Canadian Owning American Car in USA

Hi Everyone! I just found this website and hopefully I can get an answer to a question I've been wondering about for over a year. I am a Canadian Citizen, but I have residences in Canada (Manitoba) and USA (North Dakota). I would like to be able to buy a vehicle in the US and register/license/insure it in North Dakota. If I did that, would I be able to drive it across the border and use it in Canada at all? If yes, are there restrictions on amount of time the vehicle spends in Canada vs. USA or anything like that? I just want to make sure it's legal and I will have insurance coverage if anything ever happened. Thanks!

If you live in canada (under what status do you live in US -- a cottage doesn't make you a resident), then you must import the car at the border. CBSA is unlikely to allow you in with the car if they know you live in canada.

That said, you should plate and insure your car where you actually live.

I have a house in both places. So there is no way for a Canadian to drive an American vehicle (insured, etc in America) in Canada? Can an American own a vehicle and let a Canadian drive it around in Canada?

An american visiting canada can drive a US-registered car while he is visiting canada. CBSA would not let a Cdn 'borrow" a US car and bring it home with him.

Thank you very much agnelson. I've wanted to know that forever, but you did just crush my dreams. Why Americans get such CHEAP motorcycle insurance is beyond me... We get absolutely hosed (especially in Manitoba).

Check the registration laws in North Dakota. Many U.S. states require you to register your car there, if it will be in the state a certain number of days out of the year, regardless of your legal residency. Since you are a Manitoba resident, you need to register your car there and buy Autopac, but you may actually have to register it in North Dakota also, if it is there more than a certain number of days out of the year. Yes, a car can be registered in more than one place at the same time. Yes, you would have two sets of plates. This might also require having more than one insurance policy on the same vehicle also, depending on North Dakota law. Manitoba law is easy: you have to buy Autopac when you register the car.