Registering, plating and insuring a car in Florida
Posted date : Nov 6, 2017.
Dear Bird Talk,
We have left our car in Florida. We use it when we go back down for the winter. I am considering having it re-registered in Florida, obtaining a Florida licence plate and getting Florida insurance on it. How difficult is this? What are the implications? We do not want to return the car to Canada.
Gary Corbit
Nova Scotia
Response:
Ed.: In reality, you have imported a car to the United States but failed to notify the customs people of your actions. This can cause you serious trouble unless you fix it. Many cars are being imported to the U.S. in the “gray” market, undermining U.S. sales and manufacturing. Customs can be very aggressive in their pursuit of offenders. My very first choice would be to sell the car – in Canada – and buy another one in the U.S. Used cars are usually cheaper in the U.S., in any case. OR, go to a U.S. customs office and have them walk you through the importing process. I have found them to be very, very helpful. You will have taxes and fees to pay, but these are not outrageous. A car built in North America is exempt from import duties under the NAFTA Agreement; otherwise, a tax of about 6% applies. You will always have to pay sales tax and licence fees.
