# Will US government grant permission to travel in the US, in a Mexican car?



## MUUK' (Dec 12, 2017)

I recently crossed the border in my pick-up, loaded with personal property. It was so easy, I was in the streets of Cd, Acuna in minutes. I presented only my green card, the dog did a pass and I was in Mexico, with my US plated vehicle. Nobody asked me anything about my truck, except to show my vehicle registration. I'd bought some tourist insurance from my AXA agent in Yucatan beforehand. I parked outside and near the aduana/inmigracion office to go back for the (optional) passport stamp and to ask if I needed to do anything about my truck. They stamped my PP and sent me to el SAT (MX IRS) across the street, for permission for the truck.

At the window of SAT, there was no waiting in line and everything started off just fine, until she placed a call... After some checking, she came back to tell me I could only use this truck within 21km of the border and could not be issued a pass to internal Mexico, because I'm "casi Mexicano" (permanent resident). Like every other Mexican, I have to do the full importation, after permission is granted first from the United States Corporation to release my truck from their ownership, The whole thing is maybe $30,000 pesos minimum, through an agencia aduanal, since SAT won't deal with the slaves directly.

If you want to travel freely in Mexico with your US plates, do it while you're a tourist or temporary resident, normalizing along the way, if desired. Traveling as a US citizen in a US plated car in MX is about as sovereign as it gets, as it is unlawful for police to detain, search or impound these travelers. All they can do is call customs, or face 5 years in a cage. Enjoy it while you can. What happens in reality may vary.

So, el SAT makes it impossible for "casi mexicanos" to travel freely in Mexico with US plates, what is the reality under the color of law in the US? In a VW Gol with Yucatan placas and a Yucatan licencia automovilista, are the human resources who are US citizens and MX permanent residents, permitted to freely travel in the US? It appears that we can, but must remove the car back to Mexico within one year of entry and it cannot be sold unless it's NAFTA-approved, which a VW Gol certainly is not. (but it IS a great little car.) What really happens with US customs when crossing this way?

For the permanent resident of Mexico, is there a vehicle that will function on both sides of the border, with minimal government involvement and related prohibitions and ransoms?


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

MUUK' said:


> I recently crossed the border in my pick-up, loaded with personal property. It was so easy, I was in the streets of Cd, Acuna in minutes. I presented only my green card, the dog did a pass and I was in Mexico, with my US plated vehicle. Nobody asked me anything about my truck, except to show my vehicle registration. I'd bought some tourist insurance from my AXA agent in Yucatan beforehand. I parked outside and near the aduana/inmigracion office to go back for the (optional) passport stamp and to ask if I needed to do anything about my truck. They stamped my PP and sent me to el SAT (MX IRS) across the street, for permission for the truck.
> 
> At the window of SAT, there was no waiting in line and everything started off just fine, until she placed a call... After some checking, she came back to tell me I could only use this truck within 21km of the border and could not be issued a pass to internal Mexico, because I'm "casi Mexicano" (permanent resident). Like every other Mexican, I have to do the full importation, after permission is granted first from the United States Corporation to release my truck from their ownership, The whole thing is maybe $30,000 pesos minimum, through an agencia aduanal, since SAT won't deal with the slaves directly.
> 
> ...


As you discovered, people with a Residencial Permanente Mexican visa are not allowed to drive vehicles with non-Mexican registration in Mexico. Going the other direction is simpler. You can drive a Mexican plated vehicle in the US with no problems nor any need to stop and get any paperwork for short visits. Keeping a Mexican plated vehicle in the US long term is a whole different kettle of fish, but for short visits it is easy.

So, to address your last question, if you are a permanent of Mexico and only make visits to the US, buy a vehicle in Mexico. You can drive it with no problems on both sides of the border. 

I have a motorcycle, purchased and registered in Mexico. I cross the border with it in both directions and never have to talk to anyone about the vehicle. In fact, coming south, I don't have to stop at all, except for the typical checkpoints where they just wave me through. Going north, of course, I have to show my passport, but no one asks about the motorcycle registration.


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## MUUK' (Dec 12, 2017)

That's great news.

The only question left is how long is short-term? I won't leave Mexico for more than 3 months at a time in any case, typically less than 2 months at a time. I've got a Gol, but I sure have my eye on that new Ford Ranger or the VW Saveiro. It seems I've read somewhere on the US Customs(?) website that we can use our Mexican cars for up to a year, before they must be imported (NAFTA-compliant) or removed from the country. I'm thrilled to hear about your moto. I've got an Italika FT125 Clasica that I wouldn't mind having around on the other side.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

MUUK' said:


> That's great news.
> 
> The only question left is how long is short-term? I won't leave Mexico for more than 3 months at a time in any case, typically less than 2 months at a time. I've got a Gol, but I sure have my eye on that new Ford Ranger or the VW Saveiro. It seems I've read somewhere on the US Customs(?) website that we can use our Mexican cars for up to a year, before they must be imported (NAFTA-compliant) or removed from the country. I'm thrilled to hear about your moto. I've got an Italika FT125 Clasica that I wouldn't mind having around on the other side.


Driving non-US vehicles in the US is governed by the Geneva_Convention_on_Road_Traffic of 1949. There was a later agreement in 1968 that the US never signed. Under the agreement, a car can remain in the country for up to one year.

My motorcycle is a little bigger than the Italika you are talking about. It is 1200 cubic centimeters.


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## perropedorro (Mar 19, 2016)

TundraGreen said:


> As you discovered, people with a Residencial Permanente Mexican visa are not allowed to drive vehicles with non-Mexican registration in Mexico. Going the other direction is simpler. You can drive a Mexican plated vehicle in the US with no problems nor any need to stop and get any paperwork for short visits. Keeping a Mexican plated vehicle in the US long term is a whole different kettle of fish, but for short visits it is easy.
> 
> So, to address your last question, if you are a permanent of Mexico and only make visits to the US, buy a vehicle in Mexico. You can drive it with no problems on both sides of the border.
> 
> I have a motorcycle, purchased and registered in Mexico. I cross the border with it in both directions and never have to talk to anyone about the vehicle. In fact, coming south, I don't have to stop at all, except for the typical checkpoints where they just wave me through. Going north, of course, I have to show my passport, but no one asks about the motorcycle registration.


My experience too. I have an 1999 pickup, Jalisco plates, that's crossed into the U.S. at least a dozen times. Once I got sent to secondary by a U.S official for not having a current registration sticker on the plate-- must have been very new at the job. _ "Because it's on the windshield"
_, a more senior inspector advised him. As far as what's a _short-term_ visit, IDK. The truck has been in So-Cal for two months at a time, and Mexican plates aren't particularly rare in the area. The border guys have plate recognition coming and going, but it might be a question of priority.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

perropedorro said:


> My experience too. I have an 1999 pickup, Jalisco plates, that's crossed into the U.S. at least a dozen times. Once I got sent to secondary by a U.S official for not having a current registration sticker on the plate-- must have been very new at the job. _ "Because it's on the windshield"
> _, a more senior inspector advised him. As far as what's a _short-term_ visit, IDK. The truck has been in So-Cal for two months at a time, and Mexican plates aren't particularly rare in the area. The border guys have plate recognition coming and going, but it might be a question of priority.


As discussed in another thread, a "Short-term visit" is up to one year.


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