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When I move to Mexico I do not want my auto registered in Arizona The reason is for tax purposes. I do not want to pay Arizona state income tax. If my car is registered in Arizona I am still considered a resident and have to pay state income tax. So I will have to get a Mexican drivers license and register my car in mexico. First I am going to only keep my old 2002 car. I will have to import the car. So to get a Mexican drivers license and then register my car I assume I will need to have an FM 2 or FM 3 first. How hard is it to get the drivers license? Anyone have any more info on this?
Thanks
Keith

It is actually quite easy to get a drivers license down here once you have your FM3/FM2. The more important question is whether or not your car can be imported...

Originally Posted by BajaGringo

It is actually quite easy to get a drivers license down here once you have your FM3/FM2. The more important question is whether or not your car can be imported...

Once the drivers license is it easy to register the car in Mexico IN otherwords Mexican plates

Are you talking about a temporary or permanent importation?

Originally Posted by BajaGringo

Are you talking about a temporary or permanent importation?

Permanent importation

South Dakota, anyone?

Amigo AZ, you'd best do a little more research into current vehicle importation laws; 2-3 years ago Mexico changed the laws & now restrict importation to just one model year per importation year, and I believe it's 10 year-old models. Sorry, but I don't have the URL that points you to that site.

And be advised that the one-time importation costs will run you over $1,000 (equiv USD), based on the make/model/value of the vehicle being imported. License & registration fees are separate & above & beyond the importation fees. Depending on where you're moving in Baja, the importation process requirement details may vary. You will also have the option to get Baja plates or national plates, making it legal to drive the vehicle anywhere in MX without the need to temporarily import it to mainland if you go there.

But in response to your actual question, getting a MX DL is easy once you have your FM3 or FM2. You will have to prove blood type to get MX DL. Getting the license is much less painful than getting the vehicle imported.

Be aware that the information provided here is Baja-specific & does not apply to mainland Mexico.

Ok one more question. Lets say I get my FM2 or FM3. Then I get my Mexican drivers license. Then I buy a car in Mexico. I then could register it in Mexico and get Mexican ( Baja) or international plates? How do I get international plates?

(Marty/BG, coulda/woulda please merge this back into the original thread for clarity & continuity? Thanks! Getting a Mexican Drivers license and registering a car in Mexico - TalkBaja.com - Baja Mexico Travel, Living and Retirement

Amigo AZ, I believe you misread my original post....I said National, not International. There are two geographical designations for vehicle plates in Mexico, first being at individual state level, i.e., Baja Norte or Baja Sur, Sonora, etc., the other is National plates which allow you to travel freely anywhere in Mexico, including Baja. Baja plates allow you to travel freely anywhere in Baja, but if you want to cross over to mainland Mexico, with the exception of a small area in the northern border region, you would be required to get a Temporary Import Permit for travel in most of mainland Mexico. Baja is considered a "free-zone" & as such does not require Temporary Import Permits for non-Baja licensed vehicles. Mainland Mexico requires Temporary Import Permits for all vehicles not carrying Mexican National plates.

Not to be confused with Importation, which is a one-time process to permanently import a vehicle....Temporary Import Permits are required for each individual trip to mainland & must be returned at the time of departure from mainland Mexico.

Also, be advised that vehicles purchased in Mexico typically have different Department of Environmental Quality (smog control) laws & equipment requirements & may not be allowed to be imported into the USA, if you were to decide to move back to the US & wanted to take your Mexican purchased vehicle. If the vehicle you purchase was manufactured for use in the USA, it'd most likely be importable back to the US; if it was originally manufactured for use in Mexico, it will not meet the USA environmental requirements.

When you register & license a vehicle in Baja, you have the choice to determine whether to license it at state or National level. National plates cost more, but I can't quote specific costs.

Clear as mud? I know it's confusing....but feel free to ask for clarification if necessary.

