How to Sell an American Car in Canada

There are a whole bunch of hoops to jump through when selling an American vehicle in Canada. Moreover, the hoops are of varying degrees, and not worth the effort unless the vehicle has reasonable or substantial value left in it.

This is why so many people who have moved to Canada from the U.S. with an American car that they want to sell, use a dealership or a professional car buying service like Cash For Cars BC. We eliminate all of the hassle that comes with selling an American vehicle in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, or Vancouver Island.

In fact, we pride ourselves on making the process of selling a car quick and easy, no matter what type of vehicle you’re selling, or where it is from. Plus, we handle all the paperwork, we come to you, and NOBODY Pays More!

Can I Sell an American Car in Canada?

Yes, you absolutely can. However, there is a very specific process involved with doing that, and a lot of it is paperwork. And we all know how fun paperwork can be, right? Filling it out correctly, meeting the requirements on it, answering everything in the correct way, etc. And even after you do all of that, you still may not be able to import your American car into Canada for resale.

Some vehicles cannot be brought into Canada because they don’t meet certain Canadian regulations. Furthermore, getting a proper vehicle inspection may be required by a registered facility prior to sale. And while that may sound easy, passing the inspection may not be, depending on what you’re selling and what condition it is in.

Many people choose to sell their American vehicles to Cash For Cars BC. We buy vehicles from other provinces and other countries, no matter what condition they are in. If you’ve tried selling your American vehicle privately or have visited a local dealership and didn’t like their offer, talk to our car buying team today. NOBODY Pays More!

How Do I Sell an American Car in British Columbia, Canada?

There are very specific steps when it comes to importing an American car into Canada. One of them being actually exporting from the U.S. Before you can import a car, it has to be exported on paper first.

Many people think that importing a vehicle from another country naturally means it’s getting exported. However, what is physically happening is different than what happens on paper and know what to do and when to do it is critical in even getting a vehicle into Canada before reselling it.

1. Make Sure Your Car Can Come into Canada

The first thing you’ll have to do to sell an American car in Canada is to get it formally imported into the country. That may sound intimidating, but it really is nothing to be scared of.

While the process iself of importing a vehicle isn’t as complex as it sounds, meeting the criteria to get your vehicle imported may be harder than you think. However, thanks to sharing a continent with the United States of America, our regulations about what can and cannot come into the country are similarly aligned.

The main difficulty that people have when it comes to bringing American cars into Canada is their vehicle’s age. Vehicles that are older than 15 years cannot be imported into Canada under any circumstance. This is due to the natural wear and tear of aging vehicles. As well as the impact older vehicles have on the environment, and the safety risks associated with older vehicles.

For a complete list of what vehicles can come into Canada from the United States with minimal issue, head over the Transport Canada’s Website found HERE

Not only does your vehicle need to be registered to you, but the vehicle must also not have a rebuilt or salvage status on it. These particular designations usually only occur on older vehicles.

Hence, another reason why you cannot import a vehicle into Canada from the U.S. that is older than 15 years. However, there are other circumstances where this may take place.

Aftermarket modifications that have impacted a vehicle’s structural integrity also can lead to a vehicle having a salvage or rebuilt status. No matter what amount of work has been done to correct the damage, it will forever be listed as having been rebuilt. The same goes for cars with previous major collision damage.

This is one of the biggest reasons we purchase American cars in ANY condition in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, and Vancouver Island. So many of the American vehicles we see come into the country cannot be formally exported or imported into Canada. The only way that the vehicle gets sold, is “as is”, or for parts. Luckily, we pay the MOST cash for cars that have rebuilt or salvage status too!

3. Obtain an Internal Transit Number

What arguably appears to be nothing more than red tape and a cash grab, an internal transit number is required for any vehicle before it can be exported out of America.

This is where many people choose to simply bring their vehicle into the country and hope to figure out the actual process of selling it later on. Unfortunately, without proper prep work done, this rarely bodes well in their favour.

In order to get an internal transit number (ITN for short), you need to either be a licensed and professional importer or car buyer like, Cash For Cars BC, or you need to pay a professional to provide you with one. So, in either case, you cannot acquire one with the help of a professional. You are looking at roughly $150 or more to get an ITN for your vehicle.

In addition to using a professional broker or vehicle importer, you’ll also need to have the following information so that you can provide to your importer. Without this information, you won’t be able to obtain an ITN.

You’ll need to send them:

• a digital scan of the front and back of the title
• the total value of the car
• your full Canadian address
• your phone number
• your Canadian passport number

All of the information you send to your broker or importer will then be forwarded to the Border Crossing that you are using to bring in your American vehicle. Again, it’s a roundabout way to have someone else do the work for you, and for absolutely no reason other than money…

4.Export Your Vehicle from the U.S. to Canada

One of the hardest parts of selling an American car in Canada is getting it here. Not because of logistics per say, but because of what is required just to get the vehicle across the border for the purpose of import.

Before bringing a vehicle to the border (and this is only after you’ve made sure your car can come into the country), you need to advise Canadian Customs that you want to import your car. You must give them at least 72 hours notice before bringing the vehicle to the border. You must also advise them of which specific border crossing you will be using.

In addition to this, you must provide Canadian Border Services with a digital scan of the front and back of the vehicle’s title. You also need to provide your Internal Transit Number, along with valid phot identification.

