Visiting Vancouver with car bought in U.S. but no license plates yet (sale)

[raggamuffin]

Hi,

We are U.S. citizens and bought a new car in California at the end of May. We plan to cross the border on July 1st to visit the Vancouver area for about a week. Unfortunately, we didn't think about buying our car earlier because we still haven't received the license plates from the DMV. I only have the temporary registration in the windshield and I'm not sure if it even lists my name and address. I believe it only lists the vin number. Does anyone have an idea whether its possible to enter Canada and also return to the U.S. without license plates? I've been searching online for an answer, but the websites for the U.S. and Canadian border agencies don't mention anything about temporary registration. Thanks.

[hamlin6969]

Just call the Canadian border and ask. Also call American border because you will need to come back to the states. They might think you bought the car there.

[marc3565]

Also make sure to carry the bill of sale and registration to prove it's origins

[raggamuffin]

Thanks for the replies. Unfortunately, it's impossible to reach a live body by phone or email at the U.S. or Canadian border agencies. We will just try our luck with the sale documents and temporary registration.

[tarp]

Actually, it is possible to reach a live person. Call the CBSA Border Information Service phone number then go through the menu for a specific topic; there is an option to reach a live person after listening to the recorded message.