Steps to Take When Shipping Your Car from Puerto Rico
There are so many reasons why people ship their cars. One of the most common reasons is migration.
The rate at which Puerto Ricans were moving to the US increased significantly during the 1950s. Visit https://dp.la/ to learn more about this. Up to this day, Puerto Ricans are still moving to the US in search of better economic opportunities or to be with their families.
When migrating, it’s only normal that you’d want to take along some of your belongings. Including your vehicle.
If you haven’t gone through this process before, you may likely get confused and overwhelmed with the entire process. However, the whole process will be a breeze if you know the steps to take. Therefore, this article will be discussing these steps to make it easier for you.
Step 1: Pick Your Destination
The first thing you need to do is select your destination. There are several port destinations in the US where shipped vehicles land. These include Pennsylvania, Eddystone, Florida, and Jacksonville.
It is from these ports that your vehicle will then be shipped to the exact location you want. The idea is to choose a port that is closest to your final destination. So, let’s say your vehicle’s final destination is say Miami, you’d pick the Jacksonville port.
Step 2: Get Your Car’s Documents
You are required to provide all your car’s documents for the process to go smoothly. These documents must also be current. So, you have to renew those that have expired to avoid delay.
The documents you’ll have to provide include a driver’s license, original registration document, and ownership title. If any vehicle’s part has been replaced, then you’ll also be required to provide the document that shows this.
Step 3: Gather Other Requirements
You’ll also need to provide some other documents and requirements apart from your vehicle papers. Let’s look at them below.
- VIN
Your car’s VIN is very important. Visit here to find out the importance of this number. If you do not have a legible VIN on your car, you may be unable to ship it.
If you don’t know where the number is, you can check your car’s manual to find it. You can also check online to find where the VIN is located in your car’s model.
- Notarized Letter
You need to get an affidavit that authorizes shipping or a notarized letter. You’d get this from a lawyer. It is what gives the shipping company the right to perform the shipment.
The letter must have the vehicle’s year, model, VIN, and responsibility waiver. If there’s a pending loan on the vehicle, then you’d need to get a notarized letter from the lender that authorizes the car to be shipped.
Likewise, if it is a company’s vehicle, then you’d need a letter from the company that authorizes the shipment.
- Vouchers from the Internal Revenue
Next, you’d need to get an internal revenue voucher worth $10 and $2 from the office of any tax collector. If you want to ship two cars or more, then you must get these vouchers for each of the cars. Some shipping companies do not accept digital vouchers, so take note of that.
- Time-Sensitive Documents
Some documents you need for this process expire within days. So, until you’ve gotten all the documents above and are ready to ship, do not get these documents. Only get them once every other thing has been put in place. Let’s look at them below.
- No Debt Certificate
This certificate is valid for only 30 days. It’s proof that your vehicle isn’t related to any car accident debts. - No Fines Certificate
This certificate is valid for just 3 days. It’s proof that your car does not have any unpaid traffic dues attached to it. - Pre-Inspection Certificate
This certificate is valid for just 5 days and obtaining it can be quite the process. You are to get it from the Police’s Stolen Vehicles Department.
You’d take the vehicle to the police precinct that correlates with your vehicle’s registration address. You’ll be required to provide certain documents like your ownership title, no fines document, and your IR $10 voucher ID number.
We recommend you make copies of these documents as you may have to bring them during different stages of the process.
Step 4: Clean Your Car Thoroughly
Before you take the car for shipping, ensure you clean it as thoroughly as possible. This step is very important even when shipping car to Puerto Rico, as the neatness of the vehicles is checked at both ports. If you do not properly clean it, you could be fined at the point of shipping.
Step 5: Book a Spot
You have to book a spot before the day you want to ship. This is because the company doing the shipping may be so booked that you may not get a spot if you go on D-day.
Step 6: Drop Off the Car for Shipping
Now, the last thing to do is drop off the car. If you won’t be available to do the drop-off yourself, then the person doing it for you must attach their name and ID to the affidavit.
Conclusion
The steps in this article give you an idea of what you are to do when shipping a vehicle. However, you still have to consult the company you are looking to use to be sure of their processes and what is required of you.
