Posted by Jessica Waters on Marzo 24, 2000
As a US citizen, on an FMT or FM3 visa, will I need to get a Mexican driver’s license? Mexican license plates/registration for my car? Is there an advantage/disadvantage to either of these? Can I do this before I get to Mexico, or must I be there in person?
Posted by jennifer rose on Marzo 24, 2000
No, you will not need a Mexican driver’s license or Mexican registration for your U.S. plated car. You will be required to maintain a current US driver’s license as well as current US car registration. You can obtain a Mexican driver’s license once you’re down here, if you feel the need for additional verification that indeed you are a licensed driver, but it doesn’t replace the need for a U.S. driver’s license. For the purposes of this answer, Mexican car registration is completely out of the question. And, no, you cannot obtain a Mexican driver’s license by mail. Or on the Internet.
Posted by Jessica Waters on Marzo 28, 2000
Thanks, Jennifer, but without a US address, how do I keep my car registration, insurance and license plates, not to mention my driver’s license?
Posted by alex in TJ on Marzo 29, 2000
Maintain a U.S. address somewhere if you are not going to cut the cord to the US. I use Mailboxes Etc. because they allow you to put your box number as an apartment # if you like. I use this address for car registration, car insurance, brokerage account, US checking account, and driver?s license. Also U.S. health care provider requires U.S. address.
Alex
Posted by Bob Story on Marzo 24, 2000
As long as your FM-3 is valid, your car importation permit is valid. If you want to ?Mexicanize? your American car you would have to pay the import duty of about 30% of its value in order to get Mexican plates, which IMHO is not worth it. However, it was recently announced that pickup trucks of an older vintage can be imported into Mexico without any customs duties. A rumor is running rampant that pretty soon passenger cars might be exempt also, but it is just a RUMOR!
