Find the title to your car before you ship it. If you do not have the title, get a notarized letter from the company that holds the title, giving you permission to take the car to the USVI.
Have your car thoroughly inspected by a licensed automotive dealer or repair shop. Fix any problems with the car prior to shipping. Be sure there is a spare tire in the trunk and that all mechanical parts work. Your car will be inspected. You do not want it to fail. Bring the inspection and repair documentation with you.
Contract with a shipping company to transport your car to St. Thomas. You can contract for port-to-port shipping, meaning you take care of the importing details yourself, or door-to-door, meaning the paperwork and inspections are taken care of for you once the car arrives in the USVI.
Pay duty on the car at a U.S. Customs office near the docking area in St. Thomas when your car arrives. The fee is based on the country of origin of the car, which is determined by the car's VIN number.
Take the bill of lading from your shipping agent to the Internal Revenue office and pay the tax on your car in St. Thomas. The fee is based on the weight of the car, which is indicated on the title. You can pay the tax in cash, by certified check or by money order.
Insure your car in St. Thomas. This must be done prior to getting a moving permit.
Get a moving permit from the Department of Motor Vehicles to move your car from the dock to the DMV on St. John. Do not drive anywhere else, as the permit is strictly for transporting the vehicle to the DMV. There is a small fee. Once you have the moving permit, drive the car to the ferry in Red Hook, St. Thomas, cross to the island of St.John and drive directly to the DMV on St. John.
Have your car inspected at the St. John DMV. This is a physical inspection of the car. You will need: a road tax payment receipt, a title or notarized letter from the title holder granting permission to take the car to the USVI, proof of current USVI insurance, a current driver's license (this needn't be a USVI license) and the moving permit. There is a small inspection fee.
Repeat the process if your car fails inspection. You will need another moving permit to drive the car from the DMV to a garage and back again to the DMV.
Register your car. You will need: An approved inspection form, a road tax receipt, a title or notarized letter from lender, proof of insurance, a current driver's license and the moving permit. The registration cost is based on the weight of the car. If all documentation is in order, you will be given VI registration plates, a registration decal for the windshield of your car and a registration receipt.
