Import guides · Houston, Texas

Import a car from Japan yourself, or use an importer?

You can run an import yourself. The steps are public and none of them is secret. The real question is which jobs you want to own, because every stage has its own paperwork, its own bill and its own way to go wrong. Here's the same import, side by side.

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Updated November 2026 · Walltap Garage, Houston

The same import, two ways

Stage	Doing it yourself	Using an importer
Getting into the auction	Japan's big wholesale auctions are members-only, so you still need an eligible auction or export channel to bid for you	The importer already has that channel and runs the search against your brief
Reading the auction sheet	You translate the grades, the inspector's notes and the body diagram, and each auction house has its own legend	The importer reads and translates the sheet with you and compares it with the photos
Setting the bid	You work out the fees, shipping and import costs that come after the bid, then choose a limit	You get an estimate for that car first, then approve the car and the maximum bid
Eligibility	You confirm the build month for the 25-year rule and check the EPA rules, including any engine swap	The importer checks the build date for every candidate before a bid is placed
Export and shipping	You arrange transport to the port, export paperwork and a RORO or container booking	Handled for you, with the whole route compared and not only the ocean freight price
US customs	You file the entry documents, NHTSA Form HS-7 and EPA paperwork where it applies	Handled for you
Getting it home	You book port pickup or a truck once the car is released	Port pickup or delivery to your home or business is arranged for you
Texas title	Yours to do: inspection, VIN inspection and a title application at your county tax office	Still done in your name at your county tax office. A local importer can walk you through the checklist

How we compared: this follows the route on our Japan to Texas import guide, stage by stage. No importer is ranked here, and prices are left out because they depend on the car. The cost stages are in the JDM import cost guide.

What you can't skip either way

The car has to be old enough. NHTSA counts 25 years from the build month, not the model year. EPA has its own age rule on top. The 25-year rule explained.
The bid is not the price. Japan-side fees, ocean shipping, US import charges, Texas tax and title, and delivery all come after it.
Texas tax and title. Texas motor vehicle sales and use tax is 6.25% of the sales price, less credit for tax paid to another state, and the car is titled through your county tax office.
An auction sheet is not a mechanical report. It records what the inspector saw. It can miss hidden rust, internal engine wear and age-related leaks, whoever is reading it.

Where a do-it-yourself import usually goes wrong

Bidding to the top of the budget. A winning bid at your full budget leaves nothing for shipping, import costs and first maintenance. Set the all-in number first and work back to a maximum bid.
Buying a car that isn't eligible yet. Two cars from the same model year can be months apart in eligibility. Storing a car until its birthday doesn't make an early import legal.
Trusting the grade alone. An R grade doesn't tell you how big the damage was or how well it was fixed. A high grade doesn't mean the car is mechanically perfect.
Engine swaps. A swapped car needs individual review under EPA's rules before it's bought or shipped, however old the body is.
Comparing only the ocean freight. Port charges, storage if pickup is delayed and the truck to your door belong in the comparison too.
Stopping at the "landed price". A landed price often ends at the US port and leaves out delivery, Texas tax, title and registration.

Which route fits you

Doing it yourself fits best if you've imported before, you already have an auction or export contact you trust, you can read an auction sheet, and you have time to manage export, shipping, customs and delivery as separate jobs.

An importer fits best if this is your first import, you want one person to answer to from the search to your driveway, and you want the costs for a specific car written down before you approve a bid.

Either way, you should be the one who approves the exact car and the maximum bid. At Walltap that's how it works: nothing is bought until you've approved both. How our auction sourcing works.

Have a car in mind? Andre will price it with you.

Price my import

Questions buyers ask

Can I import a car from Japan myself?

Yes. The steps are public: find an eligible car, buy it through an auction or export channel, export it, ship it, clear US customs with an HS-7 and EPA paperwork where it applies, then title it in your state. You take on each of those jobs yourself.

Can I bid at a Japanese car auction myself?

Usually not directly. Major auction networks are members-only, so overseas buyers go through an eligible auction or export channel that bids for them.

Is it cheaper to import a car yourself?

It depends on the car and on what goes wrong. You save the importer's charge, but the other costs stay: Japan-side fees, shipping, US import charges, Texas tax and title, and delivery. Compare itemized totals for the same car, not just the bid.

What paperwork do I need to import a car from Japan?

Ownership and Japanese export documents, the purchase invoice and shipping documents, customs entry documents, NHTSA Form HS-7 and EPA paperwork where it applies, then your state's title application.

What does an importer actually do?

Finds candidates, reads and translates the auction sheet with you, bids up to the limit you approve, and coordinates export, shipping, customs and delivery.

Do I still have to title the car myself if I use an importer?

The title is issued in your name through your county tax office. In Texas that means an inspection, a law-enforcement VIN inspection and a title application within 30 days of the car arriving in Texas, per TxDMV.

Keep reading

Your next step

Want a real number before you decide?

Tell us the car and your all-in budget. We'll send an itemized estimate for that car, and you can compare it with doing it yourself.

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