Importing and Exporting RVs and Boats: Canada ⇄ U.S.

Updated October 18, 2026 · Canada ⇄ United States · RVs, trailers and boats

Moving an RV or a boat across the Canada–U.S. border for good is a different job from driving it across for a holiday. A vacation crossing needs a passport and a declaration. A permanent import needs government approval of the vehicle itself: safety compliance, emissions, title, taxes and duty, and (in Canada) a federal inspection before the province will license it.

This guide sets out the process in both directions for RVs, trailers and boats, flags what changes your costs, and tells you when to hire a customs broker. If you only want to travel with your RV, see our border-crossing checklist instead.

The federal path runs through three agencies: Transport Canada decides whether a vehicle may be imported, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) releases it and collects duties and taxes, and the Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) handles the Form 1 and the inspection. The province then registers it.

The short version

1. Check admissibility. Look the vehicle up on Transport Canada’s list of vehicles admissible from the United States. A listing is not a guarantee, and modified vehicles are not eligible. Motorhomes are classed as multi-purpose passenger vehicles; trailers are a regulated class too, so check the specific unit.
2. Clear any recalls. Transport Canada states that the vehicle cannot be imported without a recall clearance. Its Canadian recall database covers only vehicles sold in Canada, so get the manufacturer or a U.S. dealer to confirm in writing.
3. Get the title and bill of sale. Title documents are mandatory for vehicles in the RIV program.
4. Complete Form 1 online at riv.ca, print it (it runs to four pages) and present it to CBSA at the border.
5. Pay duty, excise tax and GST at the border. In Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario and British Columbia, GST and the provincial part of HST are payable when you license the vehicle. Other provinces may apply sales tax at licensing.
6. Book the RIV inspection at an authorized facility within 45 days (one year for salvage). More than 500 facilities are authorized. A vehicle that fails must be exported.
7. Register and insure it with your province.

Special cases

• 15 years or older. Age-exempt from the Motor Vehicle Safety Act and the RIV program, but still subject to CBSA entry rules, and entry does not guarantee that your province will license it.
• Non-regulated units. Some trailer types (agricultural or earth-moving) and mobile homes wider than 102 inches fall outside the regulated classes; park models narrower than 102 inches are treated as trailers.
• Temporary import. Under tariff item 9802.00.00 a vehicle may be imported temporarily if it is exported again within 30 days.
• Taxes to know. A $100 excise tax applies to vehicles with air conditioning. The Green Levy applies only to vehicles at 13 L/100 km or more that were put in service after March 19, 2007. The luxury tax on vehicles applies only to subject vehicles over $100,000 made after 2018 with a GVWR of 3,856 kg or less, and excludes RVs with at least four living features.

Want the full walk-through with a cost worksheet? Read Importing a U.S. RV into Canada: Step by Step.

These rules apply to non-commercial pleasure craft. If you are a Canadian resident, you must report the purchase to CBSA when you bring the boat in and pay duty and taxes on first arrival, wherever the boat is registered.

• By land (trailering it): declare the vessel at the border, along with any trailer you bought with it.
• By water: report to CBSA’s Telephone Reporting Centre at 1-888-226-7277.
• Documents: have the bill of sale and proof of ownership ready.
• Boat standards: an imported boat must meet Transport Canada’s Construction Standards for Small Vessels. A Canadian Compliance Notice is not required for a vessel imported for personal use.
• Licence: apply for a pleasure craft licence (PCL) with government ID, proof of ownership (bill of sale), a side photo of the boat and the hull identification number if there is one. You may also need a Pleasure Craft Operator Card.
• Invasive species: clean, drain and dry the boat and trailer to avoid carrying zebra or quagga mussels.
• The trailer is a separate vehicle with different requirements from the boat.
• Luxury tax: the federal luxury tax on vessels stopped applying on November 5, 2025. Older guides, including some that are still online, still list a 10% tax on boats over $250,000. That is no longer correct. GST and applicable provincial taxes still apply.

On the U.S. side the key agencies are U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for safety standards and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for emissions.

