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The 25-year rule
Japanese-market vehicles weren’t built to US safety and emissions standards. They can still come in for road use, because a vehicle 25 years or older (counted from the month of manufacture) is exempt from FMVSS. EPA exempts vehicles that old as well.
Sheets give the year in the Japanese era: H11 is Heisei 11, which is 1999. Whether an import can be titled and driven on public roads is up to your state, so ask your DMV or title office.
Choosing an export agent
Japanese dealer auctions are members-only. An export agent bids for you, pays the auction, handles deregistration and books shipping. When you compare agents, look at the per-car fee, the deposit terms, how fast they send sheets and extra photos, and what they do about damage claims. Plenty of shops hold accounts with more than one agent to see more lots.
Reading an auction sheet
The auction house inspects every lot. Its sheet has an overall grade, interior and exterior grades, mileage, options, a damage map and the inspector’s handwritten notes.
Damage codes pair a letter with a size: A scratch, U dent, W repair wave, S rust, C corrosion. Bigger number, bigger problem. On 4x4s and trucks, read the underbody notes closely.
Bidding and the fees to expect
You give the agent a maximum bid. If you win, the hammer price is only the start. On the Japan side, expect fees like these (illustrative):
Japanese taxes and charges on exported vehicles change too. Your agent works them out and puts them on the invoice. Right Hand DMS records what you were charged.
Paying: Wise or wire
Agents invoice in yen and expect payment soon after the auction, so check your agent’s terms. The ¥/$ rate printed on the invoice can move from one invoice to the next (159.50 to 163.80 in one recent shipment), which is why you record FX per invoice. A Wise transfer often costs less than a bank wire and shows the exact rate you got. Keep the confirmation, whatever you use. That rate is what the car cost you in dollars.
Export, deregistration and RoRo shipping
Your agent deregisters the car and issues an export certificate. Get the original and an English translation, since customs and the title office both want it. Most cars ship RoRo, which means they’re driven onto a vehicle carrier with no container. The bill of lading names the frame number.
Customs: the broker, CBP 7501, duty, MPF and HMF
A licensed customs broker files your entry. You’ll need the bill of lading, the agent’s commercial invoice, the export certificate, and EPA 3520-1 and DOT HS-7 forms declaring the 25-year exemption. The entry summary (CBP Form 7501) shows what you paid. On one recent entry the entered value was the vehicle price alone, without the service fees in the invoice FOB. Ask your broker which applies to you.
Tariff rates on Japanese vehicles have changed several times since 2025 and are still moving. Your broker classifies the vehicle and sets the rate. Right Hand DMS doesn’t do either. We take what you were charged off your paperwork and add it to the car’s landed cost.
Port pickup and trucking
Once customs releases the car, the terminal charges handling, plus storage when its free days run out. Book your carrier before release so storage doesn’t stack up. Hang on to every terminal and trucking receipt. They’re part of what the car cost.
Title and registration
Requirements vary by state. Most ask for the stamped 7501, the translated export certificate, a bill of sale, and an inspection of the frame number. Ask your state DMV or title office what it needs before you buy.