Shipping a car from California to the UK

California is about as far from Britain as the mainland United States gets, and people often assume that makes a car from there a long, expensive gamble. It is a longer sailing than from the East Coast, that part is true. But the process is the same one we run from every American port, and the extra time is predictable.

This guide covers what is different about a Californian car: the port it usually leaves from, the West Coast sailing, and one quirk of California titles worth checking before you buy. The full start-to-finish process is in our guide to shipping a car from the USA.

Usual port

Oakland

Guide shipping price

From £1,450 (USA)

Time at sea

Around 4 weeks from the West Coast

Import tax

10% duty + 20% VAT

Oakland, on San Francisco Bay

Our main US ports are New York, Savannah, Houston and Oakland, and Oakland is the one on the West Coast. My Car Import lists these four as the most common collection ports for American cars.

The Port of Oakland runs the Oakland Seaport on the East Bay waterfront of San Francisco Bay. It is the main ocean gateway for container cargo to and from Northern California, which suits the way most cars cross from the West Coast.

Los Angeles and Long Beach appear on My Car Import's list of major US ports too. Which port a car actually leaves from depends on where it is and what is sailing, and we confirm that when we quote.

Collection anywhere in the state

We collect from anywhere in the USA, so a car in San Diego, Sacramento or the desert is no trouble. We truck it to the port with open or enclosed transport, and it is insured on the way. You do not need to be there, just give us the address and a contact.

The inland leg is part of the price, so distance from the port matters. A car in the Bay Area has a short trip to Oakland. One in Southern California has a long drive north. Our breakdown of the cost of shipping a car from the USA explains what moves the figure.

The West Coast sailing

This is the real difference with California. Sailings from the West Coast take around 4 weeks at sea, against around 2 from the East and Gulf coasts. The ship has to get from the Pacific to the Atlantic before it crosses to the UK, so it simply has further to go.

Allow about 2 weeks before sailing for paperwork and loading, as you would from any American port. Then customs, conversion, testing and registration come after the car lands. Our guide to how long it takes to ship a car to the UK puts the whole journey together.

People sometimes ask about trucking a Californian car across the country to sail from the East Coast instead. It is rarely worth it, because a long cross-country haul costs money and takes time of its own. We'll give you the sensible option for your car when we quote, rather than a fixed rule.

Container or RoRo from the West Coast

Most American cars come over in a shared container, strapped down, sealed at the US end and opened by our own team at Castle Donington. For a longer voyage that sealed box is reassuring, and it is the safer choice for a classic or anything valuable.

RoRo, where the car is driven onto the ship, is generally a little quicker, but the car must run and drive. Our comparison of container, RoRo and air sets out the trade-offs, and shared or sole container covers whether to share.

California titles: check it is on paper

US Customs needs the original title, or a certified copy, at least 72 hours before export. Our guide to US export rules covers that in full. The California-specific point is that some titles there are paperless.

The California DMV's own procedures manual says a duplicate title must be obtained when the original is paperless, using its form REG 227. So if the seller cannot hand over a paper title, ask why, and ask early. Getting a duplicate takes time, and the car cannot sail without it.

If there is still a loan on the car, the lender has a say in whether it can leave. Our guide to shipping a car with finance outstanding explains the options.

Once it lands

From here a Californian car is like any other American car. We clear it through customs as HMRC CDS authorised agents, make the NOVA notification, then fit the lighting changes it needs: amber rear indicators, side markers, a rear fog light and headlights set up for the left. Our guide to converting an American car for UK roads covers each change.

A car under 10 years old then takes an IVA test on our own lane, one between 10 and 40 takes an MOT, and one over 40 needs no MOT. We register it with the DVLA through our dealer-level account, usually within 10 working days. The IVA test explained sets out what the examiner checks.

1. 1

   Step 1

   Collection

   We collect anywhere in California and truck the car to the port, usually Oakland.

2. 2

   Around 2 weeks

   Paperwork and loading

   The title and export filing go to US Customs at least 72 hours before export, then the car is loaded.

3. 3

   Around 4 weeks

   At sea

   The West Coast sailing to the UK.

4. 4

   In the UK

   Customs and NOVA

   We clear the car through customs and notify HMRC.

5. 5

   At our site

   Conversion, test and registration

   Lighting work, an IVA test or MOT, then DVLA registration and plates.

What it costs

As a guide, built from a year of real jobs, shipping from the USA starts from around £1,450. That is shipping only. It does not include import tax, registration, other services or the work to make the car road legal, and a long inland leg in California adds to it.

A car from the USA pays 10% import duty and 20% import VAT, worked out on the price plus shipping. A car over 30 years old pays 5% VAT and no duty, and Transfer of Residence can mean no tax at all if you are moving here. The import tax calculator gives a rough figure.

Questions people ask

Found a car in California? Send us the details and where it is on the quote form, and we'll price the whole journey to your drive.