Taking my car to and from Mexico

[ElGabacho]

I live in Puebla about 6 months a year. I have cars in both the U.S and Mexico, which is fairly expensive. I am thinking about selling my US car (which is older) and just having my relatively newer Mexican car, which I would drive back and forth. My question is, is there a limit to how long my Mexican car can be in the US? For instance, would 6 months be allowed?

Any insight on this would be helpful.

El Gabacho

[RVGRINGO]

I don't know the difinitive answer but suspect it will have a lot to do with visibility and your local police. Assuming that you have an FM3 and a Mexican driver's license, it would be easier to convince an officer that you are residing in Mexico and visiting the USA. However, that might not fly with your local policeman, who might see you and your Mexican plated car frequently. He might be aware of your residency in the USA and, using just your name, be able to obtain all of your pertinent information. I'm sure the details exist somewhere; maybe Google can help.

[Rodrigo84]

Don't worry about it. There is no vehicle importation permit to the U.S. unlike going the other way. I know friends who study in the U.S. in border regions and took their Mexican-plated vehicles with them and they encounter no problems despite being up there for many years. They also have copies of all their immigration paperwork with them and keep their U.S. insurance up-to-date. The point being, you should have something that shows you still have residency in Mexico, (FM2/FM3/Diplomat/imigrado papers) otherwise the police would indeed wonder why you are driving around a vehicle with Mexican plates. The registration papers from Mexico I assume would be in your name.

[RVGRINGO]

I understand that many states in the USA require that you register your vehicle there within 30 days of residing in the state. That would, of course, have nothing to do with importation, but registering it would be impossible and that state law could create the problem for a homeowner. Keeping it garaged would help, perhaps. I understand that it is much easier along the border, where there are lots of Mexican plated cars back and forth regularly and no one bats an eye.

[Rodrigo84]

Originally Posted by RVGRINGO

I understand that many states in the USA require that you register your vehicle there within 30 days of residing in the state. That would, of course, have nothing to do with importation, but registering it would be impossible and that state law could create the problem for a homeowner. Keeping it garaged would help, perhaps. I understand that it is much easier along the border, where there are lots of Mexican plated cars back and forth regularly and no one bats an eye.

There was something my cousin read many years ago with DOT regulations, importation, that it was something like within a year or so one had to register it locally, but then he read something somewhere else with Customs, that said if the person was a foreigner temporarily here and would be removing the vehicle after that had to leave the country (akin to where FM3 was up and person had to leave if they weren't going to renew it and thus leave the country).

Also should note as I mentioned above, a lot of kids go to college and bring their out of state plates, and as I understand it, they wouldn't have a problem in that case.

The issue I could see legally (and then one would need proof) is if this person were taking up a job in the U.S. and keeping their Mexican plated vehicle.

[RVGRINGO]

Yes, Rodrigo; Students and military personnel are exempt from those state requirements. Military, always, and students with some restrictions which may vary by state.

[G.Bledsoe]

You should only need U.S. car insurance to drive your car in the U.S. with current Mexican registration and tags. The key concept in the discussion above is residency. If you can prove that you are a resident of Mexico and not of the state you are visiting, then there should be no problem. Your FM-2/3 visa and Mexican driver's license should do the trick. Obviously, if you stay several months in one city and are noticed by the local cops or CBP, especially in a border state, be prepared to show your proof of residency in Mexico.

[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?

[G.Bledsoe]

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?

Border towns all sell insurqance for the US, so that will not be a problem. I have nver bought insurance for a Mexican car coming into the U.S., but I assume you can buy it for one day up to six months, or a year at a time.

The Mexican car can operate in the U.S. with no problem. The only problem is, most Mexican cars cannot be sold or registered in the U.S. because they do not meet emissions or safety standards.

[RVGRINGO]

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?

Tom,
You purchase insurance for your US tip, with your Mexican car, from your Mexican insurance agent, for the amount of time needed. Usually, only liability insurance is available. DOT regulations do not apply to foreign vehicles in the USA temporarily. It is a simple matter of getting insurance for the USA and driving in. We do it with our Jalisco plated Smart Car.
An 'International License' is not a 'stand alone' license. It is simply a translation of your current license from your home state, which must be maintained and shown on demand. In your home country, the International License is not valid.