|
 A
car is the best mode of transportation for a resident living in
the US Virgin Islands. None of the islands are easily navigated on
foot. Public transportation is available between the more populated
residential and commercial areas. Taxis exists, they are pricey. See more on
Transportation.
There are car dealerships in the Virgin Islands that sell new and used
vehicles. Individuals also sell their personal cars in newspaper
classifieds under 'used cars' or 'cars for sale'.
Should you Ship your Car
Things to think about when deciding whether to bring your car to
the Virgin Islands with you.
- Decide whether your car is worth enough to
spend the money to transport it to the islands. If it’s not
worth it then sell it in the
states and buy a car when you get here.
- You must have either the title for your car
or a notarized letter indicating why you don't have the title
and usually permission from the person/lender that does
indicating that you are allowed to transport the vehicle off
the mainland. You should ask the shipping company you are using
for more details as their required letters, documents and
number of notarized copies may vary.
- Main roads are paved. There are some
residences with dirt driveways.
- Roads on St. Thomas & St. John are steep and
curvy. (You’ll need a sturdy engine.
Good Brakes.) St. Croix has more flat areas but also has some
steep roads.
- It is hot here. (You’ll need a good cooling system and AC if you
want comfort.)
- Can you get parts for your car here?
- Salt in the air is hard on cars.
- There are several taxes you
will pay to bring a car into the territory.
Shipping your Car
Shipping barges for cargo will transport cars from ports
generally on the east coast of the US mainland to St. Thomas and
St. Croix. Contact shipping companies for
more information and quotes.
Registering your Car in the Virgin
Islands
Your mainland license plates will not work here. Your car must
be registered in the US Virgin Islands.
Motorcycles go through the same registration and tax processes as
cars.
Note: Offices are in
different areas; not all in the same building so allow several
hours to a day and patience to get it all completed.
Personal Use Tax: You will be
responsible for Personal Use Tax on the vehicle. This tax is
equivalent to the Value of the Car minus $1000 times 4%. The value
of the car is determined by the Blue Book Value if the car is
older or the purchase price for new cars. Certified check or money
order are accepted for paying this tax which is collected at the
Excise Tax office.
Customs: You have to clear your
car through Customs at an office close to the shipping dock
usually. If your car is totally made in the US, it may enter duty
free. You will pay 3.5% of the Book Value or the Bill of Sale
which ever is greater on cars made outside the U.S. or cars that
contain foreign made parts. The U.S. customs office will accept
personal checks, cash, certified checks and money order.
Road Tax:
1. You must get a Bill of Lading from the shipping agent when the
car arrives in the USVI.
2. Take the Bill of Landing to the Internal Revenue Office, and
pay the 16 cents per pound road tax. This fee is accessed when you
bring a car into the territory. You can use cash, certified
check or money order to pay this tax.
Insurance:
3. Insurance is required in the US Virgin Islands. You must get
your vehicle insured before requesting a moving permit.
Moving Permit:
 4. Go to the Department of Motored Vehicles (DMV)
to get a permit to move your vehicle from the dock. Moving
permits are $5. The permit allows
you to move a non-registered vehicle from one point to another and
only between those two points. Usually the dock to the DMV. St.
John residents would need to secure a moving permit to move their
vehicle from the dock on St. Thomas to the car barge in Red Hook
and then to the DMV on St. John to complete the inspection and
registration process.
Inspection:
5. Take your vehicle to DMV to get your vehicle inspected. Bring
with you, receipt that you paid the road tax, title or notarized
letter indicating why you don't have the title, proof of insurance and driver's license. You do not need a Virgin Islands driver's license, you can use your stateside driver's
license. A new resident has a 90 day grace period to get their
Virgin Islands driver's license. You may be asked to show your
moving permit. There is a $10 inspection
fee.
Inspection Process:
The driver stays seated in the drivers seat unless asked to get
out to open the trunk and show the spare tire. They will check windshield
wipers, horn, lights, spare tire, turn signals, brake lights,
breaks, tires, exhaust and muffler, mirrors, general condition of
the car... If you don’t pass inspection, the inspector will tell
you why and give you a form showing what part you failed. You have
to fix the problem and come back for inspection with the paper
they gave you. If you fail inspection on a car that just entered
the territory you will have to get a moving permit to get it to a
garage to repair it and then another to bring it back to the DMV
to complete inspection and registration.
