THE 25-YEAR RULE IS THE START. NOT THE WHOLE IMPORT.
OCG finds and inspects the right enthusiast car in Europe and handles the European side through handover at the agreed export port. From the port onward, U.S. customs, broker work, inland transport, title and registration are handled by you or your broker. The USA tools here help you research that path before you ask me to source a car.
Federal age eligibility does not guarantee registration in your state.
Before asking OCG to buy a car, check the federal 25-year route and then open the official DMV / state program links for your destination. If anything is unclear, confirm it with your U.S. customs broker or state authority. OCG gives you the research tools; the final U.S. import and registration decision remains yours or your broker's.
Exact 25-year date
A non-U.S.-certified vehicle reaches the federal age route 25 years after its date of manufacture. Use the exact build date, not just the model year.
Emissions declaration
EPA is separate from the NHTSA 25-year safety rule. Your broker must confirm the correct EPA declaration and engine-related age provision for the exact car.
Classification and entry
Your U.S. broker handles entry, classification, duty, fees and any current trade measures. The calculator on this site is planning information, not a broker filing.
Title and registration
State rules can add emissions, VIN, title, inspection or collector-use requirements. The State Rules page links directly to the official authority for every state and D.C.
A clear handoff at the European port.
I find, verify and move the car to the export port.
Target search, seller screening, pre-purchase inspection, buy / no-buy recommendation, purchase support, document collection and agreed European transport to the export port.
You control the U.S. import and registration side.
Ocean freight unless separately agreed, U.S. customs entry, customs broker, port handling, inland transport, taxes, title, inspections, emissions and state registration.
1. You research your state
Use the official links in the State Rules page and confirm any uncertainty with your DMV or broker.
2. I hunt the right car in Europe
My own search software monitors European marketplaces and sources around the clock and alerts me when a matching car appears.
3. I inspect before you commit
Condition, underside, drivetrain, documents and model-specific weak points are checked before I recommend a purchase.
4. Buy or walk away
If the inspected car is wrong, the No-Buy charge is €100 plus inspection travel. I do not force a bad deal.
5. European-side handoff
I organize the agreed German / European side through transport to the export port and hand the document pack over for the next leg.
6. Your broker takes over
From the port onward, your broker or your own team handles U.S. customs, local transport and state title / registration.
I wrote my own software to find cars before the good ones disappear.
I do not rely on manually refreshing one marketplace. I built my own search software to monitor the European marketplaces and sources I use 24/7. When a car matching one of my search profiles appears, I am notified immediately. That speed has helped me secure strong deals for years — while the human part still matters for seller checks, condition, documents and the final buy / no-buy decision.
24/7 market monitoring
Saved target profiles keep searching even when I am not sitting in front of a browser.
Immediate alerts
Good enthusiast cars can sell quickly. Early notification gives me a better chance to contact the seller before the listing is gone.
Software finds. I verify.
Automation narrows the market. I still inspect the listing, seller, documents and the physical car before recommending a purchase.
Tools for buyers and dealers.
Find the right target
See current and upcoming 25-year targets, then let my sourcing system watch Europe for the right specification.
ELIGIBILITYCheck the exact date
Check the federal age date, then continue to the official rules for your destination state.
COSTSBuild a landed-cost plan
Separate my Europe-side costs from the U.S.-side estimates your broker will control.
INSPECTIONSee what gets checked
Know what OCG looks at before we recommend a purchase.
STATE GUIDEKnow the destination friction
Read the state notes and open the official DMV / emissions pages before sending a sourcing request.
DEALERSSource repeat inventory
A dedicated workflow for U.S. dealers buying European enthusiast stock.