Out of country vehicles

[Heep]

Does anyone know how long you can drive an out-of-country vehicle in Canada before you need to register it here?

My motive behind the question:

Not sure if anyone has heard of the small islands of St. Pierre & Miquelon, just off the coast of Newfoundland (not so helpful for you Alberta folks, but great for an east coaster like me). Anyways, they are officially owned by and part of France...in fact there is a Peugeot dealer there, and cars registered there are registered as French vehicles with French plates. I'm not familiar with France's car regulations, but I know that they obviously allow any Euro spec vehicle, probably JDM as well. So...I'm thinking I could import virtually any car to St. Pierre & Miquelon, register it there as a French vehicle, and drive it here in Canada indefinitely. If there is a restriction on how long an out-of-country vehicle can stay here, or if the car needs annual or whatever French inspections/registrations, simply make a trip back, get done what you need to do, and then use the car in Canada again.

This is all just speculation, but if it's feasible, then virtually every car is available to us to drive here...and wouldn't it be sweet driving around with Euro plates both front and rear? :D

[rage2]

Only certain US spec vehicles are allowed into Canada, unless they're older than 15 years old based on manufacturer date in door jam sticker. No exceptions. Anything non US is just not allowed, again, unless 15 yrs or older.

As for driving over the border, anything registered in the US is allowed (ie vacationers driving up here). Any cars with euro plates (imported into US temporarily) will be turned away at the border. Not sure of timeframe car's allowed here, but I think it's more to do with insurance time limits than anything.

[benyl]

I don't know about that. I knew a guy that drove around the world. He came through Calgary on his way south from Alaska. He was going to South America. He was from Germany and his Land Cruiser had German plates.

[Heep]

Come to think of it, when I was in Banff last year I saw a Renault Motorhome with European plates drive by...

[EstoMax]

hmm.. they have a peogeot dealership near canada? man i want a peogeot 206 rellly bad.. mab i should take a trip up there would it b possible to import it into usa? i mean ppl import skylines n stuff here right?

[Heep]

Originally posted by Lt. Max
hmm.. they have a peogeot dealership near canada? man i want a peogeot 206 rellly bad.. mab i should take a trip up there would it b possible to import it into usa? i mean ppl import skylines n stuff here right?

That's after extremely expensive crash testing and retrofitting the cars to meet regulations...if I were you I would look into what all you would need to do to get it legal VERY thoroughly before taking a trip up (unless you just want to visit for now and check out the Peugeots at the dealer :D).

This is why I'm wondering about driving out-of-country registered vehicles here, I'm investigating that as a possible solution to working around regulations. I'm not very hopeful, but I'd like to get as much info about it as possible.

Also, it'd be quite the trip for you...this island is in the Atlantic Ocean all the way across the continent :)

[szw]

Sounds good in theory. I mean you could just be living there and want to drive around canada for a while and stay with relatives!

[rage2]

While it's possible to have a euro vehicle w/euro plates here, there's a lengthy paperwork process involved for those folks that do it (including the GLK that showed up here).

[desipwr]

Check this site out for info
http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/rsimp_e.htm

its the government of canada site for importing vehicles..lots of good info of cars allowed and not allowed and mods that need to be done to be allowed into canada

[88CRX]

if its over 15 years it free game..... soon I will be able to import a 91 crx sir :bigpimp:

[spyderman]

Originally posted by Lt. Max
hmm.. they have a peogeot dealership near canada? man i want a peogeot 206 rellly bad.. mab i should take a trip up there would it b possible to import it into usa? i mean ppl import skylines n stuff here right?


There were a couple of Peugeot's, with european plates, sitting in front of the Westin Hotel today at lunch.

[lammer]

Originally posted by spyderman



There were a couple of Peugeot's, with european plates, sitting in front of the Westin Hotel today at lunch.


yep those are my rides for tonights grad banquet!

[D'z Nutz]

Originally posted by Lt. Max
they have a peogeot dealership near canada? man i want a peogeot 206 rellly bad..

I saw so many of those cars in HK when I went during the christmas break. Fuck, those cars are so sweet.

I remember seeing a Peugeot dealership by Vancouver on the way to White Rock a few years back, but I recall someone saying that there are no longer Peugeot dealerships in Canada now?

[Heep]

Originally posted by D'z Nutz
I remember seeing a Peugeot dealership by Vancouver on the way to White Rock a few years back, but I recall someone saying that there are no longer Peugeot dealerships in Canada now?

Peugeot stopped selling cars here in like 1992 or something, the last car they sold here was the 405 sedan. You probably saw a place that used to be a new Peugeot dealer back in the day, and now services them and sells used ones, like you'll often see with Alfa Romeo.

[Heep]

Originally posted by desipwr
Check this site out for info
http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/rsimp_e.htm

its the government of canada site for importing vehicles..lots of good info of cars allowed and not allowed and mods that need to be done to be allowed into canada

Interesting...the site details how long a foreign car can be used here if the person has entered with a work permit or student visa, but doesn't say anything about any time limits enforced on tourists and people travelling through Canada other than "it's allowed."

When I was in Edmonton I visited a small Italian car specialist...they let me look around out back in the shop. While back there I noticed a late 90's Alfa Romeo 146 up on a hoist. I couldn't see the rear of the vehicle to tell whether it had Euro or Alberta plates on it, but it didn't have a front plate which makes me think it probably had an Alberta plate on. However, it didn't have side reflectors, etc etc, so it obviously didn't comply with the regulations. I asked the guy there about it, he said it belongs to the Italian consolate there, and that they were allowed to drive whatever the hell they wanted to while they were here, they just couldn't sell the vehicles here. He said that nothing about the car passed Canadian regulations...no reflectors, bumper heights and sizes, etc.

[EstoMax]

well they also have Peugeots in mexico.. so im thinking it shouldnt be hard to get it in from there i think

max