Importing a bike from Seattle to BC, registering as an Ontario resident??? | GTAMotorcycle.com

Importing a bike from Seattle to BC, registering as an Ontario resident???

Serb

Serb

Member
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Hey guys,

Got a question that I just couldn't find an answer to around here...

I'm in California right now (Ontario resident), and let's say I purchase a bike in Seattle (found a really sweet deal there for a GSXR600)... given that I haven't figured out how can I possibly register AND insure a bike down here in the States for the next few months that I'll be here without jumping through some major hoops (if anyone knows how, please let me know), I was thinking of flying up to Seattle, picking up the bike, taking it over to Vancouver or something, just across the border, registering it with MTO and getting insured, getting all the inspections done and all (might take a few days, so I figured I'd check out Vancouver while waiting)... and then just ship (or ride) it down to California and ride it down here for the rest of the year.

Now, the issue is that I'm an Ontario resident... meaning, if I was to do the above, could I still register it in BC? I'd get BC plates, I guess? Or is that even possible? As far as insurance goes, that shouldn't be too much of a problem, right, as I can handle that ahead of time and have the pink slip in the mailbox by the time all of this is taken care of, right?

What do you guys think?

Just... how can I logistically pull this off without having to ship the bike to Ontario (import and register it there), me having to fly all the way back to Ontario (wasn't really planning to just yet), and then having to fly back to California AND ship the bike back here too.

Thoughts?

Is this doable? If so, how?

Thanks in advance.
 
dont know if they still do it but when i last imported a few years ago my title to the bike had to wait at US customs for 3 days, you may want to factor that into the flying back and forth costs unless you plan on buying without seeing it and having the seller fax you the title..
 
You can't register a bike in a province you don't reside in.
If you don't have a BC drivers licence then you can't get insurance or licence plates.
 
Even as a non-resident of California, you can register the bike there. Just make sure it is legal to be registered in CA (not all bikes are 50 state bikes). Mercury Insurance (big in CA) will put together a policy for you as well. You pay a bit more because you are a non-resident, but it is doable. I know, I did it when I first moved there :)
 
R1Style said:
You can't register a bike in a province you don't reside in.
If you don't have a BC drivers licence then you can't get insurance or licence plates.
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I can chime in with info on California registration. Fully registering out-of-state vehicle in California is PITA. You can get temporary registration and plates without any problems (as long as you have your license, which is very easy to get in Cali anyway). But they would want you to get a registration certificate for the car eventually. You don't have to do anything, just fill out a form. Funny thing - I lived there for over a year and got permanent registration paperwork for my car two weeks before I went back home to Canada.
 
R1Style said:
You can't register a bike in a province you don't reside in. If you don't have a BC drivers licence then you can't get insurance or licence plates.
Click to expand...

gotcha.

ViperZ said:
I can chime in with info on California registration. Fully registering out-of-state vehicle in California is PITA. You can get temporary registration and plates without any problems (as long as you have your license, which is very easy to get in Cali anyway). But they would want you to get a registration certificate for the car eventually. You don't have to do anything, just fill out a form. Funny thing - I lived there for over a year and got permanent registration paperwork for my car two weeks before I went back home to Canada.
Click to expand...

do I have to have a US license or will Canadian M2 suffice?
 
Serb said:
do I have to have a US license or will Canadian M2 suffice?
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure you'll need a US license, because by law, if you live (and drive) in California for more than 3 weeks (I think it's 3 weeks) you have to get California drivers license. Getting their drivers license was a joke, but I don't know about motorcycle license.
 
R1Style said:
You can't register a bike in a province you don't reside in.
If you don't have a BC drivers licence then you can't get insurance or licence plates.
Click to expand...

Find someone who will put you on their next billing cycle for phone / tv / internet / hydro
???
Profit!!!

Just for the record, you can get a bike plated without a license in BC. The system is really flawed. You can even insure a bike with only a learners license for just a regular cage.
 
Update -> found out that I can register a bike in California without a Cali license after all (just confirmed with DMV) - they will accept my Canadian license just fine. Checked into the insurance as well, and apparently I can get that with my Canadian license only as well (a few hundred bucks more per year for full coverage, and I can always pay $30 or something to get a Cali motorcycle license - go through the written/road test and lower that insurance down to something like $1,100/year).

