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Exporting a Car from Fort Lauderdale: Documents & Steps

To export a car internationally from Fort Lauderdale, you need the original vehicle title (or a certified copy plus a lienholder authorization letter if there is a loan on it), a bill of sale, a government-issued photo ID or passport, and a completed power of attorney if someone else is filing on your behalf. Those documents feed the export filing that must be submitted and cleared before the vehicle is physically loaded. The order matters: paperwork first, port scheduling second, transport to the port last. Anccartransport handles the International Car Export movement side of that process for Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding Broward County area.

Key Takeaways

  • The original title is the single document that stops most exports – photocopies are not accepted.
  • If the car has a lien, you need a lienholder letter on their letterhead authorizing export, which takes time to obtain.
  • Export paperwork must be filed and cleared before the vehicle is loaded, not on the day it arrives.
  • Fort Lauderdale sits beside a major seaport, so the ground leg is short – but delivery windows are tight and appointment-driven.
  • Anccartransport moves the vehicle from your Fort Lauderdale driveway to the port on a door-to-door single truck, open or enclosed.

The Documents You Actually Need

Every international car export starts with proof that you own the vehicle free and clear and that you are legally allowed to send it out of the country. Gather these before you book anything:

  • Original Certificate of Title – the physical document, not a scan or copy. If Florida issued you an electronic title, you must request a paper title before you can export.
  • Lien release or lienholder authorization letter – required if the title shows a lender. It must come from the lender on their letterhead and explicitly permit export.
  • Bill of sale – showing the buyer, seller, price, VIN, and date. This supports the declared value on the export filing.
  • Photo identification – a passport for international shippers, or a driver’s license and passport copy for the person named on the title.
  • Power of attorney – if a forwarder, broker, or family member is filing or signing on your behalf.
  • Destination country requirements – many countries impose vehicle age limits, emissions standards, or left-hand-drive restrictions. Confirm these before you spend money on transport.

The Steps, In Order

The sequence below is where most first-time exporters lose weeks. Doing these out of order is the single most common reason a vehicle sits at a port instead of sailing.

  1. Confirm the destination country will accept the vehicle. Age, emissions, and drive-side rules vary widely and are not negotiable at the border.
  2. Secure the original title and clear any lien. Requesting a paper title or a lender release letter is the slowest step – start it first.
  3. Choose your shipping method and book the sailing. Roll-on/roll-off or container, through a freight forwarder or ocean carrier.
  4. Submit the export filing with the documents above. This has to be cleared in advance of loading, not at the gate.
  5. Schedule ground transport to the port. This is where Anccartransport comes in – we pick the vehicle up at your address and deliver it to the port location on your delivery window.
  6. Hand over the vehicle and keep copies of everything. Retain the bill of lading and your filing confirmation until the car is cleared at the destination.
Pro Tip: Start the title step before anything else, even before you get a shipping quote. If your Florida title is held electronically, converting it to a paper title is a separate request that takes days, and if there is a lien on the vehicle the lender’s release letter can take longer still. Almost every delayed export we see traces back to someone booking a sailing date first and then discovering the paper title has not arrived. Also photograph the odometer, VIN plate, and all four corners of the car before handover – that record settles condition questions cleanly at the destination.

Why Fort Lauderdale Exporters Search for This

Fort Lauderdale is a natural departure point for vehicles heading overseas, which means owners here run into export paperwork far more often than drivers in most of the country. Snowbirds relocating abroad, families moving internationally, dealers selling to overseas buyers, and private sellers shipping to the Caribbean and Latin America all hit the same document checklist.

The practical consequence is that the ground leg is short but unforgiving. Port delivery windows are appointment-based, and a truck that arrives outside its window may not be received that day. That is a very different problem from a long cross-country haul, and it is why we treat local port runs as scheduled work rather than something to fit around other loads.

Getting the Vehicle to the Port

Anccartransport provides door-to-door single truck service, meaning your vehicle is picked up at your address and delivered to the port on the same truck. You can choose:

  • Open transport – the standard, cost-effective choice for most vehicles heading to export.
  • Enclosed transport – fully covered protection for classic, luxury, low-clearance, or high-value vehicles.
  • Motorcycle transport – handled with the same care and secured for the run to the port.

We serve Fort Lauderdale along with Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Pompano Beach, Davie, Sunrise, Plantation, Miramar, and Weston, so if the vehicle is sitting at a second address, a storage unit, or a seller’s location anywhere in that area, the pickup is straightforward.

Ready to Move Your Vehicle?

Once your title is in hand and your export filing is underway, the transport piece should be the easy part. Contact Anccartransport to schedule a pickup in Fort Lauderdale or anywhere in our Broward service area, and we will get your vehicle to the port safely and on schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need the original title to export a car from Fort Lauderdale?

Yes. Export filings require the original Certificate of Title, not a photocopy or scan. If Florida holds your title electronically, you must request a paper title before you can export the vehicle, which is a separate step that takes time.

Can I export a car that still has a loan on it?

Only with written authorization from the lienholder. You need a letter on the lender's letterhead explicitly permitting export, or a full lien release if the loan has been paid off. Request this early – it is usually the slowest document to obtain.

When should I schedule ground transport to the port?

After your export filing is submitted and your sailing is booked. Port delivery windows are appointment-based, so the transport should be scheduled to match the window you have been given, not before you have one.

Should I use open or enclosed transport for an export vehicle?

Open transport is the standard, cost-effective option and works well for most vehicles. Enclosed transport is the better choice for classic, luxury, low-clearance, or high-value vehicles where full protection from weather and road debris matters.

Which areas around Fort Lauderdale do you pick up from?

We serve Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Pompano Beach, Davie, Sunrise, Plantation, Miramar, and Weston with door-to-door single truck service.

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