Ship your Vehicle to the US - Short Term "3299 entry" for Snowbirds and other Travelers

How do I ship my car into the US temporarily? What is a 3299 entry?

We know that shipping a car across the border from Canada to the United States can seem complicated. At Blackshark Enclosed Transport, we routinely move vehicles from cities and towns across British Columbia and Alberta down into the Western US. This has given us some valuable experience in auto hauling across the border, and we’d like to share what we’ve learned with you. In this article we will dive into the process for transporting a Canadian-registered vehicle into the United States temporarily (less than one year). This is sometimes referred to as a 3299 entry.

In our previous post “Shipping my car across the border from Canada to the United States” we’ve provided an overview of the cross-border shipping process and different types of import situations. If you’re not sure if your situation qualifies for temporary import, or if you are importing a vehicle under different circumstances, we encourage you to click through to that post. We will also be adding more posts covering various cross-border shipping topics.

This post is part of our series: Cross-Border Exotic Vehicle Shipping: Everything you need to know. Click here to read all the entries in this series.

Do I qualify for a 3299 entry into the United States?

Temporary importation, also referred to as 3299 entry, applies to people having their vehicle shipped into the US by a transport company for a period of less than one year. This type of entry may also be called an “informal import”. Typically, Canadian snowbirds, who temporarily relocate to the lower states during Canada’s cold winter months, will qualify for this type of entry. See the CBP website for more details.

Basic requirements for shipping your Canadian-registered car into the US temporarily

To have your vehicle hauled across the Canada-US border by an automotive transport company, you will need to provide your shipper with some specific paperwork and information to get your vehicle over the border with as little fuss as possible. 

Essentially, the border agent will require evidence that your vehicle is Canadian-registered, that it will be in the country for less than one year, and that the carrier has permission to transport it. In addition, they will need documentation telling the story of your trip to back up the claim that you and the car will be returning to Canada. Below you will find a summary of what you will need to provide.

Required documentation your carrier will need to ship your car over the border:

• Completed U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) form 3299

• Photocopy of vehicle registration

• Copies of vehicle owner’s driver’s licence and passport

• Signed letter of permission allowing the carrier to move the vehicle on your behalf

• Canadian residence confirmation such as a copy of a current utility, landline telephone,  or tax bill with your name and address

• US residence confirmation such as a current utility, landline telephone, or tax bill with your name and address, or hotel reservation information

• Commercial flight or other travel details

• Valid visa or 1-94

  • If you are a Canadian citizen, you will likely only need this if you are going for a job or to study in the USA.

Understand CBP Form 3299 - Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles and how to complete it

Form 3299 must be completed for all items you are bringing into the United States using a carrier. In the case of auto shipping, your 3299 is a full record of the vehicle and all of its contents, along with information about yourself and your trip to allow the border agent to determine whether the vehicle and items in it will be permitted entry.

It is estimated it will take approximately 45 minutes to complete CBP form 3299. The more items you will be having transported, the more you must include on the form. Nevertheless, many importers, especially snowbirds or those staying in the US for a longer stretch may find it convenient to include some larger items in their vehicle to lighten their own burden while travelling. For example, customers may want to include bicycles, larger suitcases, or other items that are difficult or expensive to check for airline flights.

Here are Blackshark Automotive Transport’s top tips for filling out CBP form 3299:

• You, the vehicle owner, are the importer

• Include the carrier’s information and travel details in Part I Section 8

• Do not complete Part III

• Part V is for your carrier and transport driver’s information

  
  We’ve created an even more in-depth post with more detail on how to complete CBP Form 3299. Once it has been posted, we will add a link here. 

Prepare your vehicle for shipping across the border

We have developed a set of “best practices” that we recommend to our customers to prepare their vehicles to be transported into the USA. In our experience hauling cars across the Canada-US border, we find that if customers follow these guidelines the process tends to go more smoothly and is quicker. Below is a summary of what we suggest to customers; for more details be sure to check out our comprehensive post on the topic. Lots of other tips are included in our cross-border shipping series, too!

• Have your car detailed or thoroughly cleaned before shipping

• Clear out clutter and any trash or items you will not need at your destination

• Pack any items in the car in clear bags or bins

• Make sure all the items being shipped in the car are listed on your CBP form 3299

Remember: your vehicle will be searched and x-rayed before being allowed entry to the United States.

Other considerations when shipping a vehicle across the border temporarily:

• Check whether your auto insurance is scheduled to expire while the car is out of Canada

• Renew your insurance if required, and confirm that your coverage will extend for the entire duration of your trip. Some insurers cover only six months out of country, for example

• Renew your driver’s licence if it is due to expire while you are away

• Confirm that your carrier holds adequate insurance to ship into the United States. Many carriers in Western Canada hold insurance that covers BC, Alberta, and Saskatchewan only. Blackshark carries elite-level insurance to cover even exotic and high-end cars across Western Canada and into the United States

If you are searching for a car hauler to ship your ride from BC, Alberta, or Saskatchewan into the US, we would appreciate the opportunity to earn your business! Please contact us for a quote. If you still want further information on enclosed auto hauling or need more reasons to use enclosed transport click those links. You can also find our Google reviews here - we have an average of 5 stars over there. 

Blackshark has hauled cars from Canada through all the US Ports of Entry in the West

Whatever your situation, if you need to ship a car from Western Canada into the United States, Blackshark Enclosed Transport is here to help you with every step of the process. We have direct experience with hauling exotic cars through border crossings at Blaine, Oroville, Abbotsford, Peace Arch, Sumas, Sweetgrass, and more. We pick up cars from big cities and small towns.

Here’s a sample of some of our recent pickup locations in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan:

• Williams Lake, BC

• Nanaimo, BC

• Summerland, BC

• Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (SK)

• Terrace, BC

• Red Deer, AB

• Vancouver, BC

• Richmond, BC

• Langley, BC

• Victoria, BC

• Tsawwassen, BC

• Edmonton, Alberta (AB)

• West Vancouver, British Columbia (BC)

• Grand Forks, BC

• Kelowna, BC

• Calgary, AB

• Courtenay, BC

• Kamloops, BC

• Chilliwack, BC

• Grande Prairie, AB

• Sidney, BC

• Medicine Hat, AB

These are some of our USA destination drop-offs and pickups:

• Las Vegas, Nevada (NV)

• Los Angeles, California (CA)

• Bellevue, Washington (WA)

• Carlsbad, CA

• Boise, Idaho ID

• Indian Wells, CA

• Seattle, WA

• Palm Springs, CA

• San Diego, CA

• Newport Beach, CA

Please note that while Blackshark makes every effort to ensure our cross-border shipping guides are accurate and complete at the time of writing, CBP and CBSA rules may change at any time. In particular now, with the covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, the border situation is dynamic and rules seem to be changing fluidly. At Blackshark we stay on top of the changing border situation and keep our customers updated every step of the way.

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