# Duplicate Car Insurance Needed?



## BajaRick16 (Aug 3, 2015)

I will be relocating to Ensenada starting Oct. 1st, and will be driving my car which is registered in California. I have just read a post in another Forum that besides the required Mexican Auto Insurance, to maintain a valid car registration, I would need to maintain CA auto insurance. That means duplicate auto insurance, even though the CA auto insurance is no good. It's only benefit is to prove valid registration in case of an accident which my Mexican auto insurance would theoretically cover.

Can anyone confirm this? Any creative "legal" solutions to save money?

Thanks.


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

My US Insurance company used to consider Mexico as "in storage" and the price dropped from $5-600 to $60 a year. I could go active or "in storage" with a phone call at the border. Don't think "in storage" forever would work.

Change State registration but they probably all require insurance these days

Xavier Mexico Insurance never questioned my registration ..... but would that void my coverage ??
Mexico Auto Insurance Mexican Insurance


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## BajaRick16 (Aug 3, 2015)

Thanks for the insight Sparks.


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## BajaRick16 (Aug 3, 2015)

*Avoiding Duplicate car Insurance*



sparks said:


> My US Insurance company used to consider Mexico as "in storage" and the price dropped from $5-600 to $60 a year. I could go active or "in storage" with a phone call at the border. Don't think "in storage" forever would work.
> 
> Change State registration but they probably all require insurance these days
> 
> ...


***************************************

I may have answered my own question so I will post what I learned. I called the DMV and spoke with a most helpful Mexican lady - who congratulated me by the way for relocating to Mexico. She knew what I was trying to do...and offered a "legal" solution.

She said to start out renewing your license to get your new stickers, and since you must show evidence of CA car insurance - you would buy some cheap CA auto insurance. Then, immediately after, you would submit the Form called "Affadavit of Non-Use," or ANU. This can be done quickly online. Once that is filed, you could cancel the auto insurance. This way, your registration will NOT be suspended once the DMV is eventually informed that your auto insurance was cancelled. 

If a year goes by and you're still in the same situation, you can repeat the process. Hope that helps someone - it really helped me.

The only thing perhaps better would be to get the ANU before renewing the registration, but she said you couldn't do that.


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## WintheWin (Jul 15, 2015)

In CA, doesn't the DMV just assume you have insurance? It says something along does lines on my registration. It makes a point that it becomes no longer valid the moment I'm not insured, but I don't think they go through the hassle of invalidating your registration. I think that's mostly done so…
If you're caught driving without insurance, they can also add a fine for driving with an expired registration, if they really want to stick it to you.
Not all insurances electronically report to the DMV, remember! Most/Many do, but not all.
Also, if an accident happens within a certain distance from the border, you can still tow your vehicle to the states. Might/Might-not apply to your situation.
Luckily, Mexican insurance is considerably cheaper.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

WintheWin said:


> In CA, doesn't the DMV just assume you have insurance? It says something along does lines on my registration. It makes a point that it becomes no longer valid the moment I'm not insured, but I don't think they go through the hassle of invalidating your registration. I think that's mostly done so…
> If you're caught driving without insurance, they can also add a fine for driving with an expired registration, if they really want to stick it to you.
> Not all insurances electronically report to the DMV, remember! Most/Many do, but not all.
> Also, if an accident happens within a certain distance from the border, you can still tow your vehicle to the states. Might/Might-not apply to your situation.
> Luckily, Mexican insurance is considerably cheaper.


No, California DMV does not asume it. They get a report from your insurance company everytime you renew a policy as of about 4 or 5 years ago. The insurance companies operating in California by law have to submit reports to DMV per vehicle so it is electronically sent and police cannot ask for proof of insurance anymore as they can access the DMV data base themselves when needing to check a vehicle for valid registraion and insurance. This was covered in an article in a San Diego newpaper several years ago. As far as invalidationg your registration for no insurance I don´t know.


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## WintheWin (Jul 15, 2015)

AlanMexicali said:


> No, California DMV does not asume it. They get a report from your insurance company everytime you renew a policy as of about 4 or 5 years ago. The insurance companies operating in California by law have to submit reports to DMV per vehicle so it is electronically sent and police cannot ask for proof of insurance anymore as they can access the DMV data base themselves when needing to check a vehicle for valid registraion and insurance. This was covered in an article in a San Diego newpaper several years ago. As far as invalidationg your registration for no insurance I don´t know.


]
Oh wow, I remember getting my registration and they never asked for my insurance information, and I didn't have insurance yet, when I first started driving. Maybe it was a slip through the system. 
I know in AZ they require you to come to the DMV with insurance in hand to renew registration.
Word.


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## BajaRick16 (Aug 3, 2015)

WintheWin said:


> In CA, doesn't the DMV just assume you have insurance? It says something along does lines on my registration. It makes a point that it becomes no longer valid the moment I'm not insured, but I don't think they go through the hassle of invalidating your registration. I think that's mostly done so…
> If you're caught driving without insurance, they can also add a fine for driving with an expired registration, if they really want to stick it to you.
> Not all insurances electronically report to the DMV, remember! Most/Many do, but not all.
> Also, if an accident happens within a certain distance from the border, you can still tow your vehicle to the states. Might/Might-not apply to your situation.
> Luckily, Mexican insurance is considerably cheaper.


****************

Here's a quote from the CA DMV website:

Insurance companies in California are required by law (California Vehicle Code (CVC) §16058) to electronically report private-use vehicle insurance information to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
************

If the insurance co. does not electronically report to the DMV, then you are required to do so. I guess you can defer this obligation, but not worth the risk imo.

Here's another good extract from their website:

***************************

Must I Notify DMV Before I Cancel My Insurance?

Yes. To prevent a vehicle registration suspension, you must notify DMV before you cancel your insurance. If you are not operating your currently registered vehicle, and it is not parked on a California roadway, you may submit an Affidavit of Non-Use (ANU) (REG 5090) form to DMV online at www.dmv.ca.gov, by calling the automated voice system at 1-800-777-0133, or by mail to one of the addresses at the end of this brochure.

************************

The real issue was not being without insurance if in an accident in Mexico, (because we would all have Mexican auto insurance) it was having the legal right to drive, and so you want to make sure your registration does not get suspended.

So...the good news is there is a way to avoid paying for duplicate insurance...just gotta follow the ANU procedure. Thanks for spurring me on...


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

So you put your vehicle in "storage" cancel your insurance for the year but you forget about it an 6 months from now you cross the border and the Border patrol is alerted by the cameras at the crossing you are not registered to drive it in the USA............


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## BajaRick16 (Aug 3, 2015)

chicois8 said:


> So you put your vehicle in "storage" cancel your insurance for the year but you forget about it an 6 months from now you cross the border and the Border patrol is alerted by the cameras at the crossing you are not registered to drive it in the USA............


That's not what I would do. I would not put the vehicle in storage. It is properly registered so I have the legal right to drive it in the eyes of Mexico. It always is properly registered...The ANU is the legal way to avoid paying CA auto insurance and retain proper registration.

Also, if you want to cross the border for a day or two, you can go online and pay a nominal fee to be permitted to drive the car in CA. It's all on the DMV website.


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## WintheWin (Jul 15, 2015)

Yup, you can get a temporary transport DMV permit, same as if your car is non-op and you need to move it for a day or two.


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