Taking my car to and from Mexico

[f3drivr]

I would think that as long as you could prove ownership of the vehicle and bought temporary tags and insurance it shouldn't be a problem with US Customs. Canadians buy vehicles in the US and drive them back to Canada with temporary tags all the time.

[RVGRINGO]

Proof of ownership, in your case, is a corporation. Only the owner can import a car, so you will need a letter of permission if it is owned by a corporation or financed.
Most temporary paper tags are only good for 30 days. What would you do after that? You can't register the car in Mexico. Why are you trying to avoid the legal requirements?

[f3drivr]

Originally Posted by RVGRINGO

Proof of ownership, in your case, is a corporation. Only the owner can import a car, so you will need a letter of permission if it is owned by a corporation or financed.
Most temporary paper tags are only good for 30 days. What would you do after that? You can't register the car in Mexico. Why are you trying to avoid the legal requirements?

I'm not trying to bypass legal requirements, I have just always wondered if it would be possible to buy a car in the US where they are much cheaper than they are in Canada and then take the car to Mexico without first going through the process of importing the car to Canada and registering it there. The car could legally stay in Mexico as long as my FM3/FM2 was valid and I would have no intention of taking it outside of Mexico until I eventually want to sell or otherwise dispose of it at which time I could get a temporary tag to remove it from the country. I see lots of cars in Mexico with expired foreign plates and I have read that Mexican authorities do not care our registration and insurance from US/Canada are expired. I always assumed that it would not be possible to do this but the above post by G. Bledsoe seems to indicate that it could actually be done.

[RVGRINGO]

Possible, but for the fact that the car must be registered somewhere in order to have license plates. Some seem to think that the 'importada temporal' allows them to drive the vehicle on Mexico's roads. It does not; it only permits the vehicle to be in Mexico temporarily. It is legal registration somewhere that allows for operation of the vehicle on the highways by a person with a driver's license from almost anywhere. The fact that Mexican authorities have no way to determine currency of registration, and that most 'transitos' can't interpret our documents, is what seems to lead to the impression that 'they don't care'.

[sanantonio]

Originally Posted by Tom O'Brien

I would think that if you had US auto insurance a time limit would be unimportant. I would be inclined to get and use an International license to drive a Mexican tagged vehicle while in the US.

Would the Mexican vehicle be DOT legal in the US? Would your US insurance company insure it for 6 months?

My husband and I live in Mexico and have a car with Mex license plates that belongs to the company he works for. We also have our U.S. car here. We asked at immigration check point when crossing back home if we could drive the company vehicle into the U.S. and were told we could not drive a car with Mex. plates if we were from the U.S. The officer didn't sound too sure of the info. I'm wondering if he said this because it is not registered to us.

[RVGRINGO]

Tom: US auto insurance is not valid in Mexico. You must have Mexican insurance. You should also know that the 'international driver's license' is not something you can use in your home country. It is actually not a license at all, but simply a multi-lingual translation of your license, which must be carried and presented upon demand. It is not valid without a current license.

Sanantonio: You may, indeed, drive your Mexican plated car in the USA when you wish to visit. We do so and it is perfectly legal. Just be sure to have your Mexican FM3 visa with you to establish the fact that you live in Mexico. Even better, have a Mexican license to present, as they aren't likely to try to take it from you if you have been really bad. If the car is not registered to you, I would suggest that you have the owner provide notarized permission, your name on the insurance in Mexico and the temporary USA policy for the trip.

[sanantonio]

Originally Posted by RVGRINGO

Tom: US auto insurance is not valid in Mexico. You must have Mexican insurance. You should also know that the 'international driver's license' is not something you can use in your home country. It is actually not a license at all, but simply a multi-lingual translation of your license, which must be carried and presented upon demand. It is not valid without a current license.

Sanantonio: You may, indeed, drive your Mexican plated car in the USA when you wish to visit. We do so and it is perfectly legal. Just be sure to have your Mexican FM3 visa with you to establish the fact that you live in Mexico. Even better, have a Mexican license to present, as they aren't likely to try to take it from you if you have been really bad. If the car is not registered to you, I would suggest that you have the owner provide notarized permission, your name on the insurance in Mexico and the temporary USA policy for the trip.

RVGRINGO: thanks for the info. I will share with my husband. Sanantonio P.S. any suggestion on good ins. co's?

[RVGRINGO]

We get our USA temporary liability insurance through our Mexican insurance agent. I think it is usually written through ANA or AXA. Memory fails me, so ask your agent.

[emptyhandedtraveler]

Originally Posted by little01

going to matomoros...so crossing at the brownsville tx border....i wanted to go to tequisquiapan near queretaro/san juan del rio but i was told i couldn't go into the interior of mexico w/o clear title....i had rented a home and everything...i was told if i went 20 miles w/n the border that was not the case but i could not purchase any property...which i wasn't going to do anyway....but if i stayed beyond the 72hrs. which is time allowed for visitors.. i would need to get a fmt and insure the vehiclea and get the stamp for the car...so i am going there until i get the car paid in full just a small change in plans...smile

Hi, I just wanted to tell you that I went in to Mexico on FM-T. I had to have a letter from the lienholder (always make many copies) written on their letter head (I asked them to notarize it, just in case). This, along with title and proof of Mex. insurance worked fine. The lienholder just wanted me to write them a letter stating my reason for visiting Mexico, dates of travel, and where I was going.

Whenever they say you need a document, just go ahead and make 3 or 4 copies, sooner or later you may need them. They were very nice and helpful at the border, it is time-consuming, so be patient. After the border, when we were stopped elsewhere, it was just a couple of questions and waved on past.

It is kind of alarming when you see soldiers with machine guns everywhere. Just be aware that they are there for your protection. When you get closer to them, most of them are very young, and they all usually return your smile.