Idaho: titling an imported car
Idaho's imported-vehicle policy titles gray-market vehicles that were at least 25 years old at import with the brand 'Gray Market – Exempt from FMVSS Compliance'.
Sources checked 2026-10-17. Not legal advice; rules change.
At a glance
- Import ease (where verified): Official text expressly permits 25-year-old imports. Idaho Transportation Department policy says a gray-market vehicle at least 25 years old at import can be titled without a DOT bond release letter, with a brand.
- Kei / mini-truck: No kei or mini-truck rule found in the sources read. No kei or mini-truck rule found in the official pages read.
What the official sources say
- ITD policy letter (Sept. 10, 2021; effective Oct. 1, 2021): when a gray-market vehicle was at least 25 years old at import and is titled without a DOT bond release letter, the title is issued with the brand 'Gray Market – Exempt from FMVSS Compliance'. A Canadian vehicle in the same situation gets 'Canadian Vehicle – Exempt from FMVSS Compliance'.
Source: Idaho Transportation Department: Imported Vehicle Titling Policy - Same policy: the HS-7 is optional if a DOT bond release letter is submitted, the vehicle was at least 25 years old when imported, or it is an ATV/UTV/motorbike. Gray-market and Canadian vehicles under 25 years old imported for resale must come in through a registered importer (HS-7 Box 3) and generally cannot be titled until a bond release letter issues.
Source: Idaho Transportation Department: Imported Vehicle Titling Policy - Documents listed for a dealer sale: Report of Sale/Application ITD 0502; original ownership document (certified translation if needed); bill of sale or release from each prior owner; CBP Form 7501 stamped and signed; an indemnifying affidavit (or a lien-search report from the issuing country); an MVI Statement of Facts for gray-market vehicles (VIN inspection if waived by an MVI); and an odometer conversion statement when kilometers were converted to miles.
Source: Idaho Transportation Department: Imported Vehicle Titling Policy - Vehicles already titled by another state can be retitled in Idaho like other out-of-state titles without the special import requirements.
Source: Idaho Transportation Department: Imported Vehicle Titling Policy
Not verified (do not rely on ImportClock for these)
- The source is a 2021 letter addressed to licensed dealers; the process for an individual importer, and whether the policy has since changed, was not verified.
- The policy does not address emissions inspection or kei vehicles; the IDAPA 39.02.05 title rules were not read.
- Fees and taxes were not verified.