# Takeing a Mexican plated vehicle to AZ



## hando4949 (Jun 22, 2009)

I have to go to Tucson and pick up my Moercycle. Only have a small truck. I can borrow a friends truck, who will go with me, but he can't cross to the states, as he has no visa. What do I have to have, paperwork ect, to take his truck over.
Thanks
Aus


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## FHBOY (Jun 15, 2010)

*Expanding on that...*

...once we have a Mexican plated vehicle, will it be difficult to take it to the US and then return? What if we want to visit our kids? How does it all work?


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Actually, it is easier to travel between the two countries with a Mexican plated vehicle. There is no need for 'paperwork, stickers or fees' at the border, if you have Mexican plates.
We have a micro car with Jalisco plates and have driven it to, and through, the USA without any concern. Of course, it can't be imported to the USA or sold there.
We also have a US plated car, temporarily imported to Mexico these last ten years, but as we become permanent residents or citizens of Mexico, we must take it out of Mexico. I can see a trip to Carmax in San Antonio, TX, in my near future. Ugh! I'll miss that SUV, but it was built in Japan and, as a non-NAFTA product, it can't be permanently imported to Mexico and such importation of NAFTA produced vehicles is much too expensive anyway. As a result, permanent importation by individuals has pretty much stopped & the brokers who used to do it have quit the process.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

*US auto insurance*



RVGRINGO said:


> Actually, it is easier to travel between the two countries with a Mexican plated vehicle. There is no need for 'paperwork, stickers or fees' at the border, if you have Mexican plates.
> We have a micro car with Jalisco plates and have driven it to, and through, the USA without any concern. Of course, it can't be imported to the USA or sold there.
> We also have a US plated car, temporarily imported to Mexico these last ten years, but as we become permanent residents or citizens of Mexico, we must take it out of Mexico. I can see a trip to Carmax in San Antonio, TX, in my near future. Ugh! I'll miss that SUV, but it was built in Japan and, as a non-NAFTA product, it can't be permanently imported to Mexico and such importation of NAFTA produced vehicles is much too expensive anyway. As a result, permanent importation by individuals has pretty much stopped & the brokers who used to do it have quit the process.



I have read in the newspaper that a Mexican plated car must have auto insurance and see signs in Mexico selling it, even at the OXXO. I have never found out how enforced this is in the US. All people have told me me is that they do not ask them at the border if they have it and many here in Mexicali seem to not bother buying it. I know now in Calif. they do not require proof of insurance anymore when sending in your yearly renewal payment. Does anyone know about this, I am curious.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

All cars in Mexico must have auto insurance. It is not like the USA, where you carry an insurance card, but if you have an accident, you will be happy that you have the insurance; it will keep you out of prison.
No matter where your car is registered, you are also required to have insurance to drive in the USA. The border agents are not traffic police, and have no interest in such matters. However, to drive in the USA, or anywhere else, without insurance, would be very foolish and totally irresponsible. In the event of an accident, the other driver will usually insist on your arrest until the matter is settled.


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## pappabee (Jun 22, 2010)

I thought at one time there was a 20 mi /20 km limit that you could drive a mexican plated vehicle in the US without special paperwork and the same thing goes for driving into Mexico. Has that changed? Or was I dreaming someting?


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

*Car Insurance*



pappabee said:


> I thought at one time there was a 20 mi /20 km limit that you could drive a mexican plated vehicle in the US without special paperwork and the same thing goes for driving into Mexico. Has that changed? Or was I dreaming someting?



Actually in Calif. a Mexican National can drive their car anywhere up to the Border Patrol inspection stops on the Riverside or Orange county lines north of San Diego County which are about 85 miles or more from the border. The same goes for Imperial Couny east of SD county. In Mexico we [US plated] can drive anywhere in Baja California and maybe Baja California Sur without any paperwork. In Sonora I don't know where the cutoff free zone is but Rocky Point Sonora is about 75 or more miles south of the US border and no paperwork was required at the Federal Military stops going there from Mexicali.

The 13 times I have been stopped by Municipal Police in Mexico I have never been asked for proof of Mexican Insurance. The one time a woman backed into my car in front of a Mexicali Police officer he did not ask for anything except from her and escorted us to a close by auto body shop after I said I would not take the money she offered me to realign my hood and waited until she had an estimate and paid that price to get it repaired.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

We have driven our Jalisco plated car through Texas' checkpoints and onward through LA, MS, GA, FL, NC, SC and back again to Jalisco. Never any paperwork.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

*US travel*



RVGRINGO said:


> We have driven our Jalisco plated car through Texas' checkpoints and onward through LA, MS, GA, FL, NC, SC and back again to Jalisco. Never any paperwork.



That makes sense as those Border Patrol checkpoint are for immigration purposes and you are an American. How far from the border [in miles] in Texas are the Border Patrol checkpoints?


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## Guest (Oct 27, 2011)

*Jalisco plated car*

RV: Expanding on your reply I ask this. What paperwork must accompany a Jalisco plated car to enter the US?


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Chapala Payaso said:


> RV: Expanding on your reply I ask this. What paperwork must accompany a Jalisco plated car to enter the US?


None. However, you must have your 'tarjeta de circulacion', license and insurance policy if stopped in the USA. You should also have your Mexican visa, in case you are asked to prove that you live in Mexico.


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