Register a Japanese truck in Illinois.

Where the truck lands

Japan to Baltimore is the long sail, often about 4 to 6 weeks by the Panama Canal or a hub. The booked ship sets the date.

Baltimore, then a truck to Illinois. Chicago is a long inland leg. We compare that with a West Coast discharge only when the inland number is actually shorter.

After it is in Illinois

The Illinois Secretary of State titles the truck. Several Chicago-area counties and the East St. Louis area require an emissions test. Downstate counties generally do not. Confirm the county before you pay the balance. Use tax is paid in Illinois.

The office that handles the plate is Illinois Secretary of State, Vehicle Services. Read their current page before you pay the vehicle balance. County rules change, and the page they publish is the one that titles the truck.

How old the truck has to be in Illinois

NHTSA’s rule is the same in Illinois as in every other state. A vehicle at least 25 years old, counted from the date of manufacture, can be imported without regard to the full federal safety standards. That entry is HS-7 Box 1. The badge year on the fender is not the clock.

Illinois Secretary of State, Vehicle Services is the office that titles the truck in Illinois. Their linked page is where the plate is issued after customs release. This page does not add a second age on top of the federal 25-year manufacture date.

The federal file, then the state

The federal gate is the same in every state. NHTSA’s 25-year rule runs from the date of manufacture on the plate, not the badge year. The entry is HS-7 Box 1. EPA is a separate file. CBP’s vehicle page says a vehicle is exempt from EPA standards when 21 years have passed since the original production year and it is still in original condition. Form 3520-1 is filed at entry. A truck can clear one clock and fail the other. Your broker files the entry at the discharge port. CBP’s importing-a-car page prints auto duty at 2.5% and truck duty at 25%. Those printed rates are not in our price. US$500 by card starts the Japan-side order. Ocean freight is quoted after the sailing is booked. State title, use tax, and any inspection come after CBP releases the truck. A federal release is not a state plate.

NHTSA: importing a vehicle · EPA: importing vehicles and engines · CBP: importing a car · United States overview