# Query: Vehicle registration



## JULIAN2 (Jul 14, 2008)

Sweden Calling!

I've been offered a Jalisco registered vehicle by a couple of US travellers in Panama . They bought the '94 Jeep in Guadalajara but did not register the vehicle in their name. The documents they have are : original vehicle registration document, Bill of Sale + ID from the previous Guadalajara owner. It has a Jallisco registration number plate. My questions are:

1) If I buy this vehicle in Panama City complete with original car registration, Bill of sale from non registered owner, drive it back to Mexico, can I simply sell it without registering it in my name?

2) If not, is it enough to register the vehicle in Mexico if I present the original registration document + Bill of Sale + copy of ID belonging to the original Mexican owner, together with a Bill of Sale + copy of ID from the non registered owner in Panama?

3) Can a Jalisco registered vehicle be sold anywhere in Mexico or can it only be sold in Jalisco

Do Mexican vehicles have licence plate tags?

If so and this vehicles tags are out of date and I cross the border, am I liable to be stopped/fined by the police?

Is car insurance necessary by law in Mexico?

Many thanks.


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## jlms (May 15, 2008)

Gosh, such a car sounds like more trouble than it is worth.

It is normally expected that the vehicle is registered by the new owner as soon as possible, WHy this did not happen should give rise to suspicion.

So ask yourself this: you are going to drive this vehicle back to Mexico and you have no official document to probe it is yours. Mexican police is quite corrupt, so this would be a golden opportunity for a police officer to stop you, ask for your papers and either get a big bribe from you or stop you in suspicion of having a robbed car.

Stop it, really, you don't need to put yourself in unnecessary trouble. I would suggest that you go to the Mexican consulate and inquire about exporting to Mexico a Panamanian car instead, this way you do know that the car is legal through and through.

If the Mexican car was clean you can sell it anywhere in Mexico, I don't know what you mean by "licence plate tags", you may want to clarify what are you referring to so people can give you an opinion.


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## synthia (Apr 18, 2007)

The couple who bought it probably thought they could sell it in Panama, and didn'trealize that in all countries, you are only allowed to bring a car in on condition that you will not sell it and will remove it from the country by a certain date.

I guess they could have bribed their way through all the borders they would have needed to cross to get the car from Mexico to Panama, but I'd be suspicious of the whole thing.

How do you plan to bring the car back to Mexico? That's a long drive, and not one I think anyone should undertake alone, even less a woman. You ask if Mexican cars have license plates, which makes me think you have never been to Mexico. So I wonder, why are you even thinking about doing this?

If you are going to be living in Guadalajara, why not just buy a car there? Or buy one in the US and take it to Guadalajara? From wherever you are to Guadalajara will surely be easier than from Panama City to Guadalajara?


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## JULIAN2 (Jul 14, 2008)

*Vehicle registration*

Hello!

Thank you both for taking the time to reply. Yes, you are both correct, perhaps it's not worth the trouble. The couple said they didn't reister it because they didn't have a Mexican address or landline! The "licence tags" are similar to the US where when you register a vehicle, you pay a road tax sticking a "tag" on the rear number plate. I just assumed the same system applied to Mexico but I guess I'm wrong. 

I'm in Sweden now and have never been to Mexico but thought the trip would be fun and that I could sell this vehicle 94 Ford Explorer for 1500 US dollars easy enough on arrival in Mexico. Great I found / checked this website! So I shall take your good advice and pass. 

One thing I will do is make it up to Mexico and do some exploring. After living in sunny Cape Town, I'm well used to corruption and adventure. Thank you again my friends and may I wish you good health and happiness.

"There are no pockets in a shroud"


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## jlms (May 15, 2008)

*More about vehicles...*



Ingrid Winslow said:


> Hello!
> 
> Thank you both for taking the time to reply. Yes, you are both correct, perhaps it's not worth the trouble. The couple said they didn't reister it because they didn't have a Mexican address or landline! The "licence tags" are similar to the US where when you register a vehicle, you pay a road tax sticking a "tag" on the rear number plate. I just assumed the same system applied to Mexico but I guess I'm wrong.
> 
> ...


Hello,

In Mexico you put any tax related task in the front wind shield, the plates are never tagged in any way (actually obstructing their view in any way is illegal).

I don't thing the idea is bad per se, but you would need to do your homework: ask in the Panama and Mexican consulates what the situation is with exporting and importing cars permanently and keep in mind that you would be crossing several countries along the way. It can be done and needs lots of planning.

As for safety, if you drive during daylight, main roads and toll ones when available I reckon you should be perfectly fine.

Police corruption in Mexico is bad, but to be honest the "victim" is also willing partner. By driving a car with a dubious legal status you would be inviting the attention of the lowly paid police forces in Mexico.

Driving in Mexico is great, you discover lots of things and you can do things at your own pace.


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## pedro (May 15, 2007)

give the car back to the couple. if it's not registered to them it's still in the previous owners name. mexico practices napoleonic law[guilty until proven innocent]. that car has high risk written all over it.better to loose the money on the car than to spend thousands more to get out of a mexican jail which are absolute hell.


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