# Driving to Mexico and selling the car



## sarahjh22 (Mar 15, 2013)

We are heading down to Mexico with the purpose of buying a sailboat to liveaboard and cruise around for a few months. We are considering driving down and then selling the car once in Mexico. Does anyone know if this is possible?


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

sarahjh22 said:


> We are heading down to Mexico with the purpose of buying a sailboat to liveaboard and cruise around for a few months. We are considering driving down and then selling the car once in Mexico. Does anyone know if this is possible?


It is not possible to sell the car in Mexico. You would first have to import it, an expensive and time consuming process. If your bring a car into Mexico, you have to take it out again. It is not legal to sell it until it has been nationalized=imported. And you don't want to do that.


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

Like TundraGreen says, it is not legal to do what you are asking about.

Either fly down to your destination or take the bus from the border. Buses in Mexico are far, far better and more comfortable than buses in the US and are pretty economical. You can also haul quite a bit of stuff on a bus if that is why you were thinking of coming down in a car.


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## sarahjh22 (Mar 15, 2013)

Thanks for the speedy replies! I'm new to this forum and really excited at how quickly I can get answers to my questions.

The reason for driving was 3 fold:

1) We thought it would be fun to do a road trip down from Seattle instead of flying over
2) Carrying extra belongings
3) We were thinking of driving a camper van so that we would have transportation and a place to live while we were looking for a boat which could take several weeks

I suppose we could still do that and drive the vehicle back into California to sell although that sounds like a hassle. Alternately I guess we'd have to pick a spot to boat hunt (possibly La Paz or San Carlos) and find a resonable place to stay and use some sort of public transit.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

sarahjh22 said:


> Thanks for the speedy replies! I'm new to this forum and really excited at how quickly I can get answers to my questions.
> 
> The reason for driving was 3 fold:
> 
> ...


You could drive all your stuff down, then take the van back to California to sell. Then take a bus to La Paz or San Carlos. Intercity bus service in Mexico is convenient, cheap and comfortable. 

Local bus service is more dependent on the particular locale. It exists but is not too convenient in La Paz. I haven't been to San Carlos, so I don't know what it is like there.


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## Snoopy1Can (Jan 4, 2011)

do you now how long for bus trip from san diego to chapala anyone?


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Snoopy1Can said:


> do you now how long for bus trip from san diego to chapala anyone?


I have done the Guadalajara to San Diego bus trip many times. The total time is 35 hours. That includes an hour long stop in Ciudad Obregon to clean the bus and lots of shorter stops for food or snacks or bathroom breaks (and military inspections going north). With ETN (a bus line) the seats are wide and recline without getting in the face of the person behind you. There is usually wifi on board and occasionally power.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

If the original poster chooses to drive down in a true camper or motorhome, there may be a loophole: The camper still cannot be sold in Mexico, but I think there may still be the possibility of a 10 year temporary importation for campers. It would meet their needs and might be stored at a campground; although I would choose the location carefully ... very carefully. Eventually, it would have to leave Mexico, though.


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## Tuzo (Jan 20, 2012)

Hola, buenas tardes.

Like other people said, you cannot sell a car in Mexico if it is from the US. You would have to legalize it first and then sell it. Temporary 6 month permits absolutely prohibit you from selling the car in Mexico. You can't even give it away.

The trick is that a Mexican citizen has to legalize it, not a foreigner. The process is a two day affair and will cost you about 2,000 dollars, depending on the make and model. You need to do this at a border town like Nuevo Laredo. 

Also, there are restrictions on the year of the car. I believe, but don't quote me, that the car needs to be about 8 years old to legalize it. This is to protect the auto economy in Mexico. The rules are a little different for trucks, but about the same. 

I legalized my car because I chose to move here and my truck was in good shape.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

Take it into Belize and sell it...


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Tuzo said:


> …
> The trick is that a Mexican citizen has to legalize it, not a foreigner. The process is a two day affair and will cost you about 2,000 dollars, depending on the make and model. You need to do this at a border town like Nuevo Laredo.…


Would anyone like to comment on the accuracy of this statement. I have never had a car in Mexico and have no personal experience. But I don't remember ever hearing that "A Mexican citizen has to legalize it", nor that it has to be done at a "border town". How could a Mexican citizen legalize a car owned by a foreigner?


