Forums > Areas > Central Pacific Region

LaManzanilla Mama

Nov 25, 2011, 10:40 AM

Post #1 of 22 (6645 views)

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Foreign Car Licence Plates

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We are bringing a small old car into Mexico to leave at our casa. I've read all the posts about buying a Mexican car, but we have this reliable little car which is paid for and can't really afford to buy something else.
My question is: Do you have to have current US/CAD licence plates on the car. Our plates are linked to our insurance and our insurance is no good in Mexico. We can't just buy plates without insurance. So we would have to pay $800 for plates and insurance which is invalid in Mexico, plus buy Mexican insurance at the border.
We're hoping that we can let our plates expire and just continue to buy Mexican insurance for the car.

Thanks for any information you can offer

Rolly

Nov 25, 2011, 12:13 PM

Post #2 of 22 (6623 views)

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Re: [LaManzanilla Mama] Foreign Car Licence Plates

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We're hoping that we can let our plates expire and just continue to buy Mexican insurance for the car.

Your wish is granted. Your foreign plates do not have to be current except in Baja.
You will find more car information here.

Rolly Pirate

LaManzanilla Mama

Nov 25, 2011, 12:24 PM

Post #3 of 22 (6618 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Foreign Car Licence Plates

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Thanks Rolly. I thought I had read that somewhere, but couldn't remember where. We will just cross the border with Mexican car insurance and let the plates expire. Yay, $800 for cervesas instead of government red tape!

rockydog85251

Nov 25, 2011, 1:53 PM

Post #4 of 22 (6604 views)

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Re: [LaManzanilla Mama] Foreign Car Licence Plates

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I believe that the law in Jalisco says they must be current there as well, but haven't been able to get any feedback from anyone living in Jalisco in oder to verify if it is enforced.
Willie

Rolly

Nov 25, 2011, 2:29 PM

Post #5 of 22 (6596 views)

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Re: [rockydog85251] Foreign Car Licence Plates

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It is my understanding that Jalisco does have such a rule.
But it's a paper tiger; there is no enforcement provision.

Rolly Pirate

Yacatecuhtli

Nov 25, 2011, 2:33 PM

Post #6 of 22 (6593 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Foreign Car Licence Plates

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But they will still pull you over every chance they get for a "routine search" and to check your import permit if your tags are long expired. Make sure and have a copy of the Art 106 handy cuz they will want you to "pay a fine on the spot" if the car is here past the permit date.

! Al pan, pan y al vino, vino !

Rolly

Nov 25, 2011, 3:14 PM

Post #7 of 22 (6581 views)

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Re: [Yacatecuhtli] Foreign Car Licence Plates

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Have you ever been stooped for expiated plates?
In 12 years here, I have not been questioned about my expired plates.

Rolly Pirate

LaManzanilla Mama

Nov 25, 2011, 3:27 PM

Post #8 of 22 (6571 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Foreign Car Licence Plates

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Yikes. Like most things in life it seems to be less than cut and dried. My instinct is to let them expire and if I have to pay "a fine" it should still save money. It would be nice to hear from someone in Jalisco - Melaque, Barra, Manzanillo areas regarding their experience with expired plates.

Yacatecuhtli

Nov 25, 2011, 3:40 PM

Post #9 of 22 (6568 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Foreign Car Licence Plates

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Yes I am stopped all the time and I live in Jalisco, tags expired in 2004 .................... but hey maybe its just me... and I refuse to pay the on the spot "fine"

! Al pan, pan y al vino, vino !

chicois8

Nov 25, 2011, 5:20 PM

Post #10 of 22 (6548 views)

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Re: [LaManzanilla Mama] Foreign Car Licence Plates

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In Reply To

When I buy my yearly tourist vehicle insurance I am asked for my US insurance company and policy number.

I guess it is different when you buy non tourist auto insurance.......

chinagringo

Nov 25, 2011, 6:01 PM

Post #11 of 22 (6540 views)

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Re: [LaManzanilla Mama] Foreign Car Licence Plates

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While the laws and enforcement in Mexico are haphazard at best, I don't understand why Gringo's feel it is a right or privilege not to keep their plates current?
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

RickS

Nov 25, 2011, 6:32 PM

Post #12 of 22 (6538 views)

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Re: [chinagringo] Foreign Car Licence Plates

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"...I don't understand why..."

I suspect that it has to do one, with cost and then mostly with non-enforcement of the law. Some NOB states charge an exorbitant amount to plate a car for a year.... way out of line with what the fee 'should' be to cover associated costs. I live in one of those states. So, if I were living in Jalisco full time and had my US plated car there but not in my 'home' State, why should I continue to pay those elevated costs? AND, if I looked around and saw 50,000 other cars with expired plates..... some so old the plate was beginning to deteriorate .... I'd have no problem joining the crowd.

The solution is to keep one's vehicle current in a state that has realistic fees and that doesn't require local residency..... say South Dakota. To keep my 2007 Prius plated in Colorado, I'd pay upwards of $275/yr. South Dakota would do that for me for $52. So those folks in the Lake Chapala area (probably more than 100) who have current SD plates are killing two birds with one plate.... keeping their costs down AND staying legal with current plates.

chinagringo

Nov 25, 2011, 6:50 PM

Post #13 of 22 (6533 views)

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Re: [RickS] Foreign Car Licence Plates

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My point exactly. I personally have no problem with those using SD to keep plates current! It will be really funny if Jalisco decides to enforce their expired plate policy and turn the Gringo community into an uproar!
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

LaManzanilla Mama

Nov 25, 2011, 7:36 PM

Post #14 of 22 (6524 views)

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Re: [chinagringo] Foreign Car Licence Plates

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Reply to Neil:

The cost to keep my plates current would be in excess of $800 for insurance that is not valid in Mexico. I do not have the luxury of registering my car in South Dakota since I am Canadian. In Canada you cannot drive without insurance so you cannot plate your car without buying insurance - and that $800 worth of insurance is invalid in Mexico. I am perfectly happy to buy Mexican insurance and I would be happy to keep my car licence current for a couple of hundred dollars a year. But $800????

