BajaNomad - Expired car registration

Expired car registration

Julie - 6-9-2006 at 02:43 PM

We are heading up to the states in Sept. Our truck registration expires a month before we leave and it requires a smog this year. Can anyone tell us the attitude of the Mex. Highway guys regarding driving up with a one month expired tag?

Thanks

Bob and Susan - 6-9-2006 at 03:40 PM

mexico is not the problem as long as your insured...

what state is the truck registered in?
You still have time to register it before you come back...

When you cross the border the CHP will ticket you....

for california.....
fill out this form and state that the car is in Mexico and give the address
Then say it would be a hardship to bring it back to only smog...
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/forms/reg/reg256.pdf

mail it in.
Easy
NO SMOG REQUIRED

Your registration will be at your mailing address when you return

Bruce R Leech - 6-9-2006 at 03:48 PM

a few years back I got caught driving a car with expired Ca. reg. and they wanted to seize the car and through me in jail. after much haggaling I ended up paying a 200 dollar fine and was told the next time they would keep the car

Julie - 6-9-2006 at 04:02 PM

The truck is registered in California, 2 years ago we paid the fees by mail , then showed the CA authorities we were current on fees but lacked smog. Didn't get stopped on this side so I was curious what they would do. Looks like I may be doing a road trip before September. Oh well...

Gracias to all of you.

bajalou - 6-9-2006 at 04:20 PM

If you had it registered in Imperial county of Calif. - there is no periodic smog checks requirement.

Bob and Susan - 6-9-2006 at 04:23 PM

forget the road trip...
if the truck is in Mexico you DO NOT have to SMOG it to register it.

Just mail in the forms and money :biggrin:

I just did this with the Suzuki.

If you get pulled over in California it's registered....
when they run the tags it will show paid so no ticket

They probably wanted to throw Bruce in JAIL because he was driving an unregistered California car with a Colorado license...

He does kinda look like a criminal :lol:

bajalou - 6-9-2006 at 04:31 PM

for the last 30 min, the Ca website doesn't work

Does that mean an RV also.

Keri - 6-9-2006 at 04:38 PM

We took in all our paper work and paid all fees but they said they had to see the RV and it needed to be smogged. It is a 79. We were changing from Az plates to Ca plates. k

bajalou - 6-9-2006 at 04:44 PM

Only applies to renewals - not bringing in from another state. But it does apply to RV's. They always inspect vin numbers etc when brning in from another state - plus the smog cert.

[Edited on 6-9-2006 by bajalou]

Bruce R Leech - 6-9-2006 at 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bob and Susan
forget the road trip...
if the truck is in Mexico you DO NOT have to SMOG it to register it.

Just mail in the forms and money :biggrin:

no Bob at that time it was Ca. tags and Ca. licence .

I checked it out and Mexican law says that all foreign vehicles