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Foreign plated car


SunnyDee

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Brought my car down here with my Temporaire...I want to go to Permanente.  However I want to continue to drive my foreign plated car.  It is 20 years old but still in excellent condition.  If I do get stopped what would the consequences be.  I have been told the car will be confiscated, which I am willing to risk.  Any advice.  I know several friends that are doing this now.  Thanks for you input.

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  • SunnyDee changed the title to Foreign plated car
3 minutes ago, SunnyDee said:

I a

Brought my car down here with my Temporaire...I want to go to Permanente.  However I want to continue to drive my foreign plated car.  It is 20 years old but still in excellent condition.  If I do get stopped what would the consequences be.  I have been told the car will be confiscated, which I am willing to risk.  Any advice.  I know several friends that are doing this now.  Thanks for you input.

I'd worry more about what might happen if you or your friends have a serious accident, where police, insurance companies, lawyers get involved.  Always best to play by the rules.  

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Not much choice here...I drove an older Ford F250 truck here when I made my final move about 13 years ago. About 4 years later when I got my RP I was informed that I had to replate it Mexican (do not remember the penalty for not). The cost for that would have been more than the truck was worth, so I sold it off for parts and then bought my current Mexican plated Ford F150, that is still truckin'.

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Well, your choice.  But it is illegal. There could be other implications of driving an illegal vehicle in Mexico other than the potential of it being confiscated that you may want to consider:  if you have an accident and someone is injured or killed, and you are driving an illegal vehicle you could be in VERY serious trouble. Your Liability insurance company is probably going to deny coverage leaving you hanging out to dry.  IF you aren't aware of what always happens in Mexico when one is in an accident and someone is injured you may want to educate yourself. It is bad enough when one is not even the cause of the accident.... everyone will go to jail for a day or two until the facts are determined. True!  AND if it comes to light that YOU are driving an illegal car AND you caused the accident.... well I would not put myself in that position in a country that has 'guilty until proven innocent' laws.

Your choice of course... but I would never risk the potential consequences 'just' to keep an old car around for convenience sake.  You are 'not in Kansas anymore, Toto'!

 

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34 minutes ago, SunnyDee said:

Brought my car down here with my Temporaire...I want to go to Permanente.  However I want to continue to drive my foreign plated car.  It is 20 years old but still in excellent condition.  If I do get stopped what would the consequences be.  I have been told the car will be confiscated, which I am willing to risk.  Any advice.  I know several friends that are doing this now.  Thanks for you input.

SunnyDee, I sent you a PM.

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NOTE:

Somewhere, your insurance policy probably states that your vehicle must be in Mexico legally.  If you are Residente Permanente, and your vehicle is not Mexican plated, it is in Mexico illegally and your insurance will not cover you.

We were once in your situation, and simply parked our US plated vehicle in our garage upon becoming Residente Permanente. We bought, and drove, a Mexican plated vehicle until we needed to go north, almost three years later. We got a Retorno Seguro through Chapala Law (Spencer), and removed our US plated car from Mexico legally.  Problem solved. The insurance is valid with a Retorno Seguro for the five day window to remove the vehicle, as the vehicle is legal for those days.

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2 hours ago, RVGRINGO said:

NOTE:

Somewhere, your insurance policy probably states that your vehicle must be in Mexico legally.  If you are Residente Permanente, and your vehicle is not Mexican plated, it is in Mexico illegally and your insurance will not cover you.

We were once in your situation, and simply parked our US plated vehicle in our garage upon becoming Residente Permanente. We bought, and drove, a Mexican plated vehicle until we needed to go north, almost three years later. We got a Retorno Seguro through Chapala Law (Spencer), and removed our US plated car from Mexico legally.  Problem solved. The insurance is valid with a Retorno Seguro for the five day window to remove the vehicle, as the vehicle is legal for those days.

On the bright side...when they deny his claim for millions of pesos  for the other vehicle...they will rescind the policy and return his premium, LOL.

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And don't fall for any of the I can help you legalize the car. It won't cost as much. Your plates will be from Mexico City. 