As far as I know, there's no such thing as "international plates". This may help:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle...ates_of_Mexico
I believe Legs is referring to the difference between "Private" and "Private Fronteriza" registration as described in the article. My understanding is that many imported cars are not eligible for the "Private" plates that enable the car to be driven freely country-wide. I'd guess that at least half the cars on the road in BCS, possibly more, have "Fronteriza" plates. A Mexican owner of a "Fronteriza" vehicle also needs a permit to take the car to the mainland.

Ok now I have a couple more weird questions???? I have two American plated vehicles. Now lets say I get an FM3. My home is in Ensenada. I will not permanently import either vehicle. Will I have to get a temporary importation sticker for my vehicles? Isn't all of Baja exempt from the vehicle temporary importation fees and rules? I also have read that under an FM3 you can have only one non Mexican plated auto. If so does that mean I can only keep one of my autos? How do they track this if no one in Baja with foreign plates is required to have an importation sticker or even an FMT if not south of Ensenada? If I get stopped by a Mexican police and I am not driving my one allowed vehicle listed on my FM3 am in trouble? Gish some of these rules are complicated as hell.

Originally Posted by Amigo Arizona

Will I have to get a temporary importation sticker for my vehicles? Isn't all of Baja exempt from the vehicle temporary importation fees and rules?

No.
Yes.

I also have read that under an FM3 you can have only one non Mexican plated auto. If so does that mean I can only keep one of my autos?

No.

How do they track this if no one in Baja with foreign plates is required to have an importation sticker or even an FMT if not south of Ensenada?

They don't.

If I get stopped by a Mexican police and I am not driving my one allowed vehicle listed on my FM3 am in trouble?

Vehicles arn't listed on FMs.

Gish some of these rules are complicated as hell.

Only if you allow them to be that. You're micro-managing the regs. Relax.

Check out registering your cars in South Dakota........way less complicated

Originally Posted by Teniente

Check out registering your cars in South Dakota........way less complicated

For sure....although I've just noticed the yearly renewel is going up quickly.........for me, about a third in three years.

Not sure if this is true in BC (Dennis? Teniente?), but in BCS your US car registration is expected to be current, unlike on the mainland. That means that if you bring two cars, you need to jump through whatever hoops are necessary in your US state to keep both of them up to date.

Originally Posted by DENNIS

For sure....although I've just noticed the yearly renewel is going up quickly.........for me, about a third in three years.

If the car is owned by the individual and does not have a loan to a bank on the car (Owner title free and clear) does South Dakota require proof of insurance? If not that would save having to pay insurance in Mexico and the US.

Just another note on Mexican drivers licences. When we went to apply for ours in Cd. Constitucion, they required a copy of our CURP also. Don't know if that's the same throughout BC and BCS.

Originally Posted by kate

Not sure if this is true in BC (Dennis? Teniente?), but in BCS your US car registration is expected to be current, unlike on the mainland. That means that if you bring two cars, you need to jump through whatever hoops are necessary in your US state to keep both of them up to date.

Not sure, but we always keep our registration current in our home state (Nevada) for our "Baja Beater", who lives here full time. No hoops, just an on-line renewal, DMV mails the sticker to our PO Box.

Originally Posted by Amigo Arizona

If the car is owned by the individual and does not have a loan to a bank on the car (Owner title free and clear) does South Dakota require proof of insurance? If not that would save having to pay insurance in Mexico and the US.

SD doesn't require proof of insurance or SMOG. They do, however, require a stateside mailing address.....a place to send your new documents and plates.

Insurance in Baja is optional, but foolish to ignore. Liability insurance is a must...especially when there's so much to lose, such as your house for instance.

Originally Posted by kate

Not sure if this is true in BC (Dennis? Teniente?), but in BCS your US car registration is expected to be current, unlike on the mainland. That means that if you bring two cars, you need to jump through whatever hoops are necessary in your US state to keep both of them up to date.

Sounds right, Kate. For one important thing, the liability policy is void if one gets into trouble with expired tags.