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

TundraGreen said:


> Would anyone like to comment on the accuracy of this statement. I have never had a car in Mexico and have no personal experience. But I don't remember ever hearing that "A Mexican citizen has to legalize it", nor that it has to be done at a "border town". How could a Mexican citizen legalize a car owned by a foreigner?


What I know:
It's called legalize; nacionalizar would be more accurate, and it has to be done by a mexican citizen since it is supposed to be a "mexican" car once it is nacionalizado.
It has to be done at a border town, otherwise it should not be in the country legally and would be considered as " chocolate" that is the term used for a foreign illegal vehicle.
And it has to be at least 10 yrs old or so


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Obviously, the owner gives up ownership to the Mexican citizen to nationalize the car. Then, hopefully, the car is re-sold to the original owner. I have seen the paper trail of such transactions; really strange and rather untraceable individuals often appear. However, I once assisted a foreign widow of the owner of such a nationalized car to another Mexican and, with the death certificate, the sale was completed in Jalisco.
That said, the expense and hassle just does not seem worth the trouble. One might just as well buy a car in Mexico and take the US car back to the nearest CarMax north of the border and take a bus or plane back with cash in hand.


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

chicois8 said:


> Take it into Belize and sell it...


They didn't want to drive north from Baja ..... Belize? I don't think so.

Get the boat, put an ad on Craigslist in CA and AZ ... and drive up when you get a buyer


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

sparks said:


> They didn't want to drive north from Baja ..... Belize? I don't think so.
> 
> Get the boat, put an ad on Craigslist in CA and AZ ... and drive up when you get a buyer


Sorry, I did not see they were just driving to La Paz but since there is no auto permit needed for Baja why can't they sell it there and let the new buyer handle any problems...


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

TundraGreen said:


> Would anyone like to comment on the accuracy of this statement. I have never had a car in Mexico and have no personal experience. But I don't remember ever hearing that "A Mexican citizen has to legalize it", nor that it has to be done at a "border town". How could a Mexican citizen legalize a car owned by a foreigner?


I question that as well. Sounds like a temporary or permanent resident can't own a Mexican car at all because they are not citizens, and we know that's not true


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

Here is the link from Aduana: 

Vehculos - Importaciones definitivas de automóviles usados

If you follow the links for the various types of importation, it states that you can do it with a passport or an FMM plus a photo. You do need a CURP which is an odd combo -- how many people with tourist permits are going to somehow have a CURP? 
Anyone with a resident visa is eligible and will already have a CURP.
It also does not mention that it needs to be done in a border city.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

chicois8 said:


> Sorry, I did not see they were just driving to La Paz but since there is no auto permit needed for Baja why can't they sell it there and let the new buyer handle any problems...


Because it is illegal to do so.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

you are correct, everything in Mexico is legal...


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## da2434890 (May 30, 2011)

sarahjh22 said:


> Thanks for the speedy replies! I'm new to this forum and really excited at how quickly I can get answers to my questions.
> 
> The reason for driving was 3 fold:
> 
> ...


The rules concerning automobiles in Mexico are different for the Baja, the hassle free zone of Sonora which includes San Carlos, and the remainder of Mexico. Since I am in San Carlos I only know that there is no vehicle permit required for the hassle free zone except for a trailer or motorhome. Since I currently do not have a smaller camping vehicle I am not sure where the dividing line is between a van which is considered an auto and thus no permit and a motorhome. The buses to San Carlos are great but the US console does not recommend travel anywhere in Mexico at night. You can guess what happens because of no permits required for the hassle free zone. That is the reason that they are now requiring a deposit on trailers.


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## geaaronson (Apr 4, 2013)

Here´s another possibility. Drive to Belize and sell it there. THe further away from the US you drive the higher the resale price for a used vehicle. I had a co-worker from Vancouver who bought a pickup in VC, drove to Belize City and sold it for $1,000 more than what she had paid for it and she had owned it for 2 years.


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