Shipping a Land Rover Defender to the USA: The 25-Year Rule, Touring and Costs from the UK and Europe

Which Land Rovers can be imported into the USA permanently?

NHTSA, the US safety regulator, lets a vehicle at least 25 years old into the USA without meeting the US safety standards. The 25 years run from the date of manufacture on the chassis plate, not from the first registration or the model year. In practice, this is where each Land Rover stands:

Series I, II, IIA and III (1948–1985)

All qualify. Petrol models built before 1968 are also outside the EPA emission rules

Ninety, One Ten and Defender to 1998 (petrol, 2.5 diesel, 200Tdi, 300Tdi)

All qualify on age, with the type of engine they were built with

Defender Td5 (1998–2006)

Those built in or before November 2001 qualify now; later ones become eligible month by month

Defender Puma 2.4 and 2.2 (2007–2016)

Not yet: the first ones turn 25 in 2032

New Defender (2020 on)

Sold new in the USA in US specification. A UK or European one cannot stay permanently, but can visit for a year

Discovery 1 and Range Rover Classic

European versions, including the diesels, qualify at 25 years like a Defender

US Customs checks the VIN and chassis plate against the paperwork. A vehicle whose identity or age does not match can be seized, so keep the build plate photo, the registration document and any dating certificate together and send us copies before you book.

Is it 25 years or 21 years? The NHTSA and EPA rules

A Land Rover has to pass two separate tests. Most people only hear about the first.

Safety (NHTSA)

25 years by date of manufacture; declared in box 1 of DOT form HS-7

Emissions (EPA)

At least 21 years old by calendar year and in original configuration; declared as code E on EPA form 3520-1, with no bond or approval

Engine changed

A later engine, such as a 300Tdi in a Series or a Td5 in an older Defender, or a V8 conversion, means it is not in original configuration. It then needs EPA approval or an Independent Commercial Importer before it sails

Both forms are filed when the vehicle arrives, and it is not released until they are. We confirm the rules for your vehicle before you ship.

Importing a car into the USA: the 25-year rule, EPA and DOT →

What US import duty does a Land Rover pay?

The US tariff rate for a passenger vehicle is 2.5% of its value (heading 8703), and that covers a Defender station wagon. The extra US car tariffs added in 2025 do not apply to vehicles built at least 25 years before the year of entry: they have their own heading (9903.94.04) at the normal rate.

A pick-up, a High Capacity pick-up or a 130 crew cab can be classed as a truck (heading 8704), which pays a 25% base rate and can pay more. Small processing and harbour fees on the value are added to every entry. Tariffs have changed often since 2025, so we confirm the duty for your vehicle before you ship.

Touring the USA in your own Land Rover for up to a year

If you live outside the USA, you can bring your own Land Rover of any age, including a new Defender, for your personal use for up to one year, without changing it to US standards. NHTSA says the year cannot be extended, and the vehicle cannot be sold in the USA.

DOT form HS-7

Box 5, non-resident personal use for up to one year

EPA

Approval letter for the non-resident exemption before it sails, then form 3520-1 code O

Your own stay

90 days on ESTA; a longer trip needs a visitor visa

Shipping home

Keep the customs entry papers we send you: you need them to ship the vehicle out

Many travellers start in Halifax, Canada, and drive across the border; Canada lets a visitor keep a vehicle for up to 12 months.

Shipping a motorhome or 4x4 to the USA for touring →

Shipping a motorhome or 4x4 to Canada for touring →

How much does it cost to ship a Land Rover to the USA?

Typical RORO sea freight from our customer quotes in the last 90 days (the lower and upper quartiles):

Defender or Discovery from the UK

£1,250–1,330

Defender or Discovery from Europe

€1,220–1,800

Overland-equipped Defender from the UK (roof tent, rack, long-range kit)

£1,340–2,860

Overland-equipped Defender from Europe

€1,970–3,250

Sole-use or shared container

Quoted for your vehicle and ports

US import costs: about $450 (customs, ISF, EPA/DOT filing and port fees). Duty and marine insurance are extra. The price is set by size, so give us the height and length including roof racks, tents, snorkels, ladders and rear-mounted spare wheels. A high-value or restored Land Rover usually goes in a sealed container, which is opened only at the destination or by customs.

What is RORO? How roll-on roll-off ships carry your vehicle →

Ports and transit times

UK departures

Southampton, Liverpool, Tilbury, Felixstowe, London Gateway, Bristol

European departures

Zeebrugge, Antwerp, Bremerhaven, Hamburg (RORO); Rotterdam, Bremerhaven (container)

US arrival ports

New York/New Jersey, Baltimore, Brunswick, Galveston, Los Angeles, Seattle/Tacoma; Jacksonville on some sailings

From the UK

6–21 days port to port

From Europe

About 10–14 days to New York; 2–4 weeks to other East Coast and Gulf ports

The vehicle travels inside the ship's enclosed hold, lashed in place. Baltimore and New York/New Jersey suit the East Coast, Galveston suits Texas and the south, and Los Angeles and Seattle/Tacoma the West Coast.

How shipping a Land Rover to the USA works

1. Check the build date and engine against the 25-year and EPA rules, or decide you are touring for up to a year. We confirm the rules for your vehicle before you ship.
2. Get instant pricing in about 2 minutes, then book RORO or a container.
3. If it is leaving the UK for good, fill in the permanent export section of the V5C, send it to DVLA and keep the rest of the log book. From the EU, follow your country's rules for deregistering an exported vehicle and keep the registration papers.
4. Prepare it: clean inside and out with no soil underneath, no more than a quarter of a tank of fuel, nothing loose inside for RORO, and photographs of every side.
5. The Importer Security Filing is made before loading, the vehicle sails and we send you the bill of lading.
6. At the US port the HS-7, EPA 3520-1 and customs entry are filed and duty is paid. We give customs clearance support through our US broker, a local agent we introduce, or your own broker.
7. To register it, the state normally wants the stamped customs entry, the HS-7, the EPA form, the foreign registration and the bill of sale, and many states inspect the VIN.

Exporting a car from the UK →

Preparing your vehicle for shipping →

Get a shipping quote

California and the other states

Federal clearance gets the vehicle into the country; registering it is up to the state. California's DMV says a vehicle imported directly from another country must meet California emissions (CARB) requirements as well as the federal rules, which is hard and costly for a European diesel. Most other states register a cleared 25-year-old vehicle on the federal paperwork, so check your state's DMV before you buy or ship.

Moving to Canada instead?

Canada's age rule is 15 years, not 25, so a Puma Defender built in or before November 2011 can already be imported there permanently. A Land Rover built in the UK or the EU can also enter Canada free of duty under the trade agreements, with proof of origin.

Shipping a Land Rover to Canada or Australia →

Taking a vehicle to Canada →