Temporary TN Visa - should I register my car in Texas

[jcarlson]

I am from Calgary and have a temporary TN Visa, should I register my car in Texas or simply leave in registered in Canada? Does this affect my Canadian insurance or can I maintain my Canadian insurance as well. From my perspective this is a temporary move and shouldn't require re-registration . and feedback would be helpful.

Thanks,

James

[laggal]

If you want to keep your insurance in Alberta, keep your registration in Alberta.

If you are just in Texas temporarily, IMHO, I would keep your registration and insurance in Canada. Be sure to make sure your driver's license will stay current for Alberta while you're gone.

Otherwise, you may have to import your car, get car inspected for import, and get car inspected for state registration. Depending on your state, your vehicle could easily not meet emissions requirements.

Once you change either your insurance, registration, or driver's license it will mean you will have to change all of the above.

[jferguson]

I have been driving my Canadian-registered car in Texas for 9 months, with Texas insurance. The insurance company (major company) was specifically made aware that the car was registered in Canada, and they had no problem insuring it.

But just recently, an automobile import broker told me that in spite of what Texas DOT told me about TN's and their vehicles, I'm driving illegally, because TNs cannot drive a Canadian-registered vehicle in the States for more than 30 days.

You just can't get good advise these days. From anyone.

[Steven]

But just recently, an automobile import broker told me that in spite of what Texas DOT told me about TN's and their vehicles, I'm driving illegally, because TNs cannot drive a Canadian-registered vehicle in the States for more than 30 days.

You just can't get good advise these days. From anyone.

That advice is bogus, I've seen people mention it on here before, I think it's a con they use to drum up business. The other classic tale is that import brokers tell you to let them to handle the import to avoid the import duty, which is also utter BS, there is no import duty on vehicles imported as personal effects.

If you are on TN-1 you must have "bona-fide non-immigrant intent" and to do that you must have residential ties to Canada. You don't necessarily need a house in Canada to do that but keeping your DL and registration in Canada is a good way to do it. There was someone on here who said their TN-1 got yanked when they showed up to re-enter with a US-plated vehicle.

The impression I got from that was to fly!

By definition on TN-1 you are non-resident, so you do not have to change your tags or get a DL in the US - however you cannot keep a Canadian vehicle in the US for more than one year without formally importing it, as per CBP, which means doing the import paperwork, getting the EPA check done, etc.

Once you've got the checks done and presented the initial clearance paperwork to CBP you have the paperwork necessary to swap the title for a US one and get it registered in the US. However it's an interesting question as to whether you can formally it for Federal CBP purposes and then keep it registered in Canada after that.

I suspect the answer is "no" but being in that situation would be very rare anyway. Canadian insurance also wouldn't carry in the US for more than a year, but I suppose you're keeping residential ties in Canada anyway so why not renew the insurance in Canada?

[gescores]

Check with your insurance company, but often they don't allow more than a few months.

As for not registering the car in the US, it depends on your State. I am in VA, and they allow non-resident to drive with their home state or country's license and plates for six months.

[kelapstick]

When we crossed CBP said that we didn't have to import it as we were temporary residents, however if we intended on selling it while we were in the United States we would have to import it. We did register in Nevada with minimal issues (although we did find out from the bank that we were supposed to inform them we were taking it across the border.oops .so we faxed them proof of Nevada insurance). We also got in-state drivers licenses (that was a pain). I figured it would be less of a hassle getting local tags than driving around with out of country plates, and in order to write cheques (which to my surprise is a practice which is far more common here than in Canada) it makes it easier with your current address on your license.

[Steven]

I got cheque books with my Canadian address on them. Gee, I have fun with that. Only got about a thousand of them left too.

[nishant]

Can a person on TN visa keep Canadian driver license and buy a used vehicle in US and register in US state? or does s/he has to take local license first?