Buying a car in the U.S. to export: title, AES and the 72-hour rule

To export a used car from the U.S., Customs and Border Protection (CBP) needs the original title or a certified copy plus two copies, an export filing in AES with its ITN, and — for shipment by sea or air — the documents and the car presented at least 72 hours before export. That is the U.S. side, and it is what this guide covers. Import rules — what the destination country charges and what it lets in — belong to the destination country, and you check them there before you buy, not after.

The U.S. side only

Three sets of rules apply before the car leaves: CBP's export rules for used vehicles (19 CFR 192.2), the export filing in the Automated Export System (AES), and Florida's sales tax rules for cars shipped out of the state. U.S. export controls also restrict shipments to some destinations; confirm the rules for yours before you buy. Nothing below is about the country the car is going to.

The title: original or certified copy, plus two copies

Under 19 CFR 192.2(b)(1)(i), for a U.S.-titled vehicle you present the original Certificate of Title or a certified copy of it, plus two complete copies. Plan for the paper document early. Florida titles stay electronic in the FLHSMV database until a paper title is requested; an owner with no lien can request one online at the MyDMV Portal for $4.50, and it arrives by mail in about 3–4 weeks. How the title will be handled on your purchase is a question to settle before you pay — ask us.

The 72-hour rule

19 CFR 192.2(c) sets the timing. By vessel or aircraft, “the required documentation and the vehicle must be presented to Customs at least 72 hours prior to export.” By land, by rail or under its own power, the documents go to CBP at least 72 hours before export and the vehicle is presented at the time of export. Build those 72 hours into the shipping schedule.

AES, EEI and the ITN

Electronic Export Information (EEI) must be filed in the Automated Export System “for all used self-propelled vehicles 72 hours prior to export regardless of destination, value or condition,” in CBP's words. The filing returns an Internal Transaction Number (ITN), which goes on the export documentation as proof that the filing was made. Questions about the filing itself go to the Census Bureau at 1-800-549-0595. Who files — you, a freight forwarder or a licensed exporter — is something to settle before you buy. Whether Xuma can help with this on your purchase isn't something this guide can promise; ask us.

A loan or a lease on the car

If the car is leased or has a recorded lien, CBP needs a letter from the lienholder or lessor on its letterhead, with the VIN, phone numbers, an original signature and the date, expressly allowing the export (19 CFR 192.2(b)(1)(ii)). Separately, under Florida rules a car can't be sold in a private sale while a lien is open; the lien is satisfied and reported to FLHSMV first. If you're buying to export, ask whether there is a lien before anything else.

Florida sales tax on an exported car

A Florida dealer may sell a car exempt from Florida sales tax when it delivers the car to a licensed exporter, a freight forwarder or a common carrier for shipment out of the state, and keeps the documentation (Florida Department of Revenue, GT-800030). For exports the rule is specific: the dealer or licensed export-import dealer “must obtain and provide an ocean bill of lading from a regularly operated transportation company.” Shipping the car in “privately operated vessels or vehicles” without that bill of lading is taxable (Rule 12A-1.007(8)(i)). Rules change; check the official source or ask a tax adviser.

The checklist

1. Confirm the destination country's import rules before you buy.
2. Buy a car with no lien, or get the lienholder's or lessor's letter.
3. Have the original title or a certified copy, plus two complete copies.
4. File the EEI in AES and put the ITN on the export documents.
5. Present the documents — and, by sea or air, the car — to CBP at least 72 hours before export.
6. For the Florida tax exemption, ship through a regularly operated carrier and keep the ocean bill of lading.

Finding the car first

Xuma sources the car. Build your car — make, model, years, trim, colors, options and budget — and we search dealer networks, auctions and private sellers across the U.S. Each car we find is emailed to you with photos and the price, and you approve it or ask for changes. Delivery is available anywhere in the U.S. For everything after the car is yours — the filing, the shipping, the port — talk to us before you buy, and we'll tell you plainly what we can and can't do.