Quick Answer: Exporting a titled US vehicle requires five core documents: the original Certificate of Title, a notarized Bill of Sale, the AES ITN number, a Power of Attorney for your forwarder, and a copy of your passport or EIN. CBP must receive the title and ITN at least 72 hours before the vehicle is loaded for export.
- CBP needs the original title plus the AES ITN filed at least 72 hours before the vessel loads — miss it and your car rolls to the next sailing.
- Five documents cover 90% of exports: Certificate of Title, notarized Bill of Sale, AES ITN, Power of Attorney, and photo ID or EIN.
- A lien on the title stops the export cold. You need a notarized lienholder authorization letter on company letterhead.
- The free calculator on this page builds your document list by destination country and vehicle type, then prices the shipment — no email required.
Most missed sailings out of PortMiami are paperwork failures, not vessel problems. The rules below come from CBP's motor vehicle export guidance and daily operations on the Miami–Latin America corridor.
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Use the calculator above →What documents do you need to export a car from the USA in 2026?
Quick Answer: US vehicle export requires the original Certificate of Title, a notarized Bill of Sale, an AES ITN from the Automated Export System, a signed Power of Attorney for your forwarder, and government photo ID or an EIN. Salvage, leased, and financed vehicles need extra lienholder or insurer paperwork.
The core packet is short but unforgiving. Every item must be original, legible, and match the VIN exactly. One digit off and CBP holds the unit.
- Original Certificate of Title — not a photocopy, not a scan. CBP inspects the physical document at the port of export under 19 CFR 192.2.
- Notarized Bill of Sale — must show VIN, sale price, buyer and seller names. Destination customs uses this value for duty assessment.
- AES ITN — the Internal Transaction Number generated in ACE/AESDirect. The number must appear on the Bill of Lading.
- Limited Power of Attorney — authorizes AB Group Shipping as your NVOCC and AES filing agent.
- Passport copy or EIN letter — individuals use a passport; companies use the IRS EIN assignment letter.
Foreign buyers cannot always file as the exporter of record. If the buyer has no US presence, they need a Dun & Bradstreet number, or the US seller files as USPPI. The International Trade Administration's export document list covers the commercial side of the packet.
Destination paperwork is a separate stack. Colombia wants a Factura Comercial and Certificado de Origen. Panama has its own checklist — see our car import requirements Panama documentation checklist for US vehicles for a full destination-side example.
The notarization gap
An unnotarized Bill of Sale is the most common rejection we see. Many buyers print a sale receipt and assume it works. CBP and DIAN both want a notary stamp with the VIN and sale price on the same page. Fix it before the vehicle leaves your driveway, not at the terminal gate.
What are the title requirements to export a vehicle?
Quick Answer: CBP requires the original Certificate of Title, clean and free of active liens, presented at the port 72 hours before loading. Photocopies are rejected. Titles marked salvage, rebuilt, or flood export legally but need matching declarations. Financed vehicles need a notarized lienholder release on company letterhead.
Title brands do not block US export. They block imports. Clean, salvage, rebuilt, flood, and junk titles all clear CBP for export. The problem starts at the destination.
Colombia's DIAN restricts salvage-branded vehicle imports. Panama and Costa Rica apply similar limits. Check the destination rule before you buy the car, not after it sails.
Liens and third-party titles
An active lien triggers an automatic CBP hold. You need the lienholder's notarized authorization letter on company letterhead. It must list the VIN and carry a date within 90 days of export.
Titles held in a third party's name need a paper trail. Every transfer requires its own notarized Bill of Sale. A dealer-to-broker-to-buyer chain means three documents, not one.
Electronic titles and auction purchases
Florida, Arizona, and 20-plus other states now issue electronic titles. CBP will not accept an ELT record. You must request a paper title conversion at the DMV, which takes 5-10 business days.
Copart and IAAI buyers face a different clock. The vehicle is often ready to move weeks before the title mails out. Budget a 2-4 week title mailing window into your booking. Our Copart vehicle shipping calculator with 2026 rates from $1,150 shows how that timing affects storage costs.
