Driving in Baja Do We Need a Permit? / Traffic Laws / Crooked Cops

Old 01-18-12, 09:26 AM   #21
rplarry
 
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Default Re: Getting a Mexican Drivers license and registering a car in Mexico

Teniente
Can you direct me to where I can get info on SD registrations?
Thanks
Larry
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Old 01-18-12, 11:42 AM   #22
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Default Re: Getting a Mexican Drivers license and registering a car in Mexico

Quote:
Originally Posted by rplarry
Teniente
Can you direct me to where I can get info on SD registrations?
Thanks
Larry
I'll pretend like you asked me.
Clay County is the opperative term here:



License plates pay off for S.D., all the way from Mexico | The Argus Leader | argusleader.com
Old 01-18-12, 05:13 PM   #23
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Default Re: Getting a Mexican Drivers license and registering a car in Mexico

Quote:
Originally Posted by DENNIS
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.
Thanks Dennis sounds like I will register in SD drive to Mexico and get Mexican insurance then cancel my US insurance
Old 01-18-12, 07:31 PM   #24
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Default Re: Getting a Mexican Drivers license and registering a car in Mexico

Before you get too wrapped up with that, you may want to check the requirements and or restrictions of obtaining Mexican insurance on your vehicle.........and I suggest that you do some research on domicile, home of record and legal residence.

Those terms and definitions may have an impact on where you decide to declare you live in the US......for tax issues and other items........your mileage may vary
Old 01-18-12, 08:40 PM   #25
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Default Re: Getting a Mexican Drivers license and registering a car in Mexico

Quote:
Originally Posted by Teniente
Before you get too wrapped up with that, you may want to check the requirements and or restrictions of obtaining Mexican insurance on your vehicle.........and I suggest that you do some research on domicile, home of record and legal residence.

Those terms and definitions may have an impact on where you decide to declare you live in the US......for tax issues and other items........your mileage may vary
What in the world are you talking about, Terry?? All he wants is to be legal with a beater when he drives to the store.
The border region, in which we live, is much more forgiving than below the line in BCS. We don't have to dissect the regs and hope for the best, but just stay legal with the basics and drive safely. If we do only that, our efforts far surpass that of most drivers on the road here and that's all that's expected of us and it's not skirting an issue. It's full compliance for where we are.
Old 01-18-12, 09:57 PM   #26
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Default Re: Getting a Mexican Drivers license and registering a car in Mexico

Quote:
Originally Posted by Amigo Arizona
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. Thanks
Keith

If he wants to avoid state income tax, he should take steps to change his residence (vehicle registration, drivers license, voter registration) to a state that doesn't have an income tax.

Seven states have no state income tax: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.

Seems like to avoid the income tax and have an easy vehicle registration, he should become a "resident" of South Dakota.
Old 01-18-12, 11:14 PM   #27
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Default Re: Getting a Mexican Drivers license and registering a car in Mexico

As a foreign resident, I think you can vote in federal elections in the state where you last lived without tax consequences. I still vote in Massachusetts even though I haven't lived there (or anywhere in the US) for 30 years and obviously don't pay taxes there. As I recall, the law was changed some years back to encourage expats to vote. They were reluctant to register for fear of being sucked back onto their former states' tax hit lists. I don't remember the details, but it's probably worth looking into. Info should be easy enough to find because it's an election year.
Old 01-19-12, 07:15 AM   #28
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Default Re: Getting a Mexican Drivers license and registering a car in Mexico

When we retired, we became residents of South Dakota. I does require a trip there to acquire a drivers license and establish residency. You'll also have to acquire a personal mail box. This company is very helpful: http://www.yourbestaddress.com/ They helped us get a personal mail box, and re-register our vehicles. They are very reasonably priced.

If you only want to re-register your vehicle, you can do it by mail with the help of the company I mentioned above. It's best to accomplish the vehicle registration transfer before you leave the U.S., as there are documents you need to get notarized in order for them to re-register the vehicle(s) for you.

If you want to become a South Dakota resident for tax purposes, like I said above, you will have to make a trip there to get the DL and establish residency. The DL is good for 5 years and you do have to renew it in person. So plan on a trip to SD every 5 years. The up side is there's no requirement to have your vehicles inspected, nor have insurance to register them. You can re-register the vehicles on line if you have a South Dakota DL. It's pretty simple. I'm not sure if you can re-register online if you don't have a SD DL.

