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25-Year Import Rule · J70

Toyota Land Cruiser 70 US Import Eligibility

Legal NOW — since November 2009

Still in production — only examples built 25+ years ago are eligible, rolling forward month by month.

Importing a Toyota Land Cruiser 70? Get the checklist.

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Production run & eligibility

Chassis codeJ70
Production startNovember 1984
Production endStill in production
First cars eligibleNovember 2009
Last cars eligibleRolling — 25 years after each build month

Eligibility is counted from the month of manufacture on the build plate of the specific car — not the model year. A Land Cruiser 70 built one month later unlocks one month later.

Still in production — only examples built 25+ years ago are eligible. HZJ77 and PZJ70 turbodiesels are popular picks.

California is different

The 25-year rule is federal — it clears customs and NHTSA. California additionally requires direct-import vehicles newer than 1975 to pass its own emissions certification, which most JDM imports cannot do without an expensive lab conversion. If you are in California, read our state registration guide before bidding on anything.

Budget the full import

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