Diesel-Engine Buses and Motor Vehicles for Ten or More Persons

Diesel buses imported for US road use must conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) as administered by NHTSA, and the importer must file a HS-7 declaration at entry. EPA emissions standards for heavy-duty diesel engines also apply; buses not meeting current EPA standards cannot be imported for on-road use without an exemption or bond. Compliance with both agencies should be confirmed before shipment, as non-conforming vehicles may require costly modifications or face refusal of entry.

CBP looks to the vehicle's designed seating capacity as reflected in the manufacturer's certificate of origin, type-approval documentation, or vehicle identification plate — not the number of seats actually installed at the time of import. Operators who remove seats for cargo conversion should be aware that the classification is based on the vehicle's design capacity, and post-import modifications do not retroactively change the entry classification.