Will I pay U.S. import duty on my car?

“Military = no duty” and “a car is always 2.5%” are both too simplistic. The correct path depends on what the vehicle is, where it came from and why you are returning.

Ordinary CBP base duty

CBP's vehicle-import guidance lists the ordinary duty rate for automobiles at 2.5% and trucks at 25%, based on the price paid or payable. Motorcycles are listed at 2.4% or free depending on classification.

Military and U.S. government employees: Chapter 98

CBP's current personal-vehicle guidance explains that the 9805.00.50 free-entry privilege has conditions. For a vehicle, CBP specifically points to possession and overseas registration. Returning under Orders alone should therefore not be turned into an automatic “$0 duty” promise.

Section 232 is another layer

CBP states that vehicles imported by qualifying government employees and service members under Chapter 98 are exempt from Section 232 automobile duties. If that exemption does not apply, current additional tariff treatment should be checked at the time of entry instead of relying on a stale hard-coded percentage.

State taxes are not federal customs duty

Destination-state title, registration, sales/use-tax or emissions costs should be shown separately. Ship or Sell deliberately keeps those destination-state costs separate from federal customs duty.