Clearing import rules is a separate step from finding a way to physically move the bike.
What CBSA actually covers
CBSA's Memorandum D19-12-1, Importing Vehicles into Canada, carries an update date of June 2, 2026 and was read for this page on 2026-08-21. Its vehicle classes name “motorcycle, open motorcycle, enclosed motorcycle, motor tricycle, and limited-speed motorcycle” alongside cars and trucks, so a rider moving a bike north is squarely inside the same import framework as someone bringing in a sedan, not a lighter version of it.
| Question | What the memorandum says |
|---|---|
| Does RIV apply to a motorcycle | Yes, when the bike is FMVSS-certified and sold at the US retail level |
| Age limit for RIV eligibility | Under 15 years old (buses have a separate 1971 cutoff that does not apply here) |
| Admissibility check | Must not appear on the Vehicle Import Compatibility (VIC) List as inadmissible |
| Proof of ownership | Original valid US state-issued Certificate of Title, or a Manufacturer's Statement of Origin for a new machine |
| Declaration form | Form 1, or the RIV e-Form 1, plus supporting documents including a bill of sale |
| Inspection | A one-time inspection at an RIV-authorized center in Canada, required before provincial registration |
| Fee | RIV Program requirements are funded through user fees charged to importers; no dollar figure is printed in the memorandum |
A motorcycle older than 15 years falls outside the RIV eligibility test named above, which is worth knowing before assuming every import needs the same inspection step - though the general declaration, title and border-presentation requirements in the memorandum are not limited to RIV-eligible vehicles. Confirm which category applies to the specific bike before planning the trip around it.
Getting the paperwork right before the tires cross
Bring the actual title
CBSA's memorandum is specific about this: an original valid US state-issued Certificate of Title, not a copy, a registration card, or a lender's payoff letter. A title still held by a lienholder is the single most common reason a crossing gets turned back.
Check the VIC List before you plan the trip
The Vehicle Import Compatibility List is what decides whether a specific make, model and year is admissible at all. Confirming this before booking any transport avoids finding out at the border that the bike cannot legally come in.
The RIV inspection is a separate errand
Clearing the border is not the end of the process. The one-time inspection at an RIV-authorized center in Canada happens after the bike is in the country and before it can be plated, so budget the time for a second stop, not just the crossing itself.
What we price, and what we don't
SMKlog sells parcel labels — US domestic, and Canada-bound ones now, with the customs declaration handled at checkout — but nothing in our checkout produces a vehicle import clearance. A whole motorcycle is freight rather than parcel even on a purely domestic US move - our motorcycle shipping guide covers what a crated bike costs to move inside the US and what a specialist transporter publishes for that job. What we can price directly is a boxed part, toward the crossing or across it.
| Service | Price | Quoted delivery |
|---|---|---|
| USPS Ground Advantage | $15.57 | 2-3 business days |
| UPS Ground Saver | $17.08 | 4 business days |
| FedEx Ground Economy | $17.09 | 4-5 business days |
| UPS Ground | $17.98 | 3-4 business days |
| UPS 3 Day Select | $22.28 | 3-4 business days |
Buffalo stands in here for a border-area city on the way to Canada, the same role it plays on this site's bike-to-Canada guide. Crossing the line with a full bike on a trailer is a separate step handled at the port of entry; a boxed part can either be carried across and declared in person, or shipped on a Canada-bound label from checkout with the declaration attached.
Price a boxed part to Canada Price your own part toward the border
Where these facts come from
- Canada Border Services Agency, Memorandum D19-12-1, Importing Vehicles into Canada — the covered vehicle classes including motorcycles, RIV eligibility (FMVSS certification, US retail sale, under 15 years old, VIC List admissibility), documentation, the RIV inspection requirement and the user-fee funding statement. Updated June 2, 2026, read 2026-08-21.
- Registrar of Imported Vehicles, riv.ca — named as the program that runs the inspection step; confirm current fees and inspection center locations directly with RIV rather than from this page.
- Prices: our own capture of one motorcycle part against production on 2026-08-21, from Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922 to Buffalo, NY 14201.
CBSA revises its memoranda without a shared changelog, and RIV eligibility can change with a vehicle's age from one year to the next. Read the live memorandum again before relying on any figure here for an actual crossing.
Common questions
Can I just book a motorcycle shipment to Canada like a domestic move?
No. A motorcycle crossing into Canada is an import before it is a shipment. CBSA's Memorandum D19-12-1, updated June 2, 2026 and read 2026-08-21, names motorcycle, open motorcycle, enclosed motorcycle, motor tricycle and limited-speed motorcycle among the vehicle classes its import rules cover, alongside cars and trucks.
Does the Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) program apply to a motorcycle?
Yes, when it qualifies. RIV covers vehicles that are certified to US federal safety standards and sold at the US retail level, are less than 15 years old, and are not listed as inadmissible on the Vehicle Import Compatibility List, per CBSA's memorandum. A motorcycle meeting those tests goes through an RIV-authorized inspection in Canada before it can be registered provincially; a bike older than 15 years sits outside the program.
What documents does the border actually ask for?
A completed Form 1, or the RIV e-Form 1, plus proof of ownership. CBSA's memorandum specifies an original valid US state-issued Certificate of Title, with a Manufacturer's Statement of Origin standing in for a brand-new machine and a bill of sale as supporting paperwork. Bring the title itself, not a photocopy or a lender's letter.
Is there a fee?
Yes, though CBSA's own memorandum does not print a dollar figure. It states that the RIV Program requirement is funded through user fees charged to importers. Get the current figure from the RIV program directly before crossing, rather than a number carried over from an old forum post.
What can SMKlog actually price on this route?
Not the motorcycle: a whole bike is freight rather than parcel even on a purely domestic move, and no vehicle clears a border through our checkout. A boxed part is different — parcel-size parts sell to Canada online now, declaration done at checkout — and the domestic hop we quoted stands: $15.57 on USPS Ground Advantage for a 14 lb, 22 x 12 x 10 in shock absorber and linkage, Berkeley Heights, NJ to Buffalo, NY, quoted against production on 2026-08-21.