Mexico Vehicle Permit
Todd Mumford
May 20, 2007
A Mexican tourist who does not plan to drive outside of the Border Zone (the 20 miles just south of the U.S.-Mexico border) does not need to secure Mexico vehicle permits. A business person who does not expect to drive beyond the Free Trade Zone (Baja California and the Sonora Free Trade Zone) can safely drive south of the border without obtaining vehicle permits in Mexico.
A Mexican tourist who will be heading for one of the more popular Mexican beaches, or who will be driving down to Mexico City should not make that trip before acquiring the needed vehicle permits in Mexico. Acquisition of those permits requires the willingness to carry-out two important steps—the gathering of the needed papers and appearance at the proper government station.
The Mexican government does not hand out vehicle permits to just anyone who visits Mexico. The government has authorities who exam carefully the relevant papers of anyone who wants to have vehicle permits in Mexico. Such a person must present proof of citizenship, a valid vehicle registration from his or her country of origin, a leasing contract (If the vehicle is leased.), a driver’s license and an international credit card. All visitors with vehicles operating in Mexico must have Mexico insurance
Those items must be on the person of whoever wants to seek vehicle permits in Mexico. Such a person must plan to go to a Declarations Lane at some Border point. After patiently waiting in that lane, then the person who plans to cross the border to Mexico must step forward and present the above-mentioned papers.
Presentation of those papers should lead to a request from the man or woman working in the Declarations Lane. That authority should request the payment of a fee and a bond amount. The fee covers the cost of obtaining vehicle permits in Mexico. The bond amount serves as security, in the event that the driver would be in a car accident.
Before asking for the bond amount, the man or woman in the Declarations Lane should make note of the year when the car was manufactured. That information reveals the amount of the needed bond money. A car made between 1999 and the present requires a payment of $400; a car made between 1994 and 1998 requires a payment of $300; a car made before 1994 requires a bond payment of $200.
The need for payment of bond money stems from the fact that Mexican law is not like American law. In Mexico, a person is presumed guilty until he or she can be proved innocent. That is why anyone driving in Mexico who might be in a car accident in Mexico must pay bond money upon entering the country.
The issued permit represents permission for temporary “importation” of a vehicle from another country.
A Mexican tourist who will be heading for one of the more popular Mexican beaches, or who will be driving down to Mexico City should not make that trip before acquiring the needed vehicle permits in Mexico. Acquisition of those permits requires the willingness to carry-out two important steps—the gathering of the needed papers and appearance at the proper government station.
The Mexican government does not hand out vehicle permits to just anyone who visits Mexico. The government has authorities who exam carefully the relevant papers of anyone who wants to have vehicle permits in Mexico. Such a person must present proof of citizenship, a valid vehicle registration from his or her country of origin, a leasing contract (If the vehicle is leased.), a driver’s license and an international credit card. All visitors with vehicles operating in Mexico must have Mexico insurance
Those items must be on the person of whoever wants to seek vehicle permits in Mexico. Such a person must plan to go to a Declarations Lane at some Border point. After patiently waiting in that lane, then the person who plans to cross the border to Mexico must step forward and present the above-mentioned papers.
Presentation of those papers should lead to a request from the man or woman working in the Declarations Lane. That authority should request the payment of a fee and a bond amount. The fee covers the cost of obtaining vehicle permits in Mexico. The bond amount serves as security, in the event that the driver would be in a car accident.
Before asking for the bond amount, the man or woman in the Declarations Lane should make note of the year when the car was manufactured. That information reveals the amount of the needed bond money. A car made between 1999 and the present requires a payment of $400; a car made between 1994 and 1998 requires a payment of $300; a car made before 1994 requires a bond payment of $200.
The need for payment of bond money stems from the fact that Mexican law is not like American law. In Mexico, a person is presumed guilty until he or she can be proved innocent. That is why anyone driving in Mexico who might be in a car accident in Mexico must pay bond money upon entering the country.
The issued permit represents permission for temporary “importation” of a vehicle from another country.
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