Ship a Car to the USA from the UK: the 25-Year Rule
Honest answer: one rule decides most of it. If your car is 25 years old or more, it is exempt from US federal safety standards and imports cleanly. If it is newer, permanent import is effectively blocked unless it already meets US spec. Shipping itself is the easy part: roughly £900–£1,500 by RoRo to the East Coast, four to six weeks door to door.
The short version
- 25 years or older. Exempt from US federal safety standards (FMVSS). This is the clean, normal route.
- 21 years or older. Exempt from EPA emissions rules, in original unmodified condition.
- Newer than 25 years. Permanent import is effectively closed unless the car already conforms to US spec.
- Visiting for up to a year. Allowed for non-residents. The car has to leave again.
- Cost. RoRo to the US East Coast typically £900–£1,500. Import tariffs are the big number now: roughly 10% for UK-built cars inside the annual quota, 27.5% outside it.
- Time. Four to six weeks door to door. Weekly sailings from the UK.
Can your car actually go?
Two US federal agencies decide this, and they work independently.
NHTSA handles safety. EPA handles emissions. A car built for the UK market was never certified to either standard, so on paper it fails both. The exemptions are what make import possible.
- The 25-year rule (NHTSA). A vehicle 25 years old or more, measured from its month and year of manufacture, is exempt from the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. It is a rolling date, not a fixed cut-off.
- The 21-year rule (EPA). Vehicles 21 years old or more are generally exempt from emissions requirements, provided they are in original unmodified configuration.
- So 25 is the binding number. Clear 25 and you have cleared both.
Below 25 years, the picture changes sharply. A 2015 UK-market car has no realistic permanent import route. It was never built to US spec and cannot simply be made to comply. The only formal path is a Registered Importer, who must modify and certify the car, and only for models NHTSA has ruled eligible. It is expensive, slow, and rarely worth it for an ordinary road car. For most people the honest answer is no.
Right-hand drive is not the obstacle people expect. Once a vehicle is lawfully admitted, RHD is legal at federal level. Individual states set their own inspection and registration rules, so it is worth checking the destination state, but there is no federal ban.
Always check the current position directly: NHTSA on importing a vehicle and EPA on importing vehicles and engines. Rules change, and this article is general guidance rather than legal or customs advice.
Why do classics flow so freely?
Because the 25-year exemption removes the hard part. No conformity work, no Registered Importer, no modifications. The car is treated as a historic vehicle and clears on its age.
This is why the UK to USA classic route is busy. Defenders, Range Rover Classics, Escorts, Minis, older Porsches and Jaguars, and plenty of RHD oddities that American collectors cannot buy at home. Most cars moving on this lane are already sold before they sail, to a buyer who has been waiting for a specific car.
Classics also change how you ship. Open-deck RoRo is fine for a solid running vehicle. Anything valuable, low, non-running or freshly restored usually belongs in a container. Our classic car shipping guide goes into condition, securing and documentation in more detail.
Can you take your car to America for a year?
Yes, in the right circumstances. Non-residents visiting the USA can generally bring a vehicle in temporarily for personal use, without meeting FMVSS or EPA standards, on the condition that it leaves again. One year is the usual limit.
The conditions matter:
- Personal use only. The car cannot be sold or offered for sale while it is there.
- It must be exported. Temporary admission is not a route to permanent import by default.
- It is declared at entry. Customs and Border Protection will want the exemption claimed properly, and the DOT and EPA declarations are separate — clearing one does not clear the other. Your agent needs to know the intent before the car sails.
A US-spec car returning home is a different case again, with its own treatment. If that is your situation, say so at quote stage, because the paperwork and duty position both change.
What does it cost to ship a car to the USA?
These are typical market ballparks for 2026. Your quote confirms the real number, because it depends on the car, the port pair and the sailing.
RoRo to the East Coast, New York or Baltimore, typically runs £900–£1,500. The car is driven on and secured on a vehicle deck. It is the cheapest and most common option for a running car, and sailings are weekly.