1. Safety standards. Vehicles less than 25 years old must generally meet the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). The 25-year exemption runs from the date of manufacture, and the date goes in box 1 of the DOT form HS-7.
2. Look for the label. A conforming vehicle with a manufacturer’s label is declared in box 2A of the HS-7. Trailers need a certification label on the forward half of the left side. A vehicle without a label means contacting the manufacturer first.
3. Non-conforming vehicles have to go through a DOT-registered importer, with a bond of 150% of declared value and modifications completed within 120 days.
4. Emissions. EPA Form 3520-1 covers passenger vehicles, highway motorcycles and light-duty engines (for example, Code E for vehicles 21 years or older; Codes EE and FF for Canadian vehicles identical to the U.S. version, where model year 2002 and newer needs a letter from the manufacturer’s U.S. representative). A motorhome’s form depends on its chassis, so confirm with EPA or a broker. A towable trailer has no engine, so the engine forms do not apply to the trailer itself.
5. CBP entry. Bring the bill of sale, the Canadian registration, the EPA form and the HS-7. The U.S. Department of Agriculture expects a clean undercarriage (no soil or plant material).
6. Duty. It depends on how the unit is classified, where it was made and whether it qualifies under CUSMA. See the tariff section below. Do not rely on a flat percentage from an old guide.

The full walk-through is in Bringing a Canadian RV or Boat into the United States.

• Engine emissions. EPA Form 3520-21 covers nonroad and heavy-duty highway engines and recreational vehicles, and marine engines fall within the nonroad categories. Confirm which code applies with EPA or a broker.
• The boat trailer is a separate vehicle. Plan on its own VIN, its own compliance label and its own DOT HS-7. A trailer with no label raises the same problems as an RV trailer.
• Proof of ownership and the Canadian licence or registration papers go in the CBP file.
• Duty on boats. We could not confirm current boat duty rates on an official page, so we do not quote one. Older articles that say “1–1.5% for motorboats, 2.4% for inflatables” should be checked with a broker before you rely on them.
• After entry, register or document the boat in the state where it will be kept. Ask the state boating agency about its own paperwork and sales or use tax.

Out of the United States. CBP states that all used self-propelled vehicles require Electronic Export Information (EEI) filed through the Automated Export System (AES or AESDirect), together with the ownership documents, and the Internal Transaction Number (ITN) 72 hours before export, whatever the destination. Penalties run to $10,000 per violation. Exemptions apply to vehicles moved in-bond or under a carnet or a Temporary Importation Bond. CBP does not name motorhomes specifically, but they appear to fall within the rule, so ask before you ship one.

Out of Canada. CBSA’s published exporter guidance is aimed at commercial goods: for the United States, non-restricted goods need no export declaration and restricted goods need a permit. It does not address personal vehicles. If you are moving a Canadian-registered vehicle or boat south, call CBSA before the move, ask your province how to cancel the registration and plates, and ask Transport Canada how to close the boat’s registry entry or cancel the pleasure craft licence. If the unit is financed, ask the lender in writing whether it must approve the export.

• U.S. Section 232 metal tariffs. On August 18, 2025 they were extended to camping trailers (tariff heading 8716.10.00) at 50% on the metal content, and to motorhome-related parts such as mufflers and exhaust pipes.
• U.S. Section 338 tariffs. Tariffs of up to 50% on certain Canadian goods took effect on August 22, 2026, regardless of CUSMA qualification. The RV industry reports that complete RVs are not captured, but some RV components are.
• Canadian counter-tariffs. Canada applies 25% on non-CUSMA U.S.-made vehicles and on the U.S. content of CUSMA-compliant vehicles, and added new counter-tariffs on September 8, 2026.
• U.S. autos. Section 232 tariffs on autos are 25%, with an increase to 50% announced for January 1, 2027.
• Court ruling. The U.S. Supreme Court struck down the IEEPA-based tariffs on February 20, 2026.
• CUSMA remains in force. Whether a unit qualifies is a question about where its parts and assembly come from, not about where you bought it.

