Motor Vehicle Legal Questions and Answers

Although the laws regarding motor vehicles differ from state to state, there are a few commonalities across the nation regarding titling and registration requirements along with taxes and fees and driver's licenses. On LawServer, you'll find federal and state laws on motor vehicles as in addition to related legal questions and answers.

Nationals of countries that have ratified the International Road Traffic Agreement can travel in their cars to the United States without U.S. license plates or driver's licenses. Written approval from DOT is required prior to.

Vehicles imported by non-residents

Non-residents who want to import their personal vehicles must document their vehicles to ensure that they don't be subject to additional duties. This documentation includes the bill of lading, certificate of origin, and vehicle any other legal documents pertaining to the vehicle. In addition the documents pertaining to the vehicle need to be in English. If the vehicle is owned by more than one person each signature has to be notarized and accompanied by a black-and-white copy of their valid driver license or ID card. If they do not have these documents, a Power of Attorney may be used to sign all paperwork.

To allow an imported vehicle to be legally entitled in the United States, it must meet the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations. DOT standards demand, in particular, that motor vehicles that are not older than 25 years of age conform to safety and bumper regulations and that every automobile be labeled by the manufacturer as satisfying these requirements.

EPA regulations also require that all vehicles must be compliant with air pollution emission standards. If a nonresident wishes to import a car that is not in compliance with the standards, they'll need to submit EPA form HS-7 and DOT form 3520-1 with CBP to obtain prior approval from EPA.

Imported Racing Vehicles for Racing

The laws governing motor vehicles vary from state to another, but there are a few commonalities across the nation when it comes to the registration of the vehicle and getting a driving license. Federal laws also regulate the safety of drivers, highways and security of vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, within the Department of Transportation, establishes and enforces standards for vehicles and other equipment. This includes motor vehicle accident lawyers sports-related requirements.

The first step to import a racing car to the United States is to get written approval from DOT. This is only available for cars which are imported for the long term or temporarily entered for racing purposes.

You will need an CAMS licence and to prove that you've competed in motorsports, and have a valid desire to own a car. Additionally, you must comply with a range 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 unless that car is in a race configuration at the time entry and doesn't have any features which make unsafe or unsuitable for use on roads and highways. You will have to mark the box 7 on the HS-7 form that you will submit to customs, and submit an EPA letter of approval before the vehicle passes through customs.

Imported Touring Vehicles for Touring

Tourists from Central and South American nations that have been ratified by the Inter-American Convention of 1943 are allowed to drive their cars in the United States without obtaining license plates or permits for a period of one year, or the validity of their documents. However, they have to present EPA forms such as AP3520-1 and DOTHS-7 at the moment of entry.

Imported vehicles for touring are also subject to customs duty of 40% and 10% VAT, as well as an ad valorem rate ranging from 15% to 100% based on piston displacement. These duties and taxes also apply to spare parts supplied with the imported automobile. The owner of the vehicle must be present in person.

Vehicles Imported For Commercial Purposes

The law defines "motor vehicle" as any device capable of transporting property or persons and is driven by power other than muscular force that is, excluding (a) electric personal assistive mobility devices operated or driven by a person suffering from disabilities; (b) farm type tractor utilized in the operation of a farming enterprise, implements of husbandry, or snow plowing; (c) vehicles which are solely driven by rails or tracks and (d) all-terrain vehicles. Each state's statute may differ slightly from the definition, and any nonexempt vehicle that meets the statutory definition is subject to the state's licensing and registration laws, as well as financial responsibility laws.

The motor vehicle division of the state is responsible for regulating dealers who sell second-hand and new cars and manufacturers, as well as moving companies and other motor vehicle related companies. It also manages the state Lemon Law which offers relief to customers who can prove they bought the wrong vehicle or truck.

The definition of a government motor vehicle includes any vehicle that has been acquired by the executive branch via purchase excess, forfeiture commercial lease or GSA fleet lease and utilized in the performance of an agency's or organization's transportation function. This includes both domestic and foreign fleets. In addition the term is defined as any vehicle that is used by the department of public safety in responding to emergencies or providing other emergency services. The definition excludes ambulances, private cars of firefighters or police officers, as well as vehicles owned by the commissioners court in a county with more than 1 million inhabitants.