Motor Vehicle Legal Questions and Answers

While laws regarding motor vehicles differ according to state, there are some commonalities across the country in terms of titling, registration fees, taxes and drivers' licenses. Here on LawServer you will find federal and state laws pertaining to avenal motor vehicle accident law firm vehicles and related legal Questions & Answers.

Nationals from countries that have ratified the International Road Traffic Agreement can drive their vehicles to the United States without U.S. license plates and driver's licenses. DOT must approve the trip in writing.

Vehicles Imported by Nonresidents

Non-residents wishing to import their own cars must make sure they have the necessary documentation to avoid any additional fees. This documentation includes the bill of delivery, the certificate of origin, and any other legal documentation that covers the vehicle. All documents that pertain to the vehicle must also be in English. If the vehicle is owned by more than one person each signature has to be notarized with a black-and-white photocopy of their valid driver's license or ID card. If they don't have these documents, Vimeo.com a Power of Attorney can be used to sign the required paperwork.

To be legally entitled an import vehicle, it must meet the Department of Transportation's (DOT) and Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) regulations. In particular, DOT standards require that motor vehicles that are not more than 25 years old conform to safety and bumper standards and that the maker of each one affix an identification label to each vehicle that states that it meets these standards.

EPA regulations also require that all vehicles must meet the standards for air pollution emissions. If a nonresident wants to import a car that does not meet the requirements, they will need to submit EPA form HS-7 and DOT form 3520-1 with CBP to obtain prior approval from EPA.

Vehicles Imported for Racing

The laws that govern motor vehicles vary from one state to the next, but there are commonalities across the nation in the process of registering vehicles and obtaining an official driving license. Driver, highway and vehicle safety are also enforced by federal laws. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration within the Department of Transportation establishes and enforces national standards for vehicles and equipment, as well as various motor sport related requirements.

The first step to import racing vehicles to the United States is to get written approval from DOT. This is for cars that will be imported permanently or that are temporarily entered into racing.

You'll require an CAMS licence and to prove that you've participated in motorsports and have a real desire for a car. You will also need to meet a number of other compliance requirements, including the installation of child restraint points and 17-digit VIN plates.

The EPA won't allow you to import race cars into the US in the event that the car is in a race configuration at the time entry and doesn't contain any features that make unsafe or unsuitable for use on roads and highways. You will have to check Box 7 of the HS-7 form you will submit to customs, and submit an EPA letter of approval before the vehicle passes through customs.

Imported Touring Vehicles for Touring

Motorists who visit the United States as tourists from Central and South American countries which have signed the Inter-American Convention of 1943 may drive their vehicles in the United States for one year or the validity period of their passports or the shorter period, without having to obtain license plates or driver's permits. They must show EPA forms AP3520-1 or DOT 7 upon entry.

Imported vehicles used for touring are also subjected to customs duty of 40% and 10 percent VAT, as well as an ad valorem tax that can range from 15% up to 100%, based on the piston displacement. These duties and taxes also apply to spare parts that are sent with the imported auto. The owner of the vehicle must be present in the presence of a person.

Vehicles imported for commercial use

The law defines the term "motor vehicle" to be any device capable of transporting people or property, and is powered by something other than muscle power. This encompasses all vehicles, except for (a) electric personal assistance mobility devices operated by a person who has a disability, (b) farm type tractor that is used in the operation or farming business and also implements of husbandry or snow plowing, (c) vehicles that operate solely on rails or tracks and (d), all-terrain vehicles. Each state's laws may differ slightly from the definition and any vehicle that qualifies under the definition of the statute is subject to the state's licensing and registration requirements, as well as financial responsibility laws.

The motor vehicle division of the state is responsible for regulating used and new dealers as well as manufacturers, moving companies and other jamestown motor vehicle accident attorney vehicle related businesses. It also oversees the state Lemon Law, which offers relief to those who prove that they bought a defective new car or truck.

A government motor vehicle is any vehicle that has been acquired by the executive through the purchase, forfeiture, or excess or commercial lease or GSA fleet leasing, and utilized to carry out the transport function of an agency or the activity. This includes both domestic and foreign ones. Furthermore the definition of the word is to encompass any vehicle used by the department of public safety for responding to emergencies or providing other emergency services. The definition excludes ambulances, private vehicles of police officers or firefighters, and the vehicles of the commissioners court in the county of more than 1 million people.