Importing a vehicle into B.C.

Find out how to import a vehicle from another country and insure it for its trip to B.C., as well as after it's been imported.

How to import a vehicle

To find out how to import a vehicle from another country, please see the websites of these federal government agencies:

• Registrar of Imported Vehicles
• Canada Border Services Agency
• Transport Canada

If your vehicle is registered in another Canadian province, the import requirements of these agencies do not apply.

Provincial safety inspection

In addition to meeting federal import rules, most vehicles must be inspected at a provincial designated inspection facility. This ensures they meet B.C.'s safety standards.

To drive your vehicle to an inspection facility, you'll need to purchase temporary insurance from your Autoplan broker.

Driving a vehicle from the U.S.

To drive a vehicle home from the U.S., you'll need to:

• Buy temporary insurance from ICBC called a "Binder for Owner's Interim Certificate of Insurance" from your Autoplan broker. If you're outside of B.C., call 1-800-328-4484, Monday to Friday, 8:15 - 4:30 PST. 
• Buy an in-transit permit from the state in which you buy your vehicle. Please note, most U.S. states will not issue this permit without proof of insurance.

Driving the vehicle to an Autoplan broker

When you arrive in B.C., you'll need to drive your vehicle to

• a B.C. inspection facility, and
• an Autoplan broker's office to have it registered, licenced and insured for driving in B.C. The broker needs to see the vehicle to confirm the VIN and odometer reading, and check for any visible damage.

Note: It can save you time and money to drive there before your temporary "binder" of insurance expires. Otherwise, you'll need to purchase additional insurance for those trips.

Required documents to bring to your broker