Registration/New Plates:
6. Necessary paperwork for first time registrants are
inspection form, receipt that you paid the road tax, title or
notarized letter indicating why you don't have the title, proof of
insurance and driver's license. You may be asked to show your
moving permit. The cost of registration is based on the weight of
the car. It can vary from $34 to $91 approximately. At the end of registration you will be given VI plates, a registration sticker for your windshield
and a registration form. Plates and windshield sticker must be
visible at all times.
Note: Inspection and
updating registration must be done annually. Annual inspection is
required, you must present driver's license, proof of insurance
and registration during annual inspection.
Getting a Drivers License
 Valid
driver's licenses from anywhere in the United States
are good for 90 days after arrival in the US Virgin Islands. If your
driver's license is from elsewhere you would need
to get a temporary license.
I have a valid US license: If you
have a valid US license you can turn in the US driver's license in
exchange for a VI driver's license without taking either the road
or written exams. On St. Thomas and St. John you must first go to
the DMV office and pick up/pay for an application/medical form
(see Application Form topic below) which you must get completed
prior to trading in your driver's license. On St. Croix you complete a
driver's license application form on the spot while trading your stateside
license for a VI license; it cost $35. You may need to show your
social security card and proof of nationality in the form of a
birth certificate, a valid US passport, proof of naturalization or
an alien resident card.
I do not have a license; My US license
is expired or no longer valid: If you do
not have a valid license you will have to complete necessary
application/medical forms and take both the written and the road
test.
Application/Medical Form: The
Application/Medical form can be purchased for a small fee at the
Department of Motor Vehicle on St. Thomas and/or St. John. The
form is a double sided sheet or two one sided sheets. The form is
stamped when they give it to you.
The first page includes general information about you; your
name, address, social security number, birth date, employer, prior
driving violations or driver's license issues (having it revoked).
Two passport size, color photos are requested to be attached to
the form. The second page is a medical form that must be completed by a
physician.
The medical form includes your blood type and questions in a
yes/no form. Questions include; do you have hearing problems, have
you any mental conditions or been confined to an institution, do
you have diabetes, have you ever had a stroke, do you have high
blood pressure among other questions of a similar nature.
The second half of the medical form is a visual exam. It
requires a visual acuity test without glasses and then with
glasses if you wear them and a simple peripheral vision test. If you do not wear glasses but can not pass the
visual acuity exam the doctor will indicate that it is necessary
for you to get glasses and then retake the visual exam.
The physician must sign and stamp the form. The medical form
can be completed at a walk in clinic or at an optometrist's office. The fee is generally $25-$60 for the
brief eye exam depending on where you go to have it completed.
Written Test: The DMV will give/loan
you a book to study the local laws for the written test. Questions
include topics like speed limits in town and out of town, what to
do if someone is trying to pass you, when to turn on/off your
headlights, what various street signs mean or what they look like
(shape, color) and where main roads and highways are located.
Road Test: The road test begins
with your ability to reverse into a parking spot without hitting
or coming too close to cones. If you fail this part the road test
is over. If you pass its on to the road where the
tester observes your use of mirrors, hand signals, response to
street lights and signs,
speed limit, school zone rules etc.
You will be asked to reverse in the road - this is to see if you
know what side to reverse on. Tips: When starting out be sure to
adjust your mirrors, seat, seatbelt etc. You are not the
regular driver of the car you are in so these things are not adjusted for you and you
will lose points for not adjusting them. A licensed
driver must bring you to the road test in their car which you use
to
the take the test; they wait for you at the DMV while you take
the road test.
For More Information and Questions contact the DMV. On St.
Thomas the number is (340)774-5765, on St. Croix (340)713-4268 and
on St. John (340)776-6262.
Back to the Top
On-Line Shopping
 A True Story of Succumbing to the Dream.
BUY NOW $18.95
|
|
 Must have 192-page moving guide to the VI.
BUY NOW $15.95
|
|
E-mail This USVI Page
 Print Page
Subscribe To Newsletter
|