Register a Japanese truck in Oregon.

Where the truck lands

Japan to Tacoma is often about 2 to 3 weeks on a direct Pacific Northwest sailing. The booked ship sets the date.

Tacoma, then I-5. Portland is a few hours from the berth. Bend and Medford are longer inland trucks. We do not quote a Portland RoRo discharge.

After it is in Oregon

Oregon DEQ requires a vehicle inspection in the Portland-area program and the Medford-area program. Counties outside those boundaries do not. Oregon has no broad state sales tax. Registration fees are still due at the DMV. Confirm the DEQ boundary for your county before you pay the balance. The West Coast sail is the short one from Japan.

The office that handles the plate is Oregon DMV. 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 Oregon

NHTSA’s rule is the same in Oregon 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.

Oregon’s title page says a foreign ownership document needs proof the vehicle meets US federal vehicle standards, plus a VIN inspection. Oregon Administrative Rule 735-022-0090 accepts a customs form that describes the vehicle and shows customs approval of the federal standards. HS-7 Box 1 is the federal paper for a truck at least 25 years from its manufacture date. Oregon does not publish a different age.

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