Pro Tip
Order the paper title conversion the same day you win an auction lot. The DMV process and the auction title mailing run in parallel, so you lose nothing. Sellers who wait until booking confirmation routinely eat two weeks of terminal storage at $25-$40 per day.
How does AES ITN filing for vehicle export work?
Quick Answer: AES ITN filing happens in the ACE portal through AESDirect. You submit the USPPI details, VIN, Schedule B code 8703.23.0000 or similar, value, and destination country. The system returns an ITN starting with X in minutes. That ITN goes on the Bill of Lading and the CBP export packet.
Every vehicle export needs an Electronic Export Information filing. Value does not matter here. The $2,500 low-value exemption does not apply to used self-propelled vehicles.
Schedule B classification for vehicles
Pick the wrong code and the filing gets flagged. These are the codes we use most on the Miami corridor.
| Vehicle type | Schedule B code | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline car, 1,500–3,000cc | 8703.23 | Most sedans and midsize SUVs |
| Gasoline car, over 3,000cc | 8703.24 | Full-size SUVs, V8 pickups |
| Trucks and cargo vehicles | 8704 | Commercial payload units |
| Motorcycles | 8711 | Sub-classified by engine size |
| Electric vehicles | 8703.80 | Battery-only propulsion |
The USPPI is normally the US seller or the exporting owner. In a routed transaction, the foreign buyer's US agent takes over the filing duty. Get that decision in writing before booking.
The ITN format is X followed by the filing date and a sequence number. It must be printed on the Bill of Lading and included in the CBP export packet at the terminal.
Late, false, or missing EEI filings carry civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation under the Foreign Trade Regulations at 15 CFR 30. AB Group Shipping files the AESDirect entry as your authorized agent under a Limited Power of Attorney, which keeps the liability managed and the ITN on time.
What is the CBP 72-hour rule for car exports?
Quick Answer: The CBP 72-hour rule requires the original title and the AES ITN to be delivered to the port of export at least 72 hours before the vehicle is loaded onto the vessel. CBP uses that window to verify the VIN against stolen-vehicle databases. Late submissions push your car to the next sailing.
The legal basis is 19 CFR 192.2. Self-propelled vehicles require title and identifying documents filed with CBP 72 hours before export. No exceptions for private sales or personal vehicles.
72 hours means three business days
At PortMiami, the clock runs on business days. Weekends and federal holidays do not count. A Friday submission for a Monday load fails the test.
Three separate deadlines exist, and shippers confuse them constantly:
- Documentation cut-off — the earliest deadline. CBP title and ITN submission, typically three business days before load.
- Port cargo cut-off — the vehicle must be physically gated in, usually 24-48 hours before ETD.
- Vessel ETD — when the ship actually sails. This is not your deadline.
What VIN verification failures cost you
VIN verification is the real purpose of the window. CBP runs the VIN against NCIC stolen-vehicle databases. Stolen flags, mismatched digits, or altered VIN plates trigger a hold and possible seizure.
A missed sailing on Miami to Cartagena or Miami to Santo Domingo costs 7-10 days of waiting. Add terminal storage on top of that. Weekly LCL and consolidation sailings mean one mistake equals a full week.
Submit five to seven days out
With thousands of shipments processed across the Miami-LatAm corridor, we plan document submission five to seven days before load — never exactly 72 hours. A single typo on the VIN needs a corrected Bill of Sale, and that turnaround alone can burn two business days.
How much does car export cost and how does the free calculator work?
Quick Answer: Vehicle export from Miami runs $950-$2,600 depending on method and destination. Container consolidation to Cartagena starts near $1,150; RoRo to Santo Domingo runs $950-$1,400; exclusive 20-foot FCL runs $2,200-$2,600. The calculator on this page builds your document checklist and prices the lane together.
Enter destination country, vehicle type, and title status. The tool returns your exact document checklist by country plus a live 2026 rate. No signup required.
