US export paperwork
A car cannot leave the United States until US Customs has seen its title. Here is what is needed, who does what, and the paperwork problems that most often hold a car at the port.
The US is strict about vehicles leaving the country. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) checks every used vehicle against its paperwork before it is allowed on a ship, largely to stop stolen cars and cars with money owed on them being exported. The rules are not complicated, but they are not flexible either. If the paperwork is wrong, the car waits.
You get the original title and a bill of sale from the seller, with no lien outstanding, and send them to us. We arrange the export filing and present the car and documents to Customs before it sails.
What the car needs to leave
The original title
The certificate of title is the ownership document for a US car. For a US-titled vehicle, CBP asks for the original title or a certified copy issued by the state, plus two complete copies. We ask for the original. It should be:
- a clean title, with no salvage, rebuilt, flood or other damage brand
- in the name of the person or dealer who sold you the car
- properly signed over to you as the buyer
- free of any lien, or accompanied by a lien release
The VIN on the title must match the car exactly. One wrong character is enough to stop it.
A bill of sale
The bill of sale records the deal: the date, the price, the year, make, model and VIN, and the names and addresses of buyer and seller, signed by both. It ties you to the car on the US side, and the price on it feeds into the duty and VAT calculation when the car lands in the UK, which our costs page explains.
A lienholder letter, if there is finance
If a bank or finance company has a lien on the car, CBP needs a separate letter from that lender, on its letterhead, describing the vehicle including the VIN, expressly saying it may be exported, and bearing an original signature. A loan that has been paid off still shows on the title until the lender formally releases the lien. In practice, we ask for the lien to be released before we collect. It is far quicker than chasing a letter from a lender's head office.
CBP's 72-hour rule
For a used vehicle leaving by sea, CBP requires the vehicle and its documents to be presented at least 72 hours before export. That is why a car goes to the port days before its sailing rather than turning up on the morning. Individual ports can have their own procedures on top of the national rule, which our shipping team deals with.
The AES export filing
As well as the paperwork, many exports from the US have to be reported electronically. The filing is called Electronic Export Information (EEI) and it goes through the Automated Export System (AES). When it is accepted, AES issues an Internal Transaction Number (ITN), which is the proof of filing that goes with the car's export documents.
Many exports below a certain value do not need a filing. Used vehicles are different. Under the US Foreign Trade Regulations, EEI must be filed for every used self-propelled vehicle, whatever its value and wherever it is going, at least 72 hours before export. It cannot be filed after the car has sailed.
What we handle and what you supply
| You (and the seller) | Us |
|---|---|
| Buy a clean-title car and pay the seller | Quote the whole job before you buy |
| Get the original title, signed over, with any lien released | Check the paperwork before collection |
| Get a signed bill of sale | Collect the car and truck it to an east or west coast port |
| Send the documents to us and give us the collection address | Arrange the AES filing and present the car and documents to CBP |
| Answer any questions about the car or the sale | Book the container or roll-on roll-off sailing, with marine insurance |
For the filing, we need accurate details of the car, the sale and the people involved. We ask for these when we book the shipment.
Common hold-ups
Nearly every export delay we see comes back to the title. These are the usual ones.
The title is not in hand
A dealer is waiting for it from the previous owner's lender, a private seller has lost it, or the state has not yet issued it after a recent sale. Until the title exists and is with us, the car cannot be presented for export. If a duplicate is needed, the owner applies to the state that issued the original, and that takes however long that state takes.
The lien has not been released
The loan is paid but the release has not been recorded, or the lender still has the paper title. Ask for the lien release, or a new title showing no lienholder, before you pay the balance.
The names do not match
The seller is not the person on the title, or the title has been passed between owners without being transferred. CBP asks for proof of ownership, so the paperwork needs to run cleanly from the owner on the title to the person exporting the car. If the names do not line up, stop and get it put right before you pay.
The VIN does not match
A typo on the title, the bill of sale or the filing. Check every character against the car, including the plate on the dashboard and the label on the door pillar.
If the seller cannot show you the title when you pay, you are relying on their word that it exists, is clean and is theirs to sign. That is the most common way a car ends up stuck in the US.
After it sails
Once CBP has cleared the car and it is loaded, the US side is done. Ocean transit is typically 4 to 6 weeks, then UK customs clearance, the IVA or MOT and DVLA registration. From collection to UK registration usually takes 8 to 16 weeks in all, and how it works walks through each stage. For choosing how it crosses, see container or roll-on roll-off, and for the checks before you buy, buying a car in the USA.
Found a car? Send us the listing and a photo of the title before you pay and we will check it over and quote the whole job. Get a quote.
Quick answers
What documents does a car need to be exported from the USA?
For a US-titled car, US Customs and Border Protection asks for the original title or a certified copy issued by the state, plus copies, and a letter from the lienholder if there is a lien. An electronic export filing in AES is also needed. We also need a bill of sale from you.
What is the 72-hour rule?
For a used vehicle leaving by sea, CBP requires the vehicle and its documents to be presented at least 72 hours before export, and the export information to be filed in AES at least 72 hours beforehand. Missing either can mean the car misses its sailing.
Is an AES filing needed for a cheap car?
Yes. The usual value exemption does not apply to used vehicles. Electronic export information has to be filed for every used self-propelled vehicle, whatever its value or destination.
Can a car be exported with finance still owed on it?
Only with a signed letter from the lienholder on its letterhead expressly allowing export. In practice we ask for the lien to be paid off and released before we collect, which avoids most of the delays.