Importing a Canadian car (insurance, DMV, costs)

[Molokai Mike]

I am a snowbird and will be staying in Hawaii 4-5 month a year. We are planning on shipping a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee to the islands and would like to know if anybody did the same and if he could give us hints on what to do and whom to contact and what costs were involved?
Thanks
Mo Mike

[MKWC]

What does your insurance provider say about this? Since you won't be a full-time resident, you may be able to retain your provincial plates and insurance.

[OpenD]

Hard to understand exactly what you are asking... do you mean ship it here, use it 4-5 months, then ship it back?

If so, then your Canadian registration and suitable insurance will suffice, just like any other tourist visit.

Or do you mean leave it here when you go back to Canada? If so it's more complicated, because your Canadian registration will expire at some point, usually within a year, and then you will have to get a Hawai'i title and registration, which means you will have to have legally "imported" the vehicle from Canada. Here's what US Customs and Border Protection has to say on the subject:

The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will not register a vehicle that has been imported into the U.S. without proof an entry was filed with CBP and proof the vehicle conforms to U.S. emissions and safety standards. If the vehicle does not conform to U.S. emissions or safety standards, you will not be able to register it in the U.S. You will either have to bring it up to U.S. standards or export the car.

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/det...-the-u.s.-with