Container costs more and protects more. A shared container is the middle option. Sole use gives you a sealed box, room for spares, and the ability to ship a non-runner. We compare the two properly in RoRo vs container shipping.
| Cost line | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| UK collection to port | £150–£450 | Depends on distance. You can also drive it in yourself. |
| RoRo ocean freight, UK to US East Coast | £900–£1,500 | Running, driveable vehicles. Weekly sailings. |
| Shared container | £1,200–£1,800 | Enclosed. Slightly longer, as it waits for a full box. |
| Sole-use 20ft container | £1,600–£2,800 | Non-runners, high value, spares travelling with the car. |
| Marine insurance | 1.5–2.5% of declared value | Optional but sensible. Declare an honest value. |
| US import tariff | 10% in quota / 27.5% outside | The 2.5% base car rate now carries a Section 232 tariff on top. UK-built cars have a 100,000-vehicle annual quota at a combined 10%. Pickups are higher again (the 25% "chicken tax", plus Section 232). Confirm with a US customs broker before booking. |
| US customs clearance and agent | £250–£500 | Filing the DOT and EPA declarations and the CBP entry. |
| US port and terminal handling | £150–£400 | Charged at destination. Storage accrues if collection is slow. |
For the wider picture across other destinations, see our car shipping cost calculator.
A worked example
Hypothetical, to show how the stack adds up. A 1995 Land Rover Defender 90, sold privately to a buyer in Texas. Built 1995, so comfortably over 25 years. FMVSS exempt, EPA exempt, no Registered Importer needed. Declared value £28,000.
- Collection, Yorkshire to Southampton: £280
- RoRo, Southampton to Baltimore: £1,150
- Marine insurance at 2%: £560
- US tariff at 10% (inside the UK quota): £2,800
- US clearance and port charges: £450
- RollShip booking fee: £99 launch price (rising to £199)
Landed at Baltimore for roughly £5,340, in about five weeks. If the UK quota is exhausted when the car arrives, the tariff jumps to 27.5% and the total is nearer £10,200 — which is why the tariff position, not the freight, is the number to check first. Onward transport from Baltimore to Texas is a separate US domestic job, quoted in-country, and is normally the buyer's cost. Real quotes vary with sailing, port and season.
What actually happens, step by step?
- Quote and book. You confirm the car, its build date, the destination port and whether you want RoRo or container.
- Documents gathered. V5C, proof of ownership or bill of sale, photo ID, and the details needed for the UK export entry.
- Handover. The car is collected or delivered to the port. Quarter tank of fuel, no personal belongings inside, keys handed over.
- Loading and sailing. Ocean transit to the US East Coast is usually two to three weeks. The rest of the four to six is UK collection, port cut-offs and US clearance.
- US clearance. Your agent files the CBP entry with the DOT and EPA import declarations, claiming the age exemptions. Duty is paid here.
- Collection. The car is released at the destination terminal. State registration and titling happen afterwards, locally.
Where does RollShip fit?
RollShip is a booking service, not a carrier. We are new, run by people with real UK freight-forwarding operations experience, and we are deliberately plain about which part we do.
You tell us the car and the destination. We put it to vetted UK specialists who already run the USA lane, and come back with itemised quotes, normally within 24 hours. Itemised means you can see the freight, the insurance, the port charges and the duty separately, rather than one number with padding hidden inside it.
You pay on confirmation, not before. Our booking fee is £99 while we are launching, rising to £199, and it is shown on the quote rather than buried in the shipping price.
If your car is over 25 years old, this is a straightforward job. If it is not, tell us the build date early and we will say so plainly instead of taking a booking that cannot clear. Get a quote.
Quick answers
Can I ship my car to the USA permanently?
If it is 25 years old or more, yes. It is exempt from US federal safety standards, and at 21 years or more it is exempt from EPA emissions rules too, so it imports on its age. If it is newer than 25 years and was not built to US spec, permanent import is effectively blocked. The Registered Importer route exists but only covers models NHTSA has ruled eligible, and the cost rarely justifies it. Check current rules with NHTSA and the EPA.
How much does UK to USA car shipping cost?
Typical market ballparks for 2026: £900–£1,500 for RoRo from the UK to the US East Coast, £1,200–£1,800 shared container, £1,600–£2,800 for a sole-use container. On top of that, marine insurance at 1.5–2.5% of value, and US clearance and port charges of roughly £400–£900 combined. The tariff is the line that dominates: about 10% of the car's value for UK-built cars inside the annual quota, 27.5% outside it. Your quote confirms the real figure.
Can I take my car to America for a year?
Generally yes, if you are a non-resident visiting. Temporary import for personal use is usually permitted for up to one year without meeting US safety and emissions standards. The car cannot be sold there and must be exported at the end. The exemption has to be claimed correctly on the DOT and EPA declarations at entry, so tell your shipping agent it is a temporary import before the car sails.
Tell us what you need. We'll price it.
Every shipment is different, so we don't publish a price list. Tell us the car and where it's going, and vetted UK specialists come back with itemised quotes within 24 hours. Free, no obligation.
Prefer email? Tell us what you need at [email protected] and we'll price it.