5. Import Your Car into Canada

Once you get up to the Canadian Border Crossing wicket, advise the officer that you wish to import your vehicle. They’ll guide you to a specific area where you can park your vehicle. Then, you’ll need to head inside to pay taxes on your vehicle if the vehicle is something that you purchased directly from the U.S.

If, however, your American vehicle is one that you previously owned while residing in the United States, this naturally will not be applicable. However, you will be required to show proof that you are the registered owner of the vehicle, that you have valid photo ID, and have a clean title on the vehicle that you wish to import.

After you’re granted entry with your American car, you’ll need to get it registered in your name and in your province within 45 days of the importation. Once that is done, you are good to actually sell your car in Canada!

Much of the exportation paperwork is usually done before you move to or simply bring your car into Canada permanently. For those that weren’t decided about keeping an American car in Canada long-term, it can make the process seem daunting. This is why many people simply sell their American vehicles to Cash For Cars BC.

Selling an American Car in Metro Vancouver

Some vehicles that come into Canada, like any, have their share of issues. However, when it’s an out of country vehicle that has the issues, it can make selling it nearly impossible. Even dealerships are extremely hesitant to buy American vehicles that aren’t in perfect condition.

They are even reluctant to buy an out of country car that isn’t in high demand. And when they do buy them, they hardly offer what they should because they charge for all of the extra work they’ll have to do in order to resell it in Canada. Work like getting it formally exported and imported on paper.

Instead, a better alternative for anyone selling an out of country vehicle is Cash For Cars BC. We make the process of selling a car from America so quick and easy, that you’ll regret even considering exporting it, importing it, and selling it yourself.

We offer the MOST cash for cars, trucks, SUVs, vans, and motorcycles in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, and Vancouver Island. Even if your vehicle comes from another province or another country, we can typically help you out with a quick sale for the MOST cash. NOBODY Pays More!

Sell Your American Car to Cash For Cars BC

As touched on earlier, not every vehicle is worth properly importing into Canada in order to resell it. Some vehicles are of significant age, have mechanical or electrical issues, can’t easily pass a BC vehicle inspection, or various other reasons.

If your car isn’t valuable enough, we’ll buy it for parts, and it will be considered a scrap car. This eliminates the need to complete the importation process. It’s a more convenient way to sell your car, but the overall value will naturally be affected.

However, if you’ve already tried selling your American car privately, without success, Cash For Cars BC’s scrap car buying process may be the solution to your problems. We always offer the MOST cash for scrap cars, American cars that can’t be sold in Canada, and vehicles that are not worth formally importing.

Cash for American Cars in the Lower Mainland

Cash For Cars BC can buy an American car from you as we simply take over the importation process. However, if the vehicle is older, has damage, or can’t pass a vehicle inspection, we’ll be able to purchase it without needing to complete the important process.

This is because certain vehicles that don’t have significant value left, can be bought without the purpose of being resold. When this is the case, you don’t need to legally import your vehicle into Canada. All that means is that you can sell your car to a licensed professional like Cash For Cars BC, but that your vehicle will be parted out and recycled after the sale.

This is something many people do with older American vehicles or American vehicles with minimal value remaining. Plus, when you sell your car to Cash For Cars BC, we handle all the paperwork, we come to you, and NOBODY Pays More!

What Types of Vehicles Do We Buy in the Lower Mainland?

Cash For Cars BC is a professional used car buyer that has been buying vehicles throughout Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, and Vancouver Island since 1998. We buy anything and everything, regardless of age or condition. American cars, foreign cars, and any type of import or domestic vehicle. From scrap cars to Supercars, we buy them ALL!

We Are Always Looking to Buy:

• Passenger cars
• Sports cars
• Exotic cars
• Rare Imports
• Classic & vintage vehicles
• Station wagons
• Trucks
• Jeeps
• SUV’s & crossovers
• Vans
• Buses
• Hybrid and electric vehicles
• Motorcycles
• Powersport vehicles
• RV’s and campers
• Scrap cars, trucks, SUVs, and vans
• Boats

Even if your vehicle is still under financing, within a lease, has failed the BC vehicle inspection, or is from another country, you can sell your car to Cash For Cars BC. We buy vehicles from $100 – $100,000+, no matter what shape they are in. And NOBODY Pays More!

Call Cash For Cars BC & Sell Your Car TODAY

Don’t want to wait any longer to sell your American car (or any other vehicle)? When you sell your car to Cash For Cars BC, you won’t have to. We can usually book same day appointments for a free in-person appraisal. Plus, our car buyers come to you, not you to them. Which is helpful if the insurance has run out on your American car or truck.

Give us a call and provide us with the details about your vehicle. The make, model, year, condition, and location. Then, one of our car buyers will come to assess your vehicle in person. This can be done 7 days a week, between 8:00 AM-10:00 PM.

Once we see your car in person, we’ll make you an instant cash offer on it. If you accept the offer, we’ll take care of all the paperwork, hand you over your cash payment, then leave with your vehicle. From start to finish the process can take as little as 30 minutes.

If you want a quick and easy way to sell your car for the MOST cash, sell it to Cash For Cars BC. We handle all the paperwork, we come to you, and NOBODY Pays More!