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I live in Boston MA with a TD visa. I don't want to buy a car in USA. Can I drive my Canadian car (car registered in Canada) here? How long can I drive it? How about car insurance? Any detailed information about this?

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According to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles:

You must register your vehicle in Massachusetts as soon as you become a Massachusetts resident. The law does not provide a grace period.

You therefore need to register your vehicle in Massachusetts. This page from the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles details the process for transferring your registration and title.

There are some additional documents needed to register your Canadian vehicle:

Used Vehicles from Canada

To title a used vehicle from Canada, you must present all of the following:

  • Registration and Title Application Original Canadian Province
  • Registration Certificate or previous Certificate of Title if from Nova Scotia (Nova Scotia is the only Canadian province that issues Titles)
  • Bill(s) of Sale providing a complete chain of transfers and ownerships
  • One of the following U.S. Customs Entry Forms:
    • CF 3299 - Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles
    • CF 7501 - Entry Summary

Car insurance would be purchased normally through any car US car insurance provider. Do expect to pay more, as your Canadian driving history likely won't transfer over. When I moved to the United States from Canada on a TN, I paid very high rates for the first few years until I built up US driving history.

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  • Thank you for your answer. how about the Canada registration? keep it? cancel it? or automatically lose it?
    – peterboston
    Commented Feb 27, 2020 at 13:21
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    @peterboston I think the answer will depend upon what (if anything) you'll need to have done to car to get it registered in the US, and also then what you'll need to import it back into Canada. There will at least be paperwork at both ends of both transactions, but physical modifications to the car may also be required. It'd be frustrating to modify the car for US import, and then have to re-modify so you can take it back to Canada. You might find buying a car in US for your US stay, then selling it, a better course of action.
    – DavidRecallsMonica
    Commented Feb 27, 2020 at 20:44

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