Can I chose to use my US plates when I'm in the US and my MX plates when I'm in Mexico?

I am ending up with Mexican plates, and the appropriate documentation and stickers, and Mexican auto insurance which has some limited coverage for the US for a limited time period.

I'm wondering, should I chose to do this, can I put my US plates (registration kept current) on my car (at the border), obtain temporary US auto insurance for my 'US plated' car without any 'surprise' repercussion should I get stopped, a ticket or auto accident? I'm also planning on applying for a new replacement title for the US since my original title now has a Jalisco sticker on the back.

The car was never 'legally' or appropriately 'exported' from the US since it was nationalized here. I'm therefore assuming there was be no US record that would show the car being anything but a US registered vehicle.


Thoughts, comments and otherwise?

If you mess with insurance companies they always seem to have a way to catch you if they can avoid paying out. I would be very careful.

You would have a car never 'legally exported' from the U.S. but have appropriate (though not legal) documentation and stickers for that car. You would also have Mexican auto insurance on your car.

Then you want to take a trip to the U.S. and put your U.S. plates (registration kept current) on that car when you get to the border, obtain temporary U.S. auto insurance for the temporarily U.S. plated car which also has Mexican plates, a Mexican title and Mexican insurance. While in the U.S. you will also get a “replacement” title since your original title now has a Jalisco sticker on the back. Then you will be returning to Mexico.

So you want to drive back and forth across the border with an illegally imported car for which you have two titles, one showing ownership in Mexico and the other U.S. You will also have with you two sets of plates one U.S. and the other Mexico.

My first thought was: What could possibly go wrong?
My second thought: Please talk to a lawyer before you do any of this.

Well, I posted here first to see what others had to say and especially sorting out the 'what could possibly go wrong' question .... then I will go to an attorney before I do this.

On the road in the US, in particular, you often see commercial trucks that have a variety of plates on the truck from different states and not uncommon to see Mexican plates as well on the same truck. So, there is some provision for this for commercial vehicles.

I've just never had the experience of having to deal with this issue either for a commercial or private vehicle. So, the question is now coming up, 'can I do this' without jeopardizing my personal situation.

Before crossing the border, I will have already obtained a replacement title because I can do that from here and obtain US insurance, which I do beforehand from here.

The remaining issue is to think about the 2 Mexican stickers on the car windows that need to remain in place.

The different plates on the trucks are for operating authority. Completely different affair. Talk with Spencer.

I use my Mexican plates and love it. I go on the toll roads and they snap the picture of the plate and say they will send you a bill, I just smile and think "go ahead and do that"

CanuckBob wrote:The different plates on the trucks are for operating authority. Completely different affair. Talk with Spencer.

I have spoken with Spencer. There is room for this discussion.
But, I wanted to run it by here to see what others are doing, which I often find helpful.
I also got a PM ... helpful.

Thanks,
S.

I change plates when crossing NOB. I did it last month.  I get better insurance when in the USA with my SD plates than a Mexican tourist policy.  A lot less hassles from cops on the road too.

When I went thru the nationalization process, I did the totally legal route.  I exported my car from the USA when I imported it into Mexico at the border.

I spoke with SD after I imported into Mexico about keeping my registration and plates even though I exported. They couldn't care less as long as I kept paying my reg fee's.  USA CBP doesn't have any issues since I properly exported.

So now I have a dual citizen vehicle, American when NOB and Mexican when SOB.  I can legally sell the car in both countries too.

[quote="Playaboy"]

When I went thru the nationalization process, I did the totally legal route.  I exported my car from the USA when I imported it into Mexico at the border.
/quote]
Which broker did you use?

viajero wrote:

Playaboy wrote:

When I went thru the nationalization process, I did the totally legal route.  I exported my car from the USA when I imported it into Mexico at the border.
/quote]
Which broker did you use?

I used Gary Keeler, who is local.
Everything is done from the MX side .....

Other than homeland security, I'm not sure anyone else NOB cares????

S.

Thanks Sherman,I screwed up the quote function,the question was for Playaboy.

"Other than homeland security, I'm not sure anyone else NOB cares????"

It is the "I'm not sure" and the question marks that would concern me.

Also, Homeland Security caring is plenty enough for me. I have a fairly high tolerance for risk but I am not willing to go there.

viajero wrote:Thanks Sherman,I screwed up the quote function,the question was for Playaboy.

His name is Albino  Sorry, but I can't find his card.

Here is my story Viajero.  We used the Tecate crossing.  It couldn't have gone any easier for me.  Just unloading and reloading the van and a lot of walking and waiting.  I drove to Yuma that night and the next day I crossed at Mariposa.  

I stopped at Aduana to declare the stuff I was bringing home and pay the tax.  While the officer started looking at my things, I told her I just imported the van and asked if she could check my paperwork.  That grabbed her attention.  She looked at the paperwork and asked me to follow her to the office.  I waited while she did her thing on the computer.  She asked me why I used Tecate yesterday.  I said because nobody else does and she chuckled.  She made a couple of copies of my pedimento and told me to tape the copies on each side of the van to make it easy for the Federales to see and to remove my license plates.

Next we took care of the tax on my stuff, which was not much.

Then with a "Have a nice day, sir" she sent me on my way.  

I was never concerned with Albino screwing me with bad paperwork but it was nice to have it checked out by Aduana.

If you want to go to TJ or Tecate to import and use Albino, PM me and I will hunt up his info.

viajero wrote:

Playaboy wrote:

When I went thru the nationalization process, I did the totally legal route.  I exported my car from the USA when I imported it into Mexico at the border.
/quote]
Which broker did you use?

Can you state what was involved in 'exporting' your car from the US?
Paperwork, cost involved and where you had to go?

Thanks .... I appreciate the information.

That is why I hired Albino.  He handled the paperwork and paying everyone.

Exporting/Importing occurred during my waiting times.  I never saw any government officials on either side of the border.  Export fee was included in my total cost.  I believe it is only $50

Total time in Tecate was 6 hours.

thanks much. Very helpful conversation for me!!

Playaboy wrote:I change plates when crossing NOB. I did it last month.  I get better insurance when in the USA with my SD plates than a Mexican tourist policy.  A lot less hassles from cops on the road too.

When I went thru the nationalization process, I did the totally legal route.  I exported my car from the USA when I imported it into Mexico at the border.

I spoke with SD after I imported into Mexico about keeping my registration and plates even though I exported. They couldn't care less as long as I kept paying my reg fee's.  USA CBP doesn't have any issues since I properly exported.

So now I have a dual citizen vehicle, American when NOB and Mexican when SOB.  I can legally sell the car in both countries too.

Love that. Get some benefit from the money that you were forced to spend on non-sense paper work to create govt. jobs.

Love that.  Get some benefit from the money that you were forced to spend on non-sense paper work to create govt. jobs.[/quote]


What was I forced to do?  What nonsense?  I am not sure where you are going with this?