Reference

Imported vehicles and the 25-year rule

A vehicle built for another market can be brought into the US, but only on set terms: at least 25 years old, or found eligible by NHTSA and brought into conformity by a registered importer. Here is how those rules work, what the HS-7 declares, and why such a vehicle's VIN and recalls often don't show up in US databases.

By Pixoware. Published 26 October 2026.

The short answer

Federal law bars importing a vehicle that was not built to US safety standards and certified by its manufacturer, with exceptions. The best known is the 25-year rule: a vehicle at least 25 years old, counted from its date of manufacture, can be imported without regard to those standards. A newer vehicle built for another market can come in permanently only if NHTSA has found the model eligible and a registered importer brings it into conformity and certifies it.

Either way, its VIN may not decode and its recalls may not show up in US searches. This is a description of the rules, not legal advice; NHTSA's importing a vehicle pages are the authority.

The starting point: built and certified for the US

Under 49 U.S.C. 30112(a)(1), a vehicle made after an applicable safety standard took effect may not be imported unless it complies and is covered by the manufacturer's certification. NHTSA says that certification is a label permanently affixed by the original manufacturer, stating that the vehicle complies with all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) in effect on its date of manufacture. On vehicles other than motorcycles and trailers, it sits next to the driver's seat on the hinge pillar, the door latch post or the door edge.

NHTSA says there is no way for it to tell from the VIN whether a vehicle was originally made to comply. Without the label, a vehicle cannot be imported as a conforming vehicle.

The 25-year exemption

Section 30112(b)(9) says the import ban does not apply to "a motor vehicle that is at least 25 years old." NHTSA says such a vehicle can be lawfully imported without regard to whether it complies with the FMVSS, and is declared under Box 1 of the HS-7 form.

How the 25 years is counted

NHTSA's FAQ says the 25 year period runs from the date of the vehicle's manufacture. Its list of eligible vehicles says the age is "based on the month and year of manufacture." So a vehicle built in June 2001 reaches 25 years in June 2026 on that measure.

To show the age, NHTSA points to documents such as a first-sale invoice or a registration from at least 25 years ago, or failing those, a statement from a recognized vehicle historical society.

What it does not cover

The 25-year rule is a safety exemption. Emissions belong to the EPA, which says the Clean Air Act bars importing vehicles, new or used, that do not meet its standards. It has a separate provision for vehicles over 21 years old, which it reads as requiring an engine identical to the one originally installed. CBP requires both agencies' forms at entry and recommends contacting them before buying a vehicle abroad. Titling and registration are for the state.

Under 25 years: eligibility and registered importers

A nonconforming vehicle under 25 years old can be imported permanently only if NHTSA has decided it is eligible. Under 49 U.S.C. 30141(a), there are two routes:

Substantially similar. The vehicle is substantially similar to one originally made for import into and sale in the US and certified by its manufacturer, is the same model year, and is capable of being readily altered to comply.
Safety features. With no substantially similar US vehicle, its safety features comply or can be altered to comply, shown by destructive test data or other evidence NHTSA accepts.

Decisions are made by make, model and model year, on NHTSA's own initiative or on a petition from a manufacturer or registered importer (49 CFR Part 593). Each eligible model gets an eligibility number (VSA, VSP or VCP) for the HS-7.

A registered importer is a business NHTSA has approved to import nonconforming vehicles and modify them to conform. NHTSA publishes the list of active ones and does not endorse any of them. Only a registered importer may import nonconforming vehicles for resale; an individual importing one for personal use needs an agreement with a registered importer to bring it into compliance (49 U.S.C. 30142). Under 49 CFR 591.8 and 592.6:

The importer posts a bond equal to 150 percent of the vehicle's dutiable value.
The registered importer has 120 days from entry to bring the vehicle into conformity, remedy any pending safety recalls, attach its own label certifying compliance, and certify the vehicle to NHTSA.
Until the bond is released, or 30 days pass after NHTSA receives the certification without an inspection demand, the vehicle may not be sold, titled, registered or, with narrow exceptions, driven on public roads.

