Importing a car from Ohio

The Ohio end

Buying and collecting in Ohio

Before you pay, send us the listing and the ZIP code where the car is. The inland leg is the part of the shipping cost that varies most, and it depends on exactly where in Ohio the car is sitting.

Titles in Ohio are issued by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV). The seller needs to hand over the original title in their name, with any lien released, plus a bill of sale. We only import clean-title vehicles: a salvage, rebuilt or flood title is one we cannot take on. Our guide to buying a car in the USA covers the checks to make first.

Which coast it leaves from

Cars from Ohio usually leave from the east coast: roughly 450 miles from the middle of the state, as the crow flies.

From there it crosses the Atlantic by container or roll-on roll-off, usually in 4 to 6 weeks, with marine insurance in place. See container or roll-on roll-off for how to choose.

Once it lands, it is the same as every import

Import duty is charged at 10% of the vehicle value, then 20% VAT on the value plus shipping plus the duty. A vehicle over 30 years old in original specification may qualify as a historic vehicle, with no duty and VAT at an effective 5%. Under ten years old it needs an IVA test; older cars take an MOT. We do the conversions in our own workshop and register it with the DVLA. The full breakdown is on what it costs.