Legal & Insurance info for driving a Smart in the USA

[Guest SnowSmart ?]

Hi I am new registrant to the club . I drove a Smart in Italy last year and I fell in love.

I understand that with exchanging my US license for a canadian one I can buy or lease a Smart and obtain Insurance in Canada.

I am not interested in attempting to register the car in the USA at this time for both EPA- DOT and Insurance reasons it is impossible unless you but from

G & K or the green car folks in Washington State. Both Green Car and G & K indicated obtaining insurance in the USA is almost impossible even with the DOT conformity docs.

I spoke with TD Insurance and they quoted me CDN $ 1800. Is that high ? Did any one obtain cheaper insurance ? please let me know. TD Insurance

indicated that their insurance does extend for trips into the USA.

I spoke with US customs at length at the Peace Bridge crossing in NY . US Customs does allow vehicles that are rented or leased into the US without a problem, providing you show them the leasing documentation.

Purchasing the car out right and driving to the USA seems iffy. If any one has knowledge of how to prepare the paperwork for outright ownership of the vehicle to drive it legally accross the border, I am all ears.

Thanks for looking at my post and look forward hearing about your experiences on these issues.

[MikeT]

My insurance with the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia is about $1200 a year, with safe driving discount and claims-free record. 1800 seems steep, if you have a good driving/claims record and can prove it.

[RichHelms]

If you are insuring a car in Canada that you intend to take to the states, that is a good rate. I know someone else who did this and is paying lots more

[smartie yank]

Having bought my smart from G&K and legally registered it in Wasington State, I have State Farm Insurance, available nation wide, for $600. a year.

[Fred J]

As you are aware there are 100's of variables that enter into the cost of insurance.

For starters are you a Canadian or U.S. Citizen?

Canadian or U.S. Resident?

Are you an urbanite or country bumpkin?

Where will the car be domiciled? New York City or Lone Pine, Nebraska?

Age of principal operator?

Driving record?

Will it be used for a comute to work or for business purposes?

Etc. Etc.

Beware,

You are not walking on virgin ground.

If your plan was simple and easy, the U.S. would be flooded with Canadian registered and insured smart cars owned by U.S. citizens/residents.

Murphy is waiting in hiding to trip you up, as he has those that have gone before you..

[darren]

Bear in mind that in order to get a Canadian license, vehicle registration and insurance, you would need to have a Canadian address. Most states and provinces also have requirements that you register your vehicle locally within X number of months.

[Dennis M]

A Canadian citizen can drive a Canadian registered car in the states for 1 year.

If you are a US citizen you won't get away with it for long unless you live in a big city. You are not going to slip under the radar in a car no one has seen before!

I had no problem registering or insuring my smart (from Ferrante Motor Cars in PA) in Illinois. Farmers Insurance covered it at a rate comparable to my other cars. They are still having trouble with the serial number though.