Miami(USMIR)
Cartagena(COCTA)
Miami(USMIR)
Santo Domingo(DOHAI)
Miami(USMIR)
Callao(PECLL)
Sample 2026 lane rates and transit times
| Lane | Method | Rate range | Transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami → Cartagena | Consolidation | $1,150–$1,450 | 10–14 days |
| Miami → Santo Domingo | RoRo | $950–$1,250 | 5–7 days |
| Miami → Manzanillo, Panama | Consolidation | $1,050–$1,350 | 6–9 days |
| Miami → Callao | FCL 20' | $2,400–$3,100 | 16–22 days |
Rates include ocean freight, AES ITN filing, CBP title submission, and origin terminal handling. Rates exclude destination duties, port storage, and marine insurance at 1.5-2.5% of declared value.
RoRo vs container vs consolidation
| Method | Typical cost | Transit | Document burden |
|---|---|---|---|
| RoRo | $950–$1,400 | 5–10 days | Lowest — no packing list, running vehicle required |
| Consolidation (shared container) | $1,050–$1,600 | 10–16 days | Medium — shared B/L, deconsolidation at destination |
| Exclusive FCL 20' | $2,200–$3,100 | 7–22 days | Highest — own B/L, full ISF and packing declaration |
Choose RoRo when
The vehicle runs and drives, the destination has a RoRo terminal, and you want the cheapest lane. RoRo suits standard sedans and pickups to Santo Domingo, Manzanillo, and Cartagena. Personal items cannot travel inside the vehicle.
Choose container when
The vehicle is non-running, high-value, classic, or you want household goods loaded alongside. Containers protect against weather and handling damage. A 40-foot high cube fits two to four vehicles with proper bracing.
Country-specific rates vary. Compare our car shipping El Salvador calculator with 2026 rates, the car shipping to Costa Rica calculator with 2026 rates, and the classic car shipping calculator with 2026 rates from $1,850 for enclosed and high-value handling.
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Use the calculator above →What should you do next?
Quick Answer: Confirm the title is paper and lien-free, get the Bill of Sale notarized, sign the Power of Attorney, then book a sailing five to seven days out. Your forwarder files the AES ITN and submits the CBP packet. Duty questions go to a licensed customs broker at destination.
- Verify your title is paper, original, and lien-free — order a DMV conversion now if it is electronic.
- Notarize the Bill of Sale with the VIN and sale price on the same page.
- Sign the Limited Power of Attorney so we can file the AES entry.
- Confirm the destination allows your title brand before you pay for the car.
- Book with a five to seven day document margin, never 72 hours flat.
AB Group Shipping is a freight forwarder and NVOCC, not legal counsel. For duty rates, tax treatment, or import restrictions at destination, consult a licensed customs broker in the receiving country.
Run your lane through the calculator above. Enter the destination, vehicle type, and title status, and you get the full document checklist plus a live 2026 rate in under 30 seconds — no email address, no follow-up sales call.
No. CBP requires the original paper Certificate of Title at the port of export under 19 CFR 192.2, and photocopies or scans are rejected. If your state issues electronic titles, request a paper conversion at the DMV before booking, which takes 5-10 business days.
At least 72 hours before the vehicle is loaded onto the vessel. Most Miami-area terminals treat that as three full business days, so weekends and federal holidays do not count toward the window. Submit five to seven days out to keep a safety margin.
Yes. Every used self-propelled vehicle requires an Electronic Export Information filing and an ITN, regardless of value — the $2,500 low-value exemption does not apply. Missing or late filings carry penalties up to $10,000 per violation under 15 CFR 30.
Yes, but only with written permission. You need a notarized authorization letter from the lienholder on company letterhead, listing the VIN and dated within 90 days of export. Without it, CBP places a hold and the vehicle will not load.
Yes. The calculator on this page is free, requires no signup, and returns both your document checklist and a live 2026 rate in under 30 seconds. You get the pricing without an email address or a follow-up sales call.