Expat in Mexico - how to buy a car in the U.S.? (vehicle registration, house) - City-Data Forum

ElleMc · 06-09-2012, 01:22 PM

I am an expat living in Mexico for 6 years. I have my U.S. plated car I brought with me when I moved here. Now I want to buy a used car in the U.S. to bring back here, but don't have an address there. How can I do that?

5thgenSF · 06-09-2012, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElleMc

I am an expat living in Mexico for 6 years. I have my U.S. plated car I brought with me when I moved here. Now I want to buy a used car in the U.S. to bring back here, but don't have an address there. How can I do that?

i guess you're asking how to register a car in the states when you don't live there? so the car you have now is registered here, but not there?

Relocation-Import Car or Buy in Mexico

ElleMc · 06-09-2012, 03:43 PM

The car I have now is registered in Tennesee, where I'm from. But I want to buy a car in TX and register it there so that I have U.S. plates and then bring it back here with me. I don't want to plate my new car in Mexico.

diablo234 · 06-09-2012, 04:40 PM

Unless you have a secondary residence in Texas (such as a house or lease on an apartment), I don't think you are allowed to have Texas plates on your vehicle.

CowanStern · 06-09-2012, 04:54 PM

You can buy a car anywhere in the US, without a local address. But you need a local address to put US plates on it, so you might need to take the car to a state where that is convenient.

However, cars bought in Texas will already have Texas plates on them, valid until the next expiration date, which is revealed by a windshield sticker, not a sticker on the plate itself, which is undated and remains with the car. Just make sure a car bought in Texas has a Texas plate on it (a new car won't have one). It is my understanding that Mexican authorities don't care if US plates are expired or not, as long as you have a proper cedula for the car, which is a Mexican substitute for a registration of a US-plated car. The restrictions on bringing a US car into Mexico will depend on the kind of visa you have, and I presume you have a residence visa that will grant you a car privilege.

However, I have not experienced this personally with reference to taking a Texas car to Mexico. But I have bought a car in Texas and taken it to another state, and until the Texas plate had expired, all I needed was the signed title and original owner's registration certificate, to show the police who asked for registration.

5thgenSF · 06-09-2012, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CowanStern

You can buy a car anywhere in the US, without a local address. But you need a local address to put US plates on it, so you might need to take the car to a state where that is convenient.

However, I have not experienced this personally with reference to taking a Texas car to Mexico. But I have bought a car in Texas and taken it to another state, and until the Texas plate had expired, all I needed was the signed title and original owner's registration certificate, to show the police who asked for registration.

not sure what you mean about "convenient". either you have a US address or you don't. (or use a relative's address.)

Willy702 · 06-10-2012, 12:54 AM

Will they still allow you to take a car in? Isn't the car import privilege limited to a few year period when you first get your visa in Mexico?

Registration in a US state is governed by laws of residency, but they aren't always that stringently followed. For instance in Colorado you have to attest that you are a legal resident of the state which usually requires you to say you are working in the state, but its not like they require any real proof of this. What might make things difficult though is your probable lack of a current US drivers license. If you can get around this issue then you just have to pay your fee with a real in state address and also take out a liability insurance policy at least for state minimum levels.

Texas may be convenient for you to buy, but its notorious for having high vehicle registration fees and they are very stringent in enforcing current registration being maintained as a result.

It might not be very easy to do and frankly this is the way its supposed to be. If you are a legal resident of Mexico and plan to remain its not unreasonable for both Mexico and the US to see you as such and require you to buy a vehicle in Mexico and abide by its regulations. The import of a car is done as a concession to attract a certain type of expat, but I don't think the Mexican government wants you to continue you doing it indefinitely.

CowanStern · 06-10-2012, 10:31 AM

The OP did not indicate what part of Mexico. A US-plated car, even with expired plates, can be driven for years in the border zone (which includes all of Baja), and many thousands of Mexicans are doing it. But the car can't be driven into the interior of Mexico without a proper Mexico Aduana ceduia. It is also relevant whether the OP has a Mexican residency visa, or is just staying there on a series of tourist visas.

A lot of states now issue drivers licenses for as long as eight years, and the first renewal can be by mail, so the OP might have as much as 16 years on his US DL. A Mexican DL is valid for driving in the USA, as long as the car is not registered in the same name as the Mexican driver. A Texas-bought used car remains in the name of the previous owner, until the new owner titles and plates it in Texas, so can be driven by a Mexican driver and validated by a signed-over title.

No drivers license is ever required in any state to buy, title, or register a car. Many people who cannot drive due to age or disability still own cars for their family use, as well as business-owned cars, whose owners obviously have no DL.

ElleMc · 06-10-2012, 10:41 AM

It's true, a U.S. plated car can be driven indefinitely in MX as long as you have your current visa. Most of the expats living here have U.S. plates on their cars, as I do on the car I have now. I was just wondering about the laws in TX specifically. Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate the input.

5thgenSF · 06-10-2012, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CowanStern

The OP did not indicate what part of Mexico. A US-plated car, even with expired plates, can be driven for years in the border zone (which includes all of Baja), and many thousands of Mexicans are doing it. But the car can't be driven into the interior of Mexico without a proper Mexico Aduana ceduia. It is also relevant whether the OP has a Mexican residency visa, or is just staying there on a series of tourist visas.

A lot of states now issue drivers licenses for as long as eight years, and the first renewal can be by mail, so the OP might have as much as 16 years on his US DL. A Mexican DL is valid for driving in the USA, as long as the car is not registered in the same name as the Mexican driver. A Texas-bought used car remains in the name of the previous owner, until the new owner titles and plates it in Texas, so can be driven by a Mexican driver and validated by a signed-over title.

No drivers license is ever required in any state to buy, title, or register a car. Many people who cannot drive due to age or disability still own cars for their family use, as well as business-owned cars, whose owners obviously have no DL.

so are you saying that when you try to get plates, you could give a mexico address for them to be sent? would think you'd still need a US address for that.