Documents Needed to Export a Car from the USA
Vehicles miss vessels over paperwork far more often than over trucks or ships. US Customs will not let a car sail until ownership is proven and validated, and the rules are strict, specific, and completely manageable once you know the list. Here it is.
What documents does US Customs require to export a car?
- The original title, or an acceptable equivalent like a salvage certificate for auction cars. Photocopies alone do not work.
- Lienholder authorization letter, notarized, if the vehicle is financed. No letter, no export.
- Bill of sale or auction invoice, proving the transfer if you just bought the car.
- Government ID of the exporter, matching the shipping paperwork.
- AES filing with an ITN number, the electronic export declaration your forwarder submits.
We review your copies before anything is booked, because catching a name mismatch on a Tuesday is free, and catching it at the port costs you a sailing.
Why does customs need my paperwork 72 hours before sailing?
Federal rules give US Customs at least 72 working hours with the vehicle's documents before export, so the title can be checked against the VIN on the actual car. This is the deadline that sinks rushed shipments. Weekends and holidays do not count as working hours, so a Friday delivery to the port does not sail Monday. Build the buffer in and the rule never bothers you.
Who actually files the export declaration?
Your freight forwarder. Every vehicle leaving the country is declared in the Automated Export System, which returns an ITN number that must exist before customs validation. When the ocean leg is booked through our FMC licensed sister company, Royal Port Container Lines, Inc. DBA Cassandra Logistics, that filing is part of the job, not an extra you chase down.
What about a car with a salvage or auction title?
Customs accepts salvage and auction-issued ownership certificates for export, which is why the auction pickup to port pipeline runs so smoothly. The catch sits on the receiving end: some countries welcome repairables and some refuse them outright, so match the car to the destination before buying.
Where should the originals physically go?
To the forwarder, ahead of the car, by courier with tracking. Never inside the vehicle. Customs validates documents it can hold, and a title locked in a trunk on a dock validates nothing. Send copies by email the day you book, originals the moment you have a booking confirmation, and the timeline takes care of itself.
Which destination is your car headed to?
Every country adds its own import layer on top of this US checklist. Our destination guides cover the receiving side: Nigeria, Ghana, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Germany, the Netherlands, Georgia, Norway, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica.
Export paperwork questions
Can I export a car from the USA without the original title?
Generally no. US Customs requires the original title or an acceptable equivalent, such as a salvage certificate or a certified copy in specific cases, presented before export. A photocopy alone does not sail a car.
What if my car still has a loan on it?
A financed vehicle needs a notarized letter from the lienholder authorizing export, in addition to the title. Without that letter customs will not validate the export, no matter how current your payments are.
What is the customs 72 hour rule for exporting a vehicle?
US Customs must receive the vehicle's export paperwork at least 72 working hours before it ships, so the title can be validated against the VIN. Miss the window and the car waits for the next vessel.
What is an AES filing or ITN number for a car export?
Every vehicle export is declared electronically in the Automated Export System, which returns an Internal Transaction Number. Your freight forwarder files it, and the ITN must exist before customs validation. It is routine paperwork when handled by people who do it weekly.
Can my documents just travel inside the car?
No. Originals go to the forwarder ahead of the vessel for customs validation, never inside the vehicle. Documents locked in a shipped car are documents customs never saw, which means the car does not sail.
Does a salvage certificate work for exporting an auction car?
Yes, customs accepts the salvage or auction-issued ownership certificate in place of a clean title for export. Destination countries have their own rules about accepting salvage vehicles, so check the import side too.
Send us your document copies and destination. We review before you book. US trucking prices in the calculator.
Email us your export