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Bear

Sep 18, 2005, 7:12 AM

Post #1 of 16 (3670 views)

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Mexican Plated Car

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A friend sent me a private message asking me what to look for when buying a used Mexican plated car.
I thot I would pass on my experience and maybe this would garner more info for others out there.
I purchased a used 1995 VW Sedan over a year ago
and was helped by Mexican friends. Your seller
must have Original Factura with Rights to the Vehicle ceded to subsequent buyers, dated and signed on back of factura. A bill of sale is helpful
(forms are readily available at Papelerias). Your seller will have to provide to you the previous 5 tenencias. Both plates should be on vehicle. He should have current tarjeta de circulacion.
You will need an FM3 to register the vehicle in your name. Registration and new tenencia were very inexpensive for me because car was almost 10 years old. My local intense bureaucrat at transito made me
change plates from Distrito Federal to Mexico State
during the process, but I later found that it was not
necessary. That was also very inexpensive, less than $20.00 US. (He said it was because I was a foreigner
and the car had to be registered in the state where I actually lived, based on FM3.) Not true for Distrito Federal plated vehicles, but "so what".
This year I will change plates to Queretaro State, an
attempt to avoid 2 smog certificates per year, and
the trip down to Mexico to pay tenencias. The same
Factura and 5 tenencias will be required here to change registration, plus a 40 day wait while they check to see if it is stolen, customary policy. Costs
will be $48.US to do this(includes 2006 tenencia).
I hope this helps some understand the process. It
changes slightly in various states. Bear

gpk

Sep 18, 2005, 5:33 PM

Post #2 of 16 (3634 views)

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Re: [Bear] Mexican Plated Car

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State requirements do vary. The main point about checking the seller's documentation is to assure that the vehicle is not a stolen vehicle--this is a very big business in Mexico and Gringos can be easy targets. In Guanajuato there is--or was--an agency that would verify the documents for buyers. This was in the paper some time ago and I don't remember the details. If the price seems too low, be wary. Also, sales are generally (always?) "as is", so don't expect a refund if the engine falls out the next day.

sfmacaws

Dec 15, 2005, 9:54 PM

Post #3 of 16 (3554 views)

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Re: [Bear] Mexican Plated Car

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I bought a 1993 Toyota pickup today that has mexican plates. It was legalized in January. Thus I will not have the 5 tenencias, hopefully the legalization papers will suffice.

What could be a problem for me is that I don't have an FM3 and don't really want one. Is the FM3 requirement different in other states? Anyone done this with an FMT? I really don't want the hassle or cost of an FM3, I hope I don't have to go get one. But if I do, I'd better start soon, probably nothing happens until January, as I intend to leave the country (south) in February and will need my passport.

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

sfmacaws

Dec 16, 2005, 9:25 PM

Post #4 of 16 (3524 views)

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Re: [sfmacaws] Mexican Plated Car

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I found the answer so I'm replying to myself... perhaps I should take another MC break.

I can register the mexican plated truck in my name with only an FMT here in QRoo. These things are decided at the state level. Whether this is absolutely legal or not I don't know and I'm not asking. It costs about $100 US to the right notario.

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

Marlene

Dec 17, 2005, 7:59 AM

Post #5 of 16 (3501 views)

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Re: [sfmacaws] Mexican Plated Car

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That's good information Jonna. That means you won't have to have a Mexican DL either. I have never heard of using a notario for vehicle registration things here. That's interesting.

Ed and Fran

Dec 17, 2005, 8:26 AM

Post #6 of 16 (3492 views)

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Re: [Marlene] Mexican Plated Car

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That means you won't have to have a Mexican DL either.

I guess that's another thing that can vary by state. I've had my car registered for 10 years in Tamaulipas (originally) and Veracruz (now), and have never had a mexican driver's license. It apparently wasn't a requirement (or even asked) in either of those states.

Regards

Ed

Bear

Dec 17, 2005, 8:41 AM

Post #7 of 16 (3487 views)

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Re: [Ed and Fran] Mexican Plated Car

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Also true in Querétaro State, i.e., no Mexican DL necessary to own or drive a mexican-plated car. Any state or province legally issued DL will do.
www.mqro.gob.mx "Transito Reglamentos"
I have found no clear definition on that in Estado de Mexico. It seems to depend on which bureaucrat that you are talking to......Bear

(This post was edited by Bear on Dec 17, 2005, 8:43 AM)

sfmacaws

Dec 17, 2005, 9:23 AM

Post #8 of 16 (3479 views)

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Re: [Marlene] Mexican Plated Car

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Hi Marlene, I know that there are notarios here that specialize in immigration issues along with any issue that needs govt approval, such as permits for things. Really, I think in many instances it is more an issue that they know the right people to get things signed. For that matter, the person involved may not even BE a notario but someone in their office who handles this kind of thing. Full service offices, you know? Good job for someones brother-in-law perhaps.