If I don't have to I won't.

Moisheh

Nov 25, 2011, 7:43 PM

Post #15 of 22 (6518 views)

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Re: [LaManzanilla Mama] Foreign Car Licence Plates

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Mama: Which province are you from?

Moisheh

chinagringo

Nov 25, 2011, 7:55 PM

Post #16 of 22 (6514 views)

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Re: [LaManzanilla Mama] Foreign Car Licence Plates

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But you have no problem renting out a studio condo for $1200/month. I am assuming that is US$ or Cdn$ and not pesos?
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

LaManzanilla Mama

Nov 25, 2011, 9:32 PM

Post #17 of 22 (6502 views)

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Re: [chinagringo] Foreign Car Licence Plates

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I don't know why these forums attract the anti-social, personality disordered sorts of people such as the above speciman, but they always do.

My sincere thanks to Rolly and Ricks for trying to answer my question and provide help. You are the kind of people that embody the spirit of helpfulness and compensate one for having to put up with the idiots that inevitably start to monopolize the posts. I appreciate your time and effort.

I have my answer and am done.

Cheers.

JRinPV

Nov 26, 2011, 8:41 AM

Post #18 of 22 (6472 views)

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Re: [LaManzanilla Mama] Foreign Car Licence Plates

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Transito or the Federal Highway Police do not have any authority to check import permits, only the Aduana can do that !

DavidHF

Nov 27, 2011, 5:55 AM

Post #19 of 22 (6411 views)

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Re: [JRinPV] Foreign Car Licence Plates

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Arguing with the Polica about what is or is not their "authority" will only bring on more difficulties.

careyeroslib

Nov 27, 2011, 2:38 PM

Post #20 of 22 (6365 views)

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Re: [DavidHF] Foreign Car Licence Plates

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We have been stopped a few times over the years (10 years to be exact) in Jalisco by Transito and the only thing we have ever been asked for is the original import permit and our FM3/FM2 documents.

If I asked the government of my province in Canada to renew the sticker, they would laugh in my face because the car isn´t even located in Canada or the US, let alone being driven there. To licence our old Nissan in Ontario would involve a) driving it back to Ontario to pass an emission test at one of their officially designated facilities, b) possibly pay for new emission equipment since Nissan Mexico once asked why we had two mufflers (they didn´t know what a catalytic converter looked like so took it out during one of its regular maintenance visits), and c) buying full Canadian insurance in addition to Mexican insurance.

To the person who asked why we think we have the right to drive with expired plates, the answer is quite simple. Everything we have ever read on reliable forums such as Mexico Connect and been told by Mexican authorities, as well as our own experience of seeing hundreds of vehicles on the roads of Jalisco and Nayarit with expired plates and driven by ex-pats, leads us to believe we have this right.

But also, in a broader sense, such a requirement would make no sense.

Now, I can see why the Mexican government might not want ANYONE to keep foreign-plated vehicles in Mexico full-time indefinitely. In Ontario, for example, you can only keep a non-Ontario plated car in Ontario for X months (depends on where it is plated) before either importing it or removing it.

Further, we are still the legal owners of the vehicle, which could be easily verified by a check on who owns a vehicle with Ontario plates (eg.) "XYZ 123". The fact that we don´t have a current Ontario sticker doesn´t mean we don´t own the car, it just means we are not legally able to drive it in Canada or the US--a fact which would seem to be of no possible interest to Mexican authorities.

dstan

Feb 27, 2012, 9:18 PM

Post #21 of 22 (5071 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Foreign Car Licence Plates

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Does anyone know if the rules are any different in Nayarit than Jalisco re. expired plates? (in otherwords, is there any enforcement in Nayarit?)
Thanks

Sculptari

Mar 1, 2012, 7:56 AM

Post #22 of 22 (4963 views)

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Re: [dstan] Foreign Car Licence Plates

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I believe the last time this actually came up was in Nayarit about seven years ago. The Transito, near Bucerias, stopped a U.S. plated car which they suspected was driven by a Mexican national. Well - this was blown up to almost a diplomatic incident (the U.S. Consul was involved), the newspapers and forums blossomed with all sorts of dire predictions/rumors. Then, of course, in the Mexican way, it all blew over and has never been heard of since. Many jurisdictions in Canada & the US have split into two issues registraton/ownership and insurance. The validity of a registration is easily checked by computer or telephone. Proof of insurance would be Mexican, again confirmed by telephone or computer.

So the Transitos have no reason to start checking tags - it's a giant hot potato, and even if it was, they would be looking for stolen American and Canadian cars being driven in Mexico, by Mexicans, probably car thieves. About the stupidest crime imaginable this far south.

There is a minor 'municipal' law in Puerto Vallarta about expired tags. If you are stopped for this, insist on a ticket, pay the ticket next day ($12 dollars), contact me and we will send it on appeal to State court in Guadalajara, with proof of registration. They will quash it, return your $12, and I doubt whether we will ever hear again of a 'municipal' ticket for expired U.S. or Canadian insurance stickers.

Here's whats happening in the "Big Daddy' jurisdictions - automated license plate scans - 3,000 processed per hour! Wow - Robocop is just around the corner.
http://bc.rcmp.ca/...d=1&contentId=-1

(This post was edited by Rolly on Mar 1, 2012, 9:03 AM)