Department of Motor Vehicles

How to register

To register an imported vehicle in New York, the vehicle must

• clear the U.S. Customs and Border Protection 1

• comply with NYS safety and emissions standards 2 

You must provide the DMV:

• acceptable U.S. Customs and Border Protection documents
• acceptable proof of ownership of an imported vehicle
• all other documents needed to register and title a vehicle

Notes:

You must provide a certified English translation of any document printed in any language except English.

The DMV will not register or title any Kei-class vehicle unless the applicant provides proof the vehicle has been brought into compliance with all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emission requirements in effect at the time the vehicle was manufactured by the original fabricating manufacturer.

Acceptable U.S. Customs and Border Protection documents

The DMV accepts the following U.S. Customs and Border Protection documents

• CPB Form 368 - Collection Receipt or Informal Entry
• CPB Form 7523 - Entry and Manifest of Merchandise Free of Duty, Carrier's Certificate of Release
• CPB Form 3299 - Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles
• CPB Form 3311 - Declaration for Free Entry of Returned American Products
• CPB Form - 7501 Entry Summary 
• CPB Form - 6059B Customs Declaration

 
Acceptable proof of ownership documents

The DMV accepts the following documents as proof of ownership of an imported vehicle

• Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin (MCO) for a new vehicle manufactured for export to the US.
• New Vehicle Information Statement (NVIS) for a new vehicle manufactured in Canada and never registered.
• Manufacturer's Invoice (copy) for a new vehicle not manufactured for export to the US and never registered.
• Certificate of Title or equivalent document for a used vehicle or a new vehicle registered before in another country. The DMV can also require a statement from the motor vehicle authorities in that country that the document is equivalent to a title certificate
• Military Registration and Certificate of Title of Motor Vehicle (DD-430) for a vehicle with a registration and title certificate issued by the US Armed Forces. Only form DD-430 is accepted to issue a NYS title certificate. Other US Armed Forces documents are accepted to issue a NYS registration only. You must provide us with acceptable proof of ownership to receive a NYS title certificate or transferable registration.