The Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) Process, Step by Step

What the Registrar of Imported Vehicles Does

The Registrar of Imported Vehicles runs the registration, inspection and certification of vehicles that were built for the U.S. market and are being imported into Canada. It operates under contract with Transport Canada and is funded by the fees importers pay, not by government.

Each part of a vehicle import is handled by a different authority, and each one has to be completed:

1. U.S. export
2. CBSA clearance
3. RIV registration & inspection
4. Canadian compliance label
5. Provincial registration

CBSA decides whether the vehicle can enter Canada and collects duties and taxes. RIV confirms the vehicle has been brought up to Canadian safety standards. The province decides whether it can be registered and plated. A vehicle that has cleared customs but not finished RIV cannot be licensed for the road.

Which Vehicles Go Through RIV

The Motor Vehicle Safety Act allows a vehicle bought in the United States into Canada when it was originally manufactured to meet the U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and can be modified to meet the Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Regulated vehicles include those designed to be driven or drawn on public roads, so trucks, buses and trailers are covered, along with off-road designs such as all-terrain vehicles, off-road motorcycles and snowmobiles.

The compatibility list

Transport Canada publishes a list of vehicles that are admissible to enter the RIV program when purchased in the U.S., built from information manufacturers provide voluntarily. Models appear as compatible or incompatible, with a special annotations column for extra requirements. A compatible listing does not guarantee the vehicle will be imported successfully; it means the model can enter the program.

Exempt and non-regulated vehicles

Vehicles manufactured more than 15 years ago, and buses manufactured before January 1, 1971, are exempt from the Motor Vehicle Safety Act at import. They still have to meet CBSA's requirements for entry. Some other vehicles are treated as non-regulated because of their design or because they are entering Canada only temporarily; border officers assess this when the vehicle is presented, so admissibility should be researched first.

Modified and salvage vehicles

A vehicle that has been modified beyond general repairs or routine maintenance loses its original factory certification, which is required for import. Transport Canada's examples include a suspension lift kit, a cargo van converted into a camper, a lengthened vehicle and a different body kit. Unless the modifier or final-stage manufacturer has established that the vehicle complies with Canadian standards, it cannot be imported.

Salvage-branded vehicles can enter through RIV's Salvage Vehicle Program only when the damage was not flood-related and the vehicle is a compliant vehicle less than 15 years old (or a compliant bus manufactured on or after January 1, 1971). Some manufacturers will not issue recall clearance for vehicles once declared salvage, and a vehicle cannot be imported without it.

The RIV Process, Step by Step

The order matters. Several of these steps have to happen before the vehicle reaches the border, and the 45-day clock starts on the date of import.

1. Confirm admissibility before you buy

   Check the make, model and year against Transport Canada's compatibility list, confirm the vehicle is unmodified from its original assembly, and check its branding history. See Vehicle Admissibility Requirements in Canada.

2. Clear recalls and send proof to RIV

   The importer must confirm the vehicle has no outstanding recalls and submit proof to RIV before importation. Transport Canada's recall database only covers vehicles built for and sold in Canada, so recall clearance for a U.S. vehicle comes from the manufacturer or an authorized dealer. RIV can tell you in advance whether recall clearance is available electronically for that vehicle.

3. Complete U.S. export requirements

   U.S. Customs and Border Protection requires title documentation before a vehicle leaves the United States, and many ports require it at least 72 hours before departure. See Required Documents for Importing a Vehicle into Canada.

4. Declare the vehicle to CBSA with the Vehicle Import Form

   The vehicle is declared at the border on the Vehicle Import Form (Form 1), or its online equivalent, the RIV e-Form. CBSA reviews the documents, collects duties and taxes, and the vehicle enters the RIV program.

5. Pay the RIV fee

   Once the RIV fee is paid and RIV has the recall clearance, RIV tells the importer to present the vehicle for its federal inspection and sets out what must be done to it first. The fee is charged per vehicle; check the current amount at riv.ca.

6. Make the required modifications

   Common Canadian requirements include daytime running lights, an anti-theft immobilizer and bilingual, metric labelling. The Motor Vehicle Safety Act makes the importer responsible for bringing the vehicle into compliance; it does not say who must do the work, although a manufacturer may require an authorized dealer for some repairs.

7. Pass the federal inspection within 45 days

   The vehicle is inspected at an RIV inspection centre. If it fails, the deficiencies can be corrected and the vehicle re-inspected, with additional fees. Once it passes, the importer receives a Canadian compliance label to affix to the vehicle.

8. Register the vehicle in the province

   Take the import documents to the provincial or territorial licensing authority. In Ontario, see Steps for Vehicle Importation in Ontario. Completing the import does not guarantee a province will license the vehicle: some provinces will not license right-hand-drive vehicles or certain repaired salvage vehicles.

The 45-Day Deadline

Importers have 45 days from the date of import to complete the RIV process. Recall clearance, fee payment, modifications and the inspection all have to fit inside that window, so parts, shop time and the inspection appointment should be lined up before the vehicle crosses.

If it becomes clear a vehicle will not pass within 45 days, advise RIV immediately. A vehicle that ultimately cannot pass must be exported back to the United States or destroyed under the supervision of Canadian customs officials. Transport Canada notes that importing a vehicle that does not comply with the Motor Vehicle Safety Act is a punishable offence.

RIV for Commercial Vehicle Importers

Dealerships, fleet operators and other businesses go through the same RIV steps as anyone else, but usually for more than one vehicle at a time. That changes what needs planning:

• Every vehicle has its own RIV file, fee, recall clearance and 45-day deadline
• Recall clearance is needed for each VIN before it crosses, not just for the model
• Modification and inspection capacity has to match the number of vehicles arriving together
• The importing business needs its Business Number, import account, CARM registration and broker delegation in place
• RIV fees and modification costs belong in the landed cost alongside duty, GST and any surtax that applies

CBSA's Memorandum D19-12-1, Importation of Vehicles sets out the border rules, including vehicles imported commercially for sale. Businesses that are not yet set up to import should start with Do You Need a Business Number to Import Into Canada? For changes to tariffs and surtaxes on U.S. goods, see our industry news.

Common RIV Problems

• Recall clearance is unavailable, often for salvage-branded vehicles
• The vehicle was modified after leaving the factory
• The vehicle is assumed admissible because the model is on the compatibility list
• Modifications are started late and the 45-day window runs out
• The RIV fee is left unpaid, so the inspection cannot be scheduled
• The province will not license the vehicle after import

Most of these are avoidable with a document and vehicle review before the purchase is finalized.

How Garden City Supports Commercial Vehicle Imports

Garden City Customs Services Inc. provides customs brokerage for commercial vehicle imports entering Canada from the United States. Our role is the customs side of the import: reviewing vehicle details and documents before the vehicle moves, preparing the customs declaration, and coordinating CBSA clearance so the vehicle enters the RIV program with complete, accurate information.

The RIV registration, modifications and federal inspection remain the importer's responsibility and are completed through RIV and its inspection network.

Select high-value personal vehicle imports may also be considered on a case-by-case basis, subject to advance review and full prepayment before clearance.

Official Sources

• Registrar of Imported Vehicles (riv.ca): fees, recall clearance, inspection locations and the vehicle import e-form
• Transport Canada: Frequently asked questions on importing vehicles purchased in the United States
• Transport Canada: Importing a vehicle from the United States and Mexico
• CBSA Memorandum D19-12-1: Importation of Vehicles