Cayman Islands Vehicle Registration Process

Registering a car in the Cayman Islands

Bringing your car to a new country can be tough with all the paperwork, customs hurdles and inspections. The company you opted to hire to bring your car in may help you greatly with the process or you might be left to do a lot of the legwork on your own.

Regardless of the situation, it’s best to acquaint yourself with some of the steps required to own and register a car in the Cayman Islands. Take a look at the following information for some quick information.

Licensing A New Vehicle

• An application to register for cars (new or used) that have never been to the islands before.
• Insurance paperwork
• Certificate of License and Road Worthiness

The certificate, sometimes referred to as a log book, has the registered owner’s name but also the key characteristics of the car. The document is used to determine when the auto is due for an inspection, when the registration is set to renew, the category and whether there’s a bank lien against it.

Part of owning a vehicle in the Cayman Islands is having it inspected regularly.

What to expect with inspections:

• All lights, from the turn signals to the bulbs that light up the license plates, must be working
• Glass in the windows must be free of cracks and other things that obstruct the driver’s view. Tinted windows have to allow at least 35 percent light transmission.
• Windshield wipers must be fully operational, including the rubber on the wipers.
• Tires have to be in good condition, including the spare.

For readers that may be shipping a car to the Cayman Islands, more information can be found on our international shipping page for the country, including the required import documents and projected costs.

Part of the process may also involve the inspector driving your automobile on the road. Automobiles not meeting the requirements are given a certificate of defects to be fixed. Once fixed, the vehicle can be taken back for another inspection.

It should be noted car are required to be inspected and licensed each year, though newer vehicles can obtain a license of three years.

Registering Your Automobile

Vehicles can be licensed for various periods of time, including three months, six months, one year, two years or three years.

After registering the vehicle, owners will receive a sticker stating how long the vehicle’s registration is good for. The sticker (colloquially referred to as a coupon) needs to be displayed on the windshield.

Cayman Islands Vehicle Registration Resources

Vehicle Inspection Locations - Official portal for the Cayman Islands Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ License where drivers can find a host of resources, including where to get their vehicles inspected.

Driver’s License Requirements - A good general resource for driving in the Cayman Islands, getting a local license and the expected costs.