Before you pay a deposit, get a written duty-and-tax estimate from a customs broker for the exact unit. Include the exchange rate, because it can move the total as much as the duty does.

Tick off what you have in hand. The list is for your own planning and prints cleanly.

Print the checklistClear ticks

You can do a private import yourself, and many people do. A broker is worth the fee when any of these is true:

• The unit is a motorhome, van conversion or anything built in stages, or has been modified.
• You are not sure of the correct tariff classification or whether it qualifies under CUSMA.
• The purchase price is high enough that a classification mistake would cost more than the broker’s fee.
• Your deadline is tight, or the unit is arriving by transporter instead of behind your own tow vehicle.
• You are shipping a boat across water or by commercial carrier.

Ask for a written quote that lists what is included, and ask whether the broker will file the paperwork on both sides of the border.

Can I import any U.S. RV into Canada?

No. Transport Canada publishes a list of vehicles admissible from the United States, and a listing does not guarantee that a particular unit can be imported. Modified vehicles are not eligible, for example a cargo van converted into a camper. Motorhomes and van conversions are built in stages and have extra requirements, so check the specific vehicle before you pay a deposit.

Do I have to pass an inspection when importing a U.S. RV into Canada?

A vehicle covered by the Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) program needs an RIV inspection within 45 days of import (one year for a salvage vehicle). A vehicle that fails must be exported, and provinces will not license a vehicle that has not been through the process.

Is a vehicle 15 years or older exempt?

Vehicles 15 years or older are age-exempt from the Motor Vehicle Safety Act and the RIV program, but they must still satisfy CBSA entry requirements, and the age must be verifiable from the vehicle’s markings. Entry at the border does not guarantee the province will let you license it, so ask your provincial registry first.

How much does the RIV fee cost?

RIV sets its own fee and it can change, so confirm the current amount at riv.ca or by calling 1-888-848-8240 before you budget. We do not quote a figure here because we could not confirm one on an official page.

Is there still a luxury tax on boats in Canada?

No. The federal luxury tax on vessels stopped applying on November 5, 2025, and CBSA’s guidance confirms it no longer applies to aircraft and vessels. GST and any applicable provincial taxes still apply.

Does my boat trailer count as part of the boat?

No. Treat the trailer as a separate vehicle. Declare it with the boat at the border, and expect its own paperwork and its own safety-compliance requirements in the country you are entering.

What do I need to bring a Canadian RV into the United States for good?

In general: proof of ownership, the foreign registration, a bill of sale, proof the vehicle meets U.S. safety standards (usually the manufacturer’s compliance label, entered on DOT form HS-7), and the correct EPA form where one applies. A vehicle that does not conform must go through a DOT-registered importer. Confirm the details with CBP and NHTSA.

Do trailers need an EPA emissions form?

The EPA’s import forms cover vehicles and engines. A towable trailer has no engine, so the engine-emissions forms do not apply to the trailer itself, although its safety-compliance label and the DOT form still matter. A motorhome or a boat with an engine is a different matter; check with EPA or a customs broker.

Will tariffs change what I pay?

They may. Tariffs between Canada and the U.S. have changed repeatedly and some apply to RV components and trailers made with steel. Ask a customs broker for a current estimate based on the exact unit, where it was built, and whether it qualifies under CUSMA.

Government pages used to prepare this guide (checked October 2026):

• Transport Canada: importing a vehicle from the U.S. or Mexico
• Transport Canada: FAQ on importing vehicles bought in the U.S.
• Transport Canada: importing non-regulated vehicles
• Transport Canada: importer checklist for U.S. vehicles
• CBSA Memorandum D19-12-1: importing vehicles
• Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV)
• CBP: importing a car
• NHTSA: importation and certification FAQs
• EPA: importing vehicles and engines

Tariff information was cross-checked with the RV Industry Association’s tariff updates and a law-firm trade timeline, both dated late September 2026. Tariff notes are secondary sources and may be out of date by the time you read this.

Where to go next

Planning to drive across for a trip instead? Route guides for crossing and camping cover the travel side.