# Selling my US plated car to another expat in Mexico (not tourists)



## bdbels (May 17, 2016)

I have worked in Monterrey since 2010 and have been driving my US plated car here with my FM3 visa. I received my permanent residency last year and can no longer legally drive the car in Mexico. I have been pretty lazy about finding a new car and have gotten away with driving this car illegally for a while. But I have finally found a Mexican plated car to buy.

A colleague of mine, who is also working under an FM3 visa would like to buy my car. I'm wondering what I need to do to complete the sale so she can have the car legally in Mexico. Will I need to bring the car up to the border and remove it from the country under my name, and then have her bring it in with the title in her name?

If so, will I have trouble leaving the country without having the title in my name? The car is registered in South Dakota and I'd like to transfer the title by mail and have it waiting for me in my McAllen mailbox when I cross the border.

Also, will they give me any trouble taking the car out of the country, given that I currently possess a permanent residency card and not the FM3 that I came in with?


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

You may drive the car out of the country with a Retorno Seguro (see your lawyer) and will have no difficulty having Banjercito/Aduana remove the sticker and provide you with a receipt. The new owner will require title or at least a bill of sale to re-import the car on an Importada Temporal in his own name. You cannot do that for him, as he must be present.
I suppose you could do the SD title transfer, which would take 2-3 weeks, by phone and mail, but suggest that you call Clay County to be sure of the details and timing, plates, etc.
You just cannot sell the car in Mexico without removing it and having the new owner bring it back.


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## bdbels (May 17, 2016)

Thanks! Will I need the title to take the car out of the country? Does it matter if the plates on my car now are different than the plates I came in with?


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

bdbels said:


> Thanks! Will I need the title to take the car out of the country? Does it matter if the plates on my car now are different than the plates I came in with?


No and No, to both parts of your question. Your Importada Temporal is tied to your INM document and your passport.


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## chuck846 (Jan 15, 2016)

So ONLY for the sake of argument. When we imported our US vehicle several years ago - we went through a broker in DF (yada, yada, yada). It was costly. Yes we have a valid pedimento etc.

Our new Mexican friends were upset with us that we didn't turn over our titles to them (via some process I'm not aware), put the car in their name, imported the car (or at least visited transporte with proof of title transfer) and then they would have transferred the car back to us. 

I think that is close to how a well-to-do Mexican would have handled it.


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