The HS-7 declaration

Form HS-7 is NHTSA's import declaration, and CBP lists it among the documents needed at entry. It records the make, model year and VIN, and the box checked says which basis the vehicle comes in under:

Box 1: the vehicle is 25 or more years old, with its date of manufacture.
Box 2A: it meets all applicable standards and bears the manufacturer's certification label.
Box 3: a nonconforming vehicle NHTSA has found eligible, with the registered importer's name and registration number, the eligibility number and the bond.
Other boxes cover temporary and limited entries, such as racing, show or display, and vehicles not made for public roads.

The form warns that a knowingly false declaration can bring a fine of up to $10,000, up to five years in prison, or both.

Why an imported vehicle's VIN may not decode

A vehicle built for another market was not made to the US VIN rule, so a genuine number may return nothing from a US decoder, and its position 9 may not be a check digit at all. Some vehicles certified by a registered importer carry a plate reading "SUBSTITUTE FOR U.S. VIN." Our guides on why a VIN won't decode, how the check digit works and WMI codes cover this in detail.

On RunThatVIN, the decoder queries NHTSA's vPIC database. If vPIC returns no make and year, it says the vehicle is not in the database. If the check digit fails, it decodes anyway with a warning, and the check digit tool shows the arithmetic. Neither shows whether a vehicle meets US standards.

Recalls on imported vehicles

NHTSA's recall search by VIN says it does not show "a recall involving an international vehicle." RunThatVIN lists US recall campaigns by the year, make and model a decode returns, so a VIN that does not decode has nothing to look up. Searching by a US model's name shows campaigns filed for the US vehicle, which may or may not apply to yours. See how vehicle recalls work for the US process.

For vehicles a registered importer brought in, federal law fills part of the gap:

Under 49 U.S.C. 30147, a defect or noncompliance found in a vehicle made for the US is deemed to exist in a substantially similar import unless shown otherwise, and the registered importer is deemed the manufacturer of the vehicles it imports.
Under 49 CFR 592.6(i), after a recall on a substantially similar vehicle, the registered importer must notify owners and remedy the vehicle free, unless the defect is absent, already fixed, or handled by the original manufacturer. The free remedy does not apply if the first purchaser bought from the importer more than 10 calendar years before the notice.

A vehicle declared under Box 1 as 25 or more years old does not go through that process.

What a buyer of an imported vehicle should check

How it came in. Ask for the HS-7 and see which box was declared.
Its age. Under the 25-year rule, look for proof of the month and year of manufacture.
Its labels, if it is newer. Look for the original manufacturer's US certification label or a registered importer's label, and an eligibility number on the HS-7.
The VIN on everything. The vehicle, any substitute plate, the import papers and the title should agree; see where to find the VIN.
Emissions and registration. Check that it met the EPA's import rules, and ask your state motor vehicle agency what it needs to title and register it.
Recalls. Ask the registered importer, if there was one, or the original manufacturer which recalls apply and whether they were done.

The usual used-car checks still apply. For a specific import, start with NHTSA's importation pages and FAQ.

Quick answers

How is the 25-year age of an imported vehicle measured?

From the date of manufacture. NHTSA says the 25 year period runs from the date of the vehicle's manufacture, and its list of eligible vehicles says the age is based on the month and year of manufacture.

Can a vehicle under 25 years old that was not built to US standards be imported?

Only if NHTSA has decided that make, model and model year is eligible, and only by or through a registered importer. The registered importer must bring it into conformity within 120 days of entry and certify it to NHTSA.

Why won't an imported vehicle's VIN decode?

RunThatVIN decodes VINs through NHTSA's vPIC database. A vehicle built for another market is often not in it, so the lookup may return nothing, and its position 9 may not be a US check digit, so the check can fail on a genuine number.

Does RunThatVIN show recalls for imported vehicles?

It lists US recall campaigns by year, make and model. If a VIN does not decode, there is nothing to look up, and NHTSA's own VIN search does not show recalls involving an international vehicle. A registered importer is treated as the manufacturer of the vehicles it imports.

Sources

What to verify by VIN before you buy →