The only way to legally import a vehicle is with a licensed broker at the border. It is a 2 or 3 day process. In most cases the cost will not be worth it, although that is a personal decision. 

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I have a Mexico CDMX plated vehicle. I have been stopped by transito only once in six years. It was no problem, he thought I was driving too quickly on gravel, but I have a 4x4 with large, all terrain tires.  He checked all my paperwork, insurance, license, tarifa hologram, and receipt that bank paid the annual circula. He was satisfied. These are 100% legit Mexican plates, registered in the CDMX database, but as "pending" on the national data base. I have 3 million peso liability insurance covering myself, not the vehicle. I am personally liability insured only for driving any vehicle in Mexico. On the down side, I am not insured for theft, or own damage, but am covered for passenger medical costs and legal costs. It would be difficult to sell without the factura, although I get many offers to buy from off roaders. In 3 years I will be able to replate as vintage without many import penalties.

I would say if you just travel locally, don't commute to Guadalajara, especially near the airport (Federale Station) and avoid any vehicles marked as Aduana ( which I never seen) you are pretty safe. If your vehicle is not expensive enough to ransom by impounding, and you act like a dotty old gringo/a going to Walmart, then, again, you are probably safe. It is a very big deal in this country if government impounds private property.

If I had to do it all over again, I would probably sell the vehicle in the U.S.A. (qualifies as vintage, no emission testing required) and buy something in Mexico or U.S., to tow, a classic wreck, and pay the boys in Jocotepec to restore it, or improve it.

 

 

 

 

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25 minutes ago, CHILLIN said:

I have a Mexico CDMX plated vehicle. I have been stopped by transito only once in six years. It was no problem, he thought I was driving too quickly on gravel, but I have a 4x4 with large, all terrain tires.  He checked all my paperwork, insurance, license, tarifa hologram, and receipt that bank paid the annual circula. He was satisfied. These are 100% legit Mexican plates, registered in the CDMX database, but as "pending" on the national data base. I have 3 million peso liability insurance covering myself, not the vehicle. I am personally liability insured only for driving any vehicle in Mexico. On the down side, I am not insured for theft, or own damage, but am covered for passenger medical costs and legal costs. It would be difficult to sell without the factura, although I get many offers to buy from off roaders. In 3 years I will be able to replate as vintage without many import penalties.

I would say if you just travel locally, don't commute to Guadalajara, especially near the airport (Federale Station) and avoid any vehicles marked as Aduana ( which I never seen) you are pretty safe. If your vehicle is not expensive enough to ransom by impounding, and you act like a dotty old gringo/a going to Walmart, then, again, you are probably safe. It is a very big deal in this country if government impounds private property.

If I had to do it all over again, I would probably sell the vehicle in the U.S.A. (qualifies as vintage, no emission testing required) and buy something in Mexico or U.S., to tow, a classic wreck, and pay the boys in Jocotepec to restore it, or improve it.

 

 

 

 

But you know that you are driving an illegal vehicle.  Just like robbing a bank in Mexico the chances of getting caught are very very small. So you are probably pretty safe if you rob a bank.  

But if you do get caught with your illegal vehicle for example after an accident with an injury, who will bail you out? Who will pay your fine? Could you lose your RP status?

 

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9 hours ago, Bisbee Gal said:

I'd worry more about what might happen if you or your friends have a serious accident, where police, insurance companies, lawyers get involved.  Always best to play by the rules.  

What she said and I might add when we got Mexican plates the transito hassles pretty much went away.  Not worth it for an old vehicle and the other thing is with careful shopping you can get a car here for the same or less than it costs NOB because of the exchange rate.

 

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Been in your shoes and did a lot of research. Everyone telling you it's illegal is correct. Even small trips locally can be dangerous. If a bicycle zips in front of you and he's injured or worse, his family will own you, after jail time that is. Don't believe insurance companies that tell you they'll cover you, they won't. We parked our car for a year before finally paying for the import. There are people here who will legitimately do it for you by driving your car to the border and handling the paperwork. When Permanente became the hot thing a few years ago, this very subject was covered on this board ad nauseum. Make it legal or return it north and buy one down here. It's black and white, no gray area. 

