When shipping a car from the US, what matters is not only its mechanical condition but also the type of ownership and export document - the Title. Each US state has its own legislation and its own forms of documentation - so not every document is suitable for export.
What are the main risks?
The US customs service (US Customs) will not grant permission to take a car out of the country if the export documentation does not meet federal and state requirements. Buying a lot with the wrong document means a halted shipment, additional fines or the risk of losing your money.
Pay special attention to the following cases
- Bill of Sale / Certificate of Destruction / Junk / Parts Only: these statuses often mean the car is intended only to be dismantled for parts. Direct export with such a document is impossible or requires converting the document (Title Conversion), which is a fairly expensive and lengthy process.
- State-specific restrictions: for example, certain documents from California, Colorado, Delaware, Vermont and New York require additional legal procedures.
- Debt on the document (Lien / Pending Title): if a financial obligation is recorded on the document, or the document is still being processed, the car will be held at the port until the document is cleared.
How to protect yourself from mistakes
- Check the export table: before buying, always check the state and document type in our export documentation table. It sets out in detail which documents are fully valid and which require additional documentation.
- Free verification from VG Auto Export: if you have already picked a lot and have doubts about the document type, message us or send us the lot link - our team will check the document's export status free of charge before you buy.
