The US 25-Year Car Import Rule — What It Means and How It Works

The 25-year rule is the common name for a provision in US federal regulations that exempts vehicles 25 years old or older from the EPA emissions conformance requirements (40 CFR 85.1511) and NHTSA Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards conformance requirements (49 CFR 571.7). Under 19 CFR 591, CBP enforces these exemptions at the port of entry. The rule means that a vehicle manufactured in calendar year 2000 becomes importable under the exemption beginning January 1, 2025, provided it is imported for personal use (not commercial resale). The rule applies regardless of the vehicle's country of origin — it is a US-side regulation, not a Japan-side one.

The 25-year exemption relieves the importer of the obligation to demonstrate that the vehicle conforms to FMVSS (bumper heights, safety glazing, lighting standards, etc.) and EPA emissions standards. It does not exempt the vehicle from state-level registration requirements, which vary. California CARB emissions testing, for example, operates under state authority separate from federal EPA standards; a federally-exempt vehicle may still face state-level testing depending on the state's adopted procedures. The exemption also does not remove the 2.5% ad valorem duty on passenger vehicles (CBP Form 7501, Schedule B).

Because the rule is age-based, the list of eligible models grows each January. Notable JDM models and their US eligibility years:

2001 → Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 (BNR34, 1999–2002 production) becomes partially eligible from Jan 2024 (1999 build dates) through Jan 2027 (2002 build dates). Individual vehicle eligibility depends on the specific vehicle's build date, not the model's production start.

2000 → Toyota Supra A80 final production run (1997–2002 JDM); Honda S2000 AP1 (1999+); Subaru Impreza WRX STI (GDB, 2000 launch).

2001–2026 → Nissan Silvia S15 (1999–2002 production), Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII–IX (2001–2007), Honda Integra Type R DC5 (2001–2006), Toyota Altezza RS200 (1998–2005).

Buyers should verify the specific vehicle's build date (visible on the door jamb compliance plate) rather than relying solely on the model year, as JDM vehicles do not always carry a calendar-year-matching model designation.

At US entry, the importer (or their broker) submits CBP Form HS-7 (Declaration of Importation or Exportation of Motor Vehicles and Motor Vehicle Equipment Subject to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards). For a 25-year-exempt vehicle, Box 5 on HS-7 is checked (vehicle is at least 25 years old and therefore not subject to FMVSS). Customs will verify the vehicle's year using the Japanese export certificate and VIN. The 2.5% duty is calculated on the CBP-appraised value and paid on CBP Form 7501. No bond is required for a personal import that clears on the 25-year exemption, unlike a non-conforming vehicle import (which requires a bond equal to 150% of vehicle value).