Documents Needed to Export a Car From Port Everglades

To export a car from Port Everglades you need the original Certificate of Title or a certified copy, a notarized lien release if financed, a bill of sale, your passport or photo ID, the buyer’s details, and an AES filing with an ITN – with the title presented to US Customs 72 hours before sailing.

The core document checklist for Port Everglades

Port Everglades is a US Customs and Border Protection export port, so the requirements are federal rather than local. What changes from one shipper to the next is who assembles the file and how early it comes together.

For a standard privately owned vehicle, expect to produce all of the following:

1. Original Certificate of Title – the physical, state-issued title in the owner’s name. CBP wants the original document, not a scan or a photocopy.
2. Certified copy plus a notarized statement – only if the original is genuinely unavailable. The certified copy must come from the issuing state, and the statement explains why the original is missing.
3. Lien release letter – required whenever the title shows a lender. It must be on the lienholder’s letterhead, signed, notarized, and grant written permission to export the vehicle.
4. Bill of sale – showing seller, buyer, vehicle identification number, sale price, and date.
5. Government photo ID or passport – a copy for the person exporting. Non-US owners generally submit a passport copy.
6. Consignee information – full name, address, and contact details for the receiver overseas, plus the destination port.
7. Booking confirmation or dock receipt – issued by the steamship line or your forwarder once space is reserved on a sailing.
8. Power of attorney – notarized, if a forwarder, agent, or family member will sign on your behalf.

Title problems cause most export refusals

The single most common reason a car misses its sailing is a title that does not match the situation on the ground. Names, liens, and brands matter more than most owners expect.

• Financed or leased vehicles – the lender still holds an interest, and without a notarized release the car cannot legally leave the country.
• Name mismatches – if the title reads a maiden name, a trust, or a dissolved company, be ready to supply documents linking the names.
• Salvage, rebuilt, or flood-branded titles – these can usually still be exported, but many destination countries restrict branded vehicles on import, so confirm before you book.
• Company-owned vehicles – add the EIN, formation documents, and a signed authorization from an officer of the company.
• Recently purchased cars – if the title has not arrived from the state yet, the export waits. Build that gap into your timeline.

The 72-hour rule and the AES filing

Two federal steps sit between your paperwork and the ship. Neither is optional, and both have hard deadlines.

The 72-hour presentation. Federal export regulations require the vehicle and its title documentation to be presented to CBP at the port of export at least 72 hours before departure. In practice that means the file has to be complete days ahead of the sailing, not the morning of it.

The AES filing. Every used self-propelled vehicle leaving the United States requires an Electronic Export Information filing in the Automated Export System, regardless of value. That filing returns an Internal Transaction Number, or ITN, which the steamship line will ask for before loading. It is normally handled by a licensed freight forwarder or customs broker rather than by the vehicle owner.

Quick reference: who supplies each document

Use this to see where each item comes from and how early it needs to exist.

Document	Who supplies it	When you need it in hand
Original Certificate of Title	State titling agency or current owner	Before the sailing is booked
Notarized lien release	Bank, credit union, or leasing company	Before title documents go to CBP
Bill of sale	Seller or exporter	With the title submission
Photo ID or passport copy	Owner or authorized exporter	With the title submission
AES filing and ITN	Licensed forwarder or customs broker	Before the 72-hour CBP presentation
Booking confirmation or dock receipt	Steamship line or forwarder	Before the car is delivered to the port
Power of attorney	Owner, notarized	Any time someone else signs for you

What the destination country adds

US export rules get the car onto the ship. Import rules at the other end decide whether it clears quickly or sits at the arrival terminal, and those requirements belong to the receiving country’s customs authority, not to Port Everglades.

Common additions include a certified translation of the title, an original commercial invoice, emissions or roadworthiness certificates, vehicle age limits, and pre-shipment inspection certificates that must be issued before the car leaves the United States. Ask your consignee or the destination broker for that list in writing early, because an inspection required prior to loading cannot be corrected after the vessel departs.

Getting the car to Port Everglades from Fort Lauderdale

Paperwork is only half the job. The vehicle still has to arrive at the port clean, running, and on schedule for its booking.

If you are starting the process from Fort Lauderdale, see our companion guide, Exporting a Car from Fort Lauderdale: Documents & Steps, for the full local document walkthrough.

A&C Car Transport handles that leg for owners across Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Pompano Beach, Plantation, Davie, Sunrise, Pembroke Pines, Miramar, and Weston. We use door-to-door single truck service, so the car is collected where it sits and delivered for its sailing.

Choose open transport for everyday drivers, or enclosed transport when the vehicle is classic, exotic, low-clearance, or high in value. Motorcycles move the same way. Our international car export service is built around staging overseas-bound vehicles correctly for the port.

A short pre-export checklist

• Confirm the title is physically in hand and any lien is released in writing.
• Get the destination country’s import requirements from your consignee in writing.
• Book the sailing first, then schedule the ground move backward from the 72-hour deadline.
• Remove personal belongings – loose contents and undeclared goods can hold up the whole shipment.
• Leave roughly a quarter tank of fuel and make sure the battery holds a charge so the car can be driven on and off.
• Photograph the vehicle from every angle before pickup so its condition is documented.

Ready to move your car to the port?

Gather your title, lien release, and buyer details first, then let us take care of the road. Request a quote from A&C Car Transport with your pickup address, the vehicle, and your sailing date, and we will schedule safe, reliable transport around it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need the original title to export a car from Port Everglades?

Yes. CBP requires the original state-issued Certificate of Title, or a certified copy from the issuing state accompanied by a notarized statement explaining why the original is unavailable.

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

Only with a notarized lien release on the lender's letterhead granting written permission to export. Without it, the vehicle will not be cleared for export.

How early do my documents need to be at the port?

The vehicle and its title documentation must be presented to US Customs at least 72 hours before the vessel departs, so plan for extra buffer days on top of that.

What is an ITN and do I need one?

An ITN is the confirmation number returned by the AES export filing. Every used self-propelled vehicle needs one before loading, regardless of the vehicle's value.

Does A&C Car Transport file my export paperwork?

A&C Car Transport handles the vehicle transport and international car export service to the port. Customs filings themselves are made by a licensed forwarder or customs broker.