If you want to releive yourself of tax liabilities in the state you are currently living; you cannot have your primary residence, registered vehicles, or have a DL in that state. If you own property, at least in California, you may eventually have to prove to the State Tax Board that you don't spend more than x months per year there in order to avoid tax liabilities.

Last edited by BigWooo; 01-19-12 at 07:31 AM.
Old 03-04-12, 08:34 AM   #29
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Default Re: Getting a Mexican Drivers license and registering a car in Mexico

We have one car that is registered in South Dakota, but then we ran into a problem getting US auto insurance for it. Our insurance company said we had to have a South Dakota address where the car was garaged. We didn't get a PMB address, just did the registration via phone, fax and mail. At this point, we don't take that car into the US and use the other one when we go north.

Any thoughts on getting US insurance?
Old 03-04-12, 11:09 AM   #30
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Default Re: Getting a Mexican Drivers license and registering a car in Mexico

I thought you could get temporary insurance for a few days or weeks. I would check around.
Old 08-18-12, 12:57 PM   #31
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Default Re: Getting a Mexican Drivers license and registering a car in Mexico

Getting back to the original question, I live in AZ, and as far as I can tell there is no state income tax in AZ.
Old 08-18-12, 05:42 PM   #32
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Default Re: Getting a Mexican Drivers license and registering a car in Mexico

Ah, what a tangled web we weave................

My suggestion is to follow the advice from Big Woo...."move" to South Dakota
Old 08-19-12, 03:51 PM   #33
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Default Re: Getting a Mexican Drivers license and registering a car in Mexico

I just registered my SUV in SD with a Mexican Drivers License. Man they want the money they dont care. That was easy my biggest problem which this easy thing created is. I have a US plated car and a Mexican DL no US DL. Baja is probably OK but to go to main land Mexico, possible big problem at the check points. I am now trying to Nationalize the car with Baja National plates but what a mess. In Mexico think before you jump

Last edited by prorader; 08-19-12 at 04:10 PM.
Old 08-19-12, 04:08 PM   #34
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Default Re: Getting a Mexican Drivers license and registering a car in Mexico

Quote:
Originally Posted by prorader
I just registered my SUV in SD with a Mexican Drivers License. Man they want the money they dont care
Of course you know that combination won't work down here.
Old 08-19-12, 04:11 PM   #35
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Default Re: Getting a Mexican Drivers license and registering a car in Mexico

Well I do now, probably okay here but not the mainland
Old 08-19-12, 04:39 PM   #36
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Default Re: Getting a Mexican Drivers license and registering a car in Mexico

Quote:
Originally Posted by prorader
Well I do now, probably okay here but not the mainland
Not here either.
Old 08-20-12, 01:07 PM   #37
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Default Re: Getting a Mexican Drivers license and registering a car in Mexico

I have a friend that went the South Dakota route on thier late modle SUV to avoid the high fee in Ca. their home State. They were busted a while back driving the car in Ca.
It will most likely cost more in fines than they saved.
Old 08-20-12, 01:11 PM   #38
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Default Re: Getting a Mexican Drivers license and registering a car in Mexico

WOW. I signed up so I could get info to make my move to Baja go smoother. LOL
I'm not sure I'm smart enough just to keep my car registered to drive. Looks like I will be walking a lot.

On another note Is is windy 70 to 80 percent of the time on the bays in San Quintine as oll the wind charts seem to suggest? Did I drive through on the only two days that there was no wind?
Thanks to all
Old 08-20-12, 02:29 PM   #39
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Default Re: Getting a Mexican Drivers license and registering a car in Mexico

Quote:
Originally Posted by J.P.
I have a friend that went the South Dakota route on thier late modle SUV to avoid the high fee in Ca. their home State. They were busted a while back driving the car in Ca.
It will most likely cost more in fines than they saved.
What was he "busted" for, John....and by whom? I don't think having SD plates on a car is by itself probable cause for anything.
Old 08-20-12, 02:46 PM   #40
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Default Re: Getting a Mexican Drivers license and registering a car in Mexico

Quote:
Originally Posted by DENNIS
What was he "busted" for, John....and by whom? I don't think having SD plates on a car is by itself probable cause for anything.


They were driving with a Ca.drivers lisc. with the home adress on a rental they own and the car has S.D. tags. Ca. is broke and they are getting agressive about things like that They even have a program where you can rat someone over the internet and remain anonymous.

I dont know if it was a routine traffic stop or what thr reason was





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