In terms of importing the bike back into Canada, since the title will be in my name, with my Cali address, would that simplify things a bit at the border (if I do decide to import it back to Ontario)? Or would that complicate things a bit, since I'd have Cali license plates, address, etc (as a Canadian resident)?
 
Serb said:
Update -> found out that I can register a bike in California without a Cali license after all (just confirmed with DMV) - they will accept my Canadian license just fine. Checked into the insurance as well, and apparently I can get that with my Canadian license only as well (a few hundred bucks more per year for full coverage, and I can always pay $30 or something to get a Cali motorcycle license - go through the written/road test and lower that insurance down to something like $1,100/year).

In terms of importing the bike back into Canada, since the title will be in my name, with my Cali address, would that simplify things a bit at the border (if I do decide to import it back to Ontario)? Or would that complicate things a bit, since I'd have Cali license plates, address, etc (as a Canadian resident)?
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I think you just won't have to show the bill of sale at the border, but all other importing paperwork still applies.
 
Why would you even consider getting a Cali licence when you are going to register the bike in California? Columbia is quite far from California.
 
ViperZ said:
I'm pretty sure you'll need a US license, because by law, if you live (and drive) in California for more than 3 weeks (I think it's 3 weeks) you have to get California drivers license. Getting their drivers license was a joke, but I don't know about motorcycle license.
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You will have to retake the test all over including the road test even with the full M.
 
Serb said:
Update -> found out that I can register a bike in California without a Cali license after all (just confirmed with DMV) - they will accept my Canadian license just fine. Checked into the insurance as well, and apparently I can get that with my Canadian license only as well (a few hundred bucks more per year for full coverage, and I can always pay $30 or something to get a Cali motorcycle license - go through the written/road test and lower that insurance down to something like $1,100/year).

In terms of importing the bike back into Canada, since the title will be in my name, with my Cali address, would that simplify things a bit at the border (if I do decide to import it back to Ontario)? Or would that complicate things a bit, since I'd have Cali license plates, address, etc (as a Canadian resident)?
Click to expand...

Are you being paid in Canada if so you can claim as a returning resident which you will have to show your US tax returns which means you do not pay any import taxes, if not you will have to pay the book value ( i would recommend getting the bike appraised) Assuming the bike has all the recall completed which you will need for the RIV. Check out the RIV website for instructions how to import into Canada.
 
Dahulk said:
You will have to retake the test all over including the road test even with the full M.
Click to expand...

in Cali, both written and road test are a joke.... have you seen what their road test is like?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a612zmLuYV0

apparently it costs only $32 or something (confirmed with DMV today) to take both.

and they don't even have a full M test. this is it. written test, road test, and that's it. Jesus...

Dahulk said:
Are you being paid in Canada if so you can claim as a returning resident which you will have to show your US tax returns which means you do not pay any import taxes, if not you will have to pay the book value ( i would recommend getting the bike appraised) Assuming the bike has all the recall completed which you will need for the RIV. Check out the RIV website for instructions how to import into Canada.
Click to expand...

Yes, I am a full blown Canadian resident (get paid in Canada) and only visiting California for the winter (non-resident here, not working in US), so I will definitely have to pay the taxes if I decide to import the bike into Canada.
 
Dahulk said:
Are you being paid in Canada if so you can claim as a returning resident which you will have to show your US tax returns which means you do not pay any import taxes, if not you will have to pay the book value ( i would recommend getting the bike appraised) Assuming the bike has all the recall completed which you will need for the RIV. Check out the RIV website for instructions how to import into Canada.
Click to expand...

Um, not quite. For the vehicle to come into Canada duty free you need to have been a U.S. resident for 5+ years and the vehicle must be at least 6 months old, unless it was purchased as a replacement for a vehicle that was damaged beyond repair. You do NOT show anyone your U.S. tax returns, you show proof of legal residency in the U.S. which in my case was my visa's and passports. Taxes at the border are determined by a black book the CBSA has, not an appraisal you have.
 
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