import a car from Mexico to the US:

• Carrier fees: amount will depend on distance from the checkpoint
• CBP merchandising fee: 0.3464% of the car’s value, up to 651.50 USD (as of Oct. 2025)⁵
• CBP duty: usually 2.5% of the car’s value (the duty on trucks is 25%)¹
• Gas-guzzler tax: this depends on the fuel economy of your car; assessed on your tax return¹

If it’s not manufactured to US standards, you must also pay RI and/or ICI fees. These can be very high depending on how much work needs to be done.

Once you register your car in your new state, you’ll also have to pay registration fees (which vary) and sales tax, which also depends on the value of the car, the manner in which it was purchased, and the state you’re in.

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Importing a car from Mexico to the US: FAQs

How old does a car need to be to import it from Mexico?

Any car that meets or can be modified to meet federal standards for safety and emissions can be imported into the US. If it’s older than 25 years, however, far fewer regulations apply.

Can I ship a car from Mexico to the US?

Many companies will help you ship a car from Mexico to the US. Others will bring your car into compliance with either emissions or safety regulations — if such modifications are possible.

No matter what, you’ll have to get your paperwork squared away with Customs & Border Protection to import a car from Mexico to the US.

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Sources

1. CBP - Importing a Motor Vehicle
2. EPA - Overview of import requirements for vehicles and engines
3. NHTSA - Importation and Certification FAQs
4. EPA - Locating the vehicle emissions label
5. CBP - User Fee Table