# Mexican car license



## Ringabelle1 (Aug 26, 2018)

How easy/difficult is it to relicense your car license from USA to Mexican?


----------



## RickS (Aug 6, 2009)

Ringabelle1 said:


> How easy/difficult is it to re-license your car license from USA to Mexican?


Not very! The process is called Nationalization and can only be done for/to vehicles that are of a certain age (currently the years 2009-2010 and changing to 2010-2011 in November 2018).

If it meets that requirement it must also ONLY be a vehicle that was manufactured in either the US or Canada or Mexico, for sale in the US or Canada, (VIN# starting with one of the numbers between 1-5).

If it meets that criteria, then the Nationalization must be done with the vehicle at the US/Mexico border by a registered and bonded Broker. That process must also include first officially EXPORTING the vehicle from the US by US Customs, then run through the Mexican process. The Broker can take car of all of this. There are fees and taxes associated that and the amount depends on the value of the vehicle being Nationalized, but will probably be north of $2,500. I have seen them as high as $5,000!

Unless there is some really good reason to go through this process... and there certainly could be one.... most folks find it better to just sell the US plated vehicle before moving south, and then buy a Mexican plated vehicle, new or used, from a reputable dealer once in Mexico.


----------



## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Ringabelle1 said:


> How easy/difficult is it to relicense your car license from USA to Mexican?


Another point, just for reference. If you are in Mexico on a tourist permit or a temporary visa, you are allowed to continue driving a US plated car. If or when you switch to a permanent visa, you are no longer allowed to drive a US registered vehicle.


----------



## RickS (Aug 6, 2009)

TundraGreen said:


> Another point, just for reference. If you are in Mexico on a tourist permit or a temporary visa, you are allowed to continue driving a US plated car. If or when you switch to a permanent visa, you are no longer allowed to drive a US registered vehicle.


The one exception to this "Permanente cannot drive a foreign vehicle" is.... if the Permanente's spouse is a Temporal and that spouse has temporarily imported the vehicle into Mexico, temporary being defined as up to 4 years!, then the Permanente CAN drive that vehicle with impunity even without the spouse in the vehicle.


----------



## perropedorro (Mar 19, 2016)

TundraGreen said:


> Another point, just for reference. If you are in Mexico on a tourist permit or a temporary visa, you are allowed to continue driving a US plated car. If or when you switch to a permanent visa, you are no longer allowed to drive a US registered vehicle.


Just wondering, Tundra, are there any restrictions on US registered vehicles for _naturalized_ Mexican citizens?


----------



## LMtortugas (Aug 23, 2013)

RickS said:


> Unless there is some really good reason to go through this process... and there certainly could be one.... most folks find it better to just sell the US plated vehicle before moving south, and then buy a Mexican plated vehicle, new or used, from a reputable dealer once in Mexico.


If the vehicle meets the criteria to nationalize the process to import is easy. As you state the broker completes all steps from US export to legal import into Mexico. I regularly import 09-10 midsize cars into Mexico and have yet to pay more than $1900 in fees. Naturally larger trucks and luxury vehicles are more expensive but my experience indicates the majority of people are more economy oriented.

It isn’t necessarily cheaper to purchase a Mexicano vehicle. A used vehicle in Mexico that even appears decent quality, including rebuilt salvage units, draws a high selling price. Most franchised dealerships hold limited inventory of quality used cars and price accordingly. I retail a US import many times at or near the price charged for a similar Mexican plated ride. Many Mexican buyers are demonstrating a preference for US imports with a _CARFAX_ or _Experian AutoCheck_ history report that documents condition, legal status, clean or branded title, with a genuine pedimento and factura to present to the authorities at the roadblocks increasingly popping up along federal toll roads.

There are legitimate arguments both ways but folks deserve a balanced take.


----------



## RickS (Aug 6, 2009)

Good to have your 'first hand' knowledge on Importing/Nationalizing into Mexico. 

I only have first hand knowledge of the cost to Nationalize and one was $2500 and the other $4,400. Don't remember the 'value' of the vehicle but they were certainly not Luxury nor beaters. Also it could be that you, as a seasoned Importer, may garner a better price from a broker than the average Joe/Jane. 

By no means did I intend to infer that Nationalization was not a viable and straightforward option for folks.... especially if the vehicle is paid for and the owners want to keep it. It just has to make some kind of sense financially also I would think. I have run across folks who thought they might could do it for a couple hundred bucks.

I guess it depends on where in Mexico one is residing with respect to the cost and reliability of used Mexican vehicles. AND one has to kind of know the ropes or have bonafide feedback from the community about where to purchase used cars. I only have knowledge of around Lake Chapala and San Miguel but there are several reliable options in each to purchase good used vehicles at a reasonable cost. But as always, Caveat Emptor.


----------



## LMtortugas (Aug 23, 2013)

Yes, the buyer alone is responsible for quality control. 

My experience confirms many expats seldom exercise any homework beforehand. As my broker says with a laugh, most folks don’t ask any questions but simply pay any quoted fee to make their car legal, or worse, fall prey to operators who outright fleece them with enticing offers to circumvent the legal process for a cheap license plate.

Mexico certainly manufactures quality vehicles but when shopping for a used Mexicano car the problem is discerning exactly what is being purchased. If a buyer is serious, pay the $25-$40 to assess any prior history in the U.S. (junk, salvage, recalls, theft, etc.), check REPUVE, confirm it’s insurable & check if any taxes outstanding, and have a competent mechanic (Mexico is rich with good mechanics) thoroughly inspect the vehicle. Finally, don’t get duped into believing what I often read that the price is not negotiable.


----------



## RickS (Aug 6, 2009)

All very good advice.....









.


----------

