Motor Vehicle Legal Questions and Answers

While the laws governing motor vehicles vary from state to state, there are a few similarities across the nation in titling requirements, registration requirements along with taxes and fees and driver's licenses. Here on LawServer you'll find federal and state laws on motor vehicles, as well as related legal Questions & Answers.

The nationals of countries that have ratified the International Road Traffic Agreement may drive their vehicles in the United States for touring purposes without U.S. license plates and drivers' permits. Written approval from DOT is required in advance.

Vehicles imported by non-residents

Non-residents wishing to import their own vehicles must ensure they have all the documents needed to avoid additional taxes. Documentation includes the bill-of-lading certificate of origin and any other legal documents related to the vehicle. The documents pertaining to the vehicle must be in English. If the vehicle is owned by several individuals each signature must be notarized. A black and white copy of the driver's license or ID card should be included with it. If they don't have these documents, a Power of Attorney may be used to sign all paperwork.

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

EPA regulations also stipulate that all vehicles must be compliant with air pollution emission standards. If a nonresident wants to import a vehicle that doesn't comply with these standards and is not registered, they must file EPA form 3520-1 and DOT form HS-7 with CBP at the time of entry in order to obtain prior approval from EPA.

Vehicles Imported for Racing

westfield motor vehicle accident Lawsuit vehicle laws vary from state to state, however there are a number of commonalities nationally regarding registering vehicles and being licensed to drive. Federal laws also regulate driver and security of vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration within the Department of Transportation establishes and enforces national standards for vehicles and equipment, including a number of motor sport related requirements.

The first step to import racing vehicles into the United States is to get written approval from DOT. This is only required for cars that will be permanently imported or if they are being temporarily used in racing.

You'll need a CAMS license and proof that you've competed in motorsports and have a real need for a vehicle. You must also comply with a range of other compliance requirements, including fitment of child restraint points and 17-digit VIN plates.

The EPA will not permit you to import race cars into the US unless that car is in a race configuration at the time of entry and does not possess any features that render it unsafe or unpractical for use on roads and highways. You must check box 7 on the HS-7 customs form and submit an government motor vehicle is any vehicle that has been acquired by the executive through purchase, forfeiture, excess or commercial lease or GSA fleet leasing and used to carry out the transportation function of an agency or business. This includes both domestic fleets as well as foreign ones. The term also includes any vehicle that is used to respond to emergencies or provide other emergency services provided by the Public Safety department. The definition excludes ambulances, private cars of police or firefighters, and the vehicles of the commissioners court of an area with more than 1 million residents.