# Can I license a car that is not from Mexico in Mexico?



## wunderbar (Jul 31, 2009)

I want to be able to buy a car in Mexico or in a different country but have it license in Mexico. What do I have to do to license a Car in Mexico? I want to drive the car in and out of the USA but have the car licensed in Mexico


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

You may temporarily import a car registered in another country but you can't register it in Mexico without nationalizing it; a difficult and expensive process. Besides, it is less expensive to insure a foreign plated car than a Mexican car in Mexico. Such temporarily imported vehicles may remain in Mexico as long as you, the owner, maintain legal immigration status. Eventually, they must be removed from the country, even if damaged, etc.
However, you may purchase an automobile in Mexico and, with temporary insurance for the USA, you may drive it there without any problems. You may not be able permanently import that car to the USA either, and would have to sell it in Mexico if you were to leave permanently.


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## wunderbar (Jul 31, 2009)

RVGRINGO said:


> You may temporarily import a car registered in another country but you can't register it in Mexico without nationalizing it; a difficult and expensive process. Besides, it is less expensive to insure a foreign plated car than a Mexican car in Mexico. Such temporarily imported vehicles may remain in Mexico as long as you, the owner, maintain legal immigration status. Eventually, they must be removed from the country, even if damaged, etc.
> However, you may purchase an automobile in Mexico and, with temporary insurance for the USA, you may drive it there without any problems. You may not be able permanently import that car to the USA either, and would have to sell it in Mexico if you were to leave permanently.


Oh ok, so what about if I buy a car in Mexico and have it licensed there, what are the procedures? I just think that there are many interesting trucks in Mexico that I would like to buy but USA doesnt allow me to import them, so I was thinking to buy and license them there and bring them here in the USA. I know that I can have them here for a year, then I would just make a quick trip to mexico and come back to the USA and get another year. Can I do that?


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Now, you are trying to skirt the law. I'm not sure about trucks going north, especially if you intend more than one. In many US states, you are required to register a vehicle within 30 days of 'moving there' and the local authorities will probably notice that you are driving around longer than that. Only if you have Mexican residence visas and a Mexican driver's license might you get away with it for a bit longer. A car, such as we have registered in Jalisco, is not a problem when we go north to the USA on vacation. However, I won't advise you to break, twist or avoid the law. So, that should end this discussion.


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## cgassmx (Aug 1, 2009)

wunderbar said:


> Oh ok, so what about if I buy a car in Mexico and have it licensed there, what are the procedures? I just think that there are many interesting trucks in Mexico that I would like to buy but USA doesnt allow me to import them, so I was thinking to buy and license them there and bring them here in the USA. I know that I can have them here for a year, then I would just make a quick trip to mexico and come back to the USA and get another year. Can I do that?


We have had 2 crs registered here for 15 years. there is only one car allowed for each registered owner. As someone saie previously, you do not have to leave mexico each year as long as your FM 3 is valid (turist visas are only allowed for a max of 180 days). We have gone up to texas for a couple of days and not applied for a new import sticker but this is a gamble depending who the coustoms agent you talk to crossing the boarder. (Moderator's note: Leaving Mexico without having Aduana remove your sticker from the auto, and issuing a receipt, is more than a gamble; it is illegal. Many customs agents don't know this.)


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## mexijo (Apr 4, 2009)

You can go to Mexico and buy any kind of car there that you like. If you can get mexican licence plates in your name on it depends on your migratory status and the local interpretation of the regulations. In most Mexican states you will need a resident visa (i.e. "FM2" or "FM3" to register a car. There are only incidental reports of visitors who succeeded in registering a car with a tourist visa. Don't count on it.


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## Joeysmom05mendez (Aug 18, 2009)

Ok, so questions here. My husband and I will be moving to Mexico in January. Both of us have a vehicle and both are paid off. So when we go to Mexico we will have to temporally import the vehicles and then Nationalize them? But even if they are Nationalized we can't sell them in Mexico? If they are Nationalized we can get a Mexican plate for them? If we Nationalize the vehicles, will we still be able to drive them in the US? What documents do I need to fill out to do all of this?


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## Joeysmom05mendez (Aug 18, 2009)

Now I have a question about my Driver's license. I have an American License from Arkansas. In the next couple of months I will go to get an international license from AAA. What do I do when my AR license expires? I obviously cannot renew here, I will no longer be a resident. Can I get another American License from an American consulate or Embassy? Can I get a Mexican Diver's License with my FM3 Status?


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

You, as a foreigner, may temporarily import your car. However, it is unlikely that you will be able to nationalize it unless it falls into certain conditions: It must be a 1999 model to do it right now and must have been made in a NAFTA country. The rules are changing every year and it is both complicated and expensive. I don't recommend it.
Your husband, will come under different rules and he should consult the Consulate.
Neither car may be sold in Mexico (unless nationalized) and must eventually be removed from the country; yours, if you become inmigrado or naturalized, must be removed. In both cases, you will have to maintain US vehicle registration, unless you succeed in nationalizing. I suggest you sell both cars and buy new ones in Mexico, since you plan to live there forever.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

There really is no such thing as 'an international driver's license'. It is simply a multilingual translation of your current driver's license, which must be maintained current and also presented if you are stopped. As such, there is no need for one in Mexico. If you were going to a country with a different alphabet and few English speakers, it could be helpful. That idea is very obsolete in much of the world and your license from home is recognized in Mexico. You may also get a license, in the Mexican state where you reside, once you have an address and a valid visa. Consulates and embassies do not issue licenses; only states.


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

Joeysmom05mendez said:


> Can I get a Mexican Diver's License with my FM3 Status?


Short answer: yes. 

To find out how, search for “licencia de conducir” limiting your search to site:gob.mx. You will get a bunch of hits for the different states of Mexico, follow the ones for the state where you reside.


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## makaloco (Mar 26, 2009)

Yes, definitely check the regulations of the state where you'll be living. You can probably get a Mexican driver's license with an FM3, but it may not be valid to drive a car with US plates. If not, that would be another strong reason to buy cars in Mexico if you can't maintain your US license.


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## ricopozole (Sep 8, 2009)

*Do I need a Mexican driver's license to legalize my vehicle?*

I live in the state of Guanajuato, FM3. I am considering legalizing my vehicle and would like to know if I will be required to get a GTO state driver's license, or will my USA license suffice?


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

There is reciprocity with Mexican, Canadian and US drivers licenses; probably others as well.
If you have an FM3, there is no advantage in 'nationalizing' your US vehicle. In fact, it will be expensive and complicated to accomplish and then, you will pay a lot more for insurance and may only be able to get liability coverage.


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## ricopozole (Sep 8, 2009)

*Do I need a Mexican driver's license to legalize my vehicle?*



RVGRINGO said:


> There is reciprocity with Mexican, Canadian and US drivers licenses; probably others as well.
> If you have an FM3, there is no advantage in 'nationalizing' your US vehicle. In fact, it will be expensive and complicated to accomplish and then, you will pay a lot more for insurance and may only be able to get liability coverage.


 I should have clarified. I have a pickup, black, with camper, and from a state which uses just one license plate. Very prone to frequent stops by all levels of police, local and federal, and which is why I am considering nationalizing it, fully aware of the expense and complicatons.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

I see your problem. Here's a cure that may save you both money and complications:
Take your rear license plate to a copy machine and have it copied on legal sized paper, write 'this is a copy' in both Spanish and English in small letters then have it laminated. Buy a license plate frame with plexiglass and mount the 'copy' on the front of your vehicle. It will pass most visual inspections on the road and, since you have indicated that it is a copy, they can't get you for forgery.
Next, paint that truck white or grey.


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