What do I have to do to license a Car in Mexico?

[Steve Bagu]

Old thread with New questions.

If you are living in Mexico a person can do almost anything re driving a Mexican plated car.

Would depend on where a person lives....in the interior you would stand out while close to the border where there are many Americans more then likely unnoticed.

Some here buy a Mexican beater for local use and drive their American plated for crossing the border.

As for a old post about a Mexican National not being allowed to drive a US plated car here....hogwash.

I sold my Chev S10 with Az plates to a worker on my house and he is still driving it today....over 4 yrs now.

There are many Calif plates (Mexican owned) that are driven locally.......exception would be maybe a near new car.

Every so often the Federal Police will come by and run the neighborhood checking the late model cars for proper papers.

The PU would have a few men in back to drive any questionable car back to their Hdqtrs.

When paying my Elect bill saw a early 60's VW in the pkg lot with calif plates and a "94" sticker driven by a older Mexican man.

The Rv in question would not be allowed to cross the border based upon my own past experience.

[DMenscha]

I'll be in Los Cabos next week and I'm going to buy a car in the $2000 USD range. I'm tired of the extortion at the car rental places at the airport.

I see a lot of South Dakota registered cars on craigslist and I know that that state has a deal on registrations. I'd actually prefer to buy a nationalized car (I think) because I'm going to let one of my Mexican friends enjoy the use of it when I'm not there.

Anyone got any ideas on how I should proceed? I'll probably just take the advice of my friend on how he wants to go about it. Should I register it in my name? I'll have a written contract with my friend in any case concerning insurance and expenses.

[axixic2]

Originally Posted by DMenscha

I'll be in Los Cabos next week and I'm going to buy a car in the $2000 USD range. I'm tired of the extortion at the car rental places at the airport.

I see a lot of South Dakota registered cars on craigslist and I know that that state has a deal on registrations. I'd actually prefer to buy a nationalized car (I think) because I'm going to let one of my Mexican friends enjoy the use of it when I'm not there.

Anyone got any ideas on how I should proceed? I'll probably just take the advice of my friend on how he wants to go about it. Should I register it in my name? I'll have a written contract with my friend in any case concerning insurance and expenses.

We have S. Dakota plates because S. Dakota, only one county in S. Dakota, lets us buy plates without being there, keep registration up to date and keep a foreign plated vehicle. I couldn't drive to Texas with my expired TX plates so I bought S. Dakota plates.

You cannot leave a foreign plated vehicle in MX if you leave. People do it and don't get caught but if you are caught the vehicle is confiscated.

If you buy a MX plated vehicle you will probably be stopped less often by the Transitos. You can leave it when you go back home. From what I've been told MX insurance for it is higher than for a foreign plated vehicle.