Edited by moonhill
Ckarification
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1 hour ago, moonhill said:

SNIP............ There are people here who will legitimately do it for you. When Permanente became the hot thing a few years ago, this very subject was covered on this board ad nauseum. Make it legal or return it north and buy one down here. It's black and white, no gray area. 

I was with you all the way until you said that!  Yep, it was a hot subject and there were folks saying a lot of things. None of them legal and a lot of people got burned. The ONLY place one can Nationalize a US vehicle into Mexico is... AT THE BORDER. BY A BONDED AGENT.  

And the OP would surely come out on the bad side of any $ transaction to actually Import a 20 YO vehicle.

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The terms are getting a bit confusing for me.  I take "license" to be driving license.  I take "registration" or "plates" to be where the car is registered.  If you are referring to the latter, handfaf, I believe if you have valid insurance and current registration in CDMX you are covered in an accident.  Is this not correct?

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30 minutes ago, Mainecoons said:

The terms are getting a bit confusing for me.  I take "license" to be driving license.  I take "registration" or "plates" to be where the car is registered.  If you are referring to the latter, handfaf, I believe if you have valid insurance and current registration in CDMX you are covered in an accident.  Is this not correct?

No that is not correct.  If the vehicle has never been legally imported into Mexico by a licensed import broker at the border it is illegal. Just because there is a way for a group of criminals to illegality obtain CDMX plates & registration does not make the vehicle legal anywhere in Mexico, period. 

Just think if there was a way for someone in Ontario, or Texas to illegaly obtain registration & plates for a stolen vehicle would you drive it?  Would it now be ok because you have a registration for the vehicle? 

 

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This would illegal as a customs violation. If it was so important to them why don't they even bother to communicate in any way that permanent residents or citizens cannot bring in these vehicles? Answer (1) they are more concerned with illegal firearms, drugs, human trafficing, and wildlife violations (2) the horse has already left the barn, with over 1 million "chocolate" vehicles already in Mexico. If you are not driving a popular stolen make of vehicle, or flashy drug dealer or pimp ride you are pretty safe. If you look like an old gringo, tooling down to Walmart, or a Mexican farmer in an old pickup trying to scratch a living, or an obvious construction worker off to work, often with a full load of unseatbelted workmates in the truck bed, you are pretty safe. If it becomes a widespread problem, the government launches an amnesty, despite the whining from car dealers. The "chocolates" represent far more votes than car dealers. It shows they are sticking up for the little guy. As usual, I doubt very much the needs of new immigrants or foreigners are in their mindset at all in CDMX based government decision making.

My Mexican insurance is with Qualitas. Good reputation, coverage confirmed by Bellon. And FYI, cross province plating is unfortunately too easy in Canada. Somebody may get a driving suspension, DUI etc., and then "move" to another Province for new plates and a fresh drivers license.

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Chillin I get your point....it is pretty easy to fly under the radar in Mexico in all walks of life.... BUT why in the world would one want to chance a serious problem as a 'visitor' in a country just for the sake of keeping a 20 YO vehicle at their disposal???  

I think that by now the OP has enough information to make a decision for herself. She will either take your advice or stay safe. Her decision. 

As to your question "why don't they even bother to communicate...."  what do you want them to do, put up billboards and/or take out ads on local TV stations?  It is plainly spelled out on the documents.  Every foreigner who sets foot in Mexico to live as a Visatante or Residente has an obligation to understand the rules of their life there. "They didn't tell me" is hardly an excuse but I guess a lot of "I'm looking to ease by and make up my own rules" folks just don't live by that code.

 

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We have been driving our US plated car here locally for far too long since becoming Permanente a L o n g time ago.  In February we ordered a new car  (Mexican) and it should be in around December. Our plan is to get a Retorno Seguro to legally drive the old car to the Texas border and hopefully sell it in Laredo, TX. Of course on crossing the US border our car once again becomes illegal with Illinois expired US plates. Can we buy South Dakota plates and use them for this portion of our hopefully short time NOB. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

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