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

Marlene

Dec 17, 2005, 9:44 AM

Post #9 of 16 (3475 views)

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Re: [sfmacaws] Mexican Plated Car

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Cousin. Cousins (of which we have many in Mexico) have great connections, you name it.

sfmacaws

Dec 17, 2005, 10:02 AM

Post #10 of 16 (3470 views)

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Re: [Marlene] Mexican Plated Car

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Yes, but the wife of a powerful man always has brothers...brothers from whom he'd better take a call if he wants peace at home. Also brothers that he would love to see in a good paying job, cheaper for him.<g>

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

jerezano

Dec 17, 2005, 4:08 PM

Post #11 of 16 (3456 views)

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Re: [sfmacaws] Mexican Plated Car

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Hello:

Mexican Driver's License Requirement: On a Mexican Plated car which will be driven into the United States, a Mexican Driver's License will be required to buy the temporary liability insurance required by many States--Texas for one.

The insurance companies will NOT issue that temporary liability insurance to the car owner if he does NOT have a Mexican Driver's License. Or at least, I have not yet found an insurance company which will in the two years I have been driving a Mexican plated car.

Adios. jerezano.

(This post was edited by jerezano on Dec 17, 2005, 4:13 PM)

jerezano

Dec 18, 2005, 1:53 PM

Post #12 of 16 (3417 views)

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Re: [jerezano] Mexican Plated Car

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Hello all,

Mexican Plated Car---

I have received a private message which stated that I may be wrong about the insurance companies requiring a Mexican Driver's license for temporary liability insurance on a Mexican Plated Car entering the USA.

All I can say is that in my two years experience driving a Mexican Plated car and entering Texas on 5 different occasions, that each and every insurance company from which I purchased that temporary liability insurance policy required from me the Mexican State of issue and the number and termination date of my Zacatecas Driver's License. Each company made it clear that they could NOT issue me a policy without that Mexican Drivers License. This occurred at a kiosk in Cadereytra (once) and and another kiosk at Los Ahijados on kilometer 100 of the Reynosa-Cadereytra (once). Also at my on-line issuer (three times).

Also, for us older guys some insurance companies refuse to issue policies to persons older than 79. I did find one on-
line which had no age requriement other than the standard higher policy fee for people over age 70. I will be happy to furnish the URL to anyone who needs it. Private message please.

So, I guess all I can say is be alert and be prepared. That Mexican Driver's License may just come in handy some day.

Adios. jerezano.

sfmacaws

Dec 18, 2005, 5:40 PM

Post #13 of 16 (3405 views)

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Re: [jerezano] Mexican Plated Car

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I'm not taking my truck back to the US but I do need to find some mexican liability insurance for it. Will I need the local DL for that too? I was going to try adding it to my Lewis & Lewis policy but, since it is staying here perhaps there is a better place?

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

jerezano

Dec 20, 2005, 7:14 PM

Post #14 of 16 (3364 views)

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Re: [sfmacaws] Mexican Plated Car

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Hello:

Quote I'm not taking my truck back to the US but I do need to find some mexican liability insurance for it. Will I need the local DL for that too? I was going to try adding it to my Lewis & Lewis policy but, since it is staying here perhaps there is a better place.unquote

I'm confused. Does your truck have US/Canadian plates? I have friends who have US plated cars and some of them have bought Mexican insurance from US companies and others have bought Mexican insurance from agents for Mexican companies. A friend who had a Mexican plated car bought her Mexican insurance from INBURSA a Mexican company. I buy my Mexican insurance from INBURSA. A Canadian couple driving a Canadian plated car buy their Mexican insurance from INBURSA as well. Lewis and Lewis should be able to cover your US or Canadian plated truck with Mexican liability insurance with no problem and using your USA or Canadian driver's license.

If you are worried about getting better premiums, then that is a different matter and can be solved only by making a serious search.

Again, what I was talking about previously was driving a Mexican plated car into the USA and buying temporary USA liability insurance as a tourist or temporary resident into the USA. The three companies I contacted whether USA based companies or Mexican based companies required me as owner of a Mexican plated car to provide proof of a Mexican Drivers License to buy a temporary liability policy to cover the time I was or would be in the USA. How can I put it any clearer? Right now I am in the Rio Grande Valley for the winter and will be leaving here on March 1. I am covered by a temporary liability insurance policy for that period. The company issuing the policy was a Mexican company.

Perhaps this will clarify the idea a bit better. If you are driving a Mexican-plated car the insurance companies assume that you are a permanent Mexican resident. Therefore you must have a Mexican Driver's license. The three companies I am familiar with make that assumption and have no provision for any other options. It is a take-it-or-leave it deal. No Mexican driver's license, no USA temporary liability insurance for a Mexican-plated car.

Now other people may have had other experiences. I would like to hear from them if they have.

Adios. jerezano

Cynthia7

Dec 20, 2005, 8:25 PM

Post #15 of 16 (3358 views)

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Re: [jerezano] Mexican Plated Car

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You might check with your insurance and see if you do not have a certain amount of liability insurance when you are in the US. We have some on our Mexican plated car that is good in the US.

sfmacaws

Dec 20, 2005, 8:57 PM

Post #16 of 16 (3353 views)

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Re: [Cynthia7] Mexican Plated Car

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No, I'm not taking the truck out of Mexico, I need liability insurance for here in Mexico. Right now, it is still covered under a previous policy but soon, right after the new year, I will need to get that coverage myself.

We're not doing anything until after the new year, as if we could get anything done before that, but soon after I will change the title and then need to get my own insurance. I'll check on Inbursa if L&L won't do it. I thought it might be easier with L&L as I already have 2 policies that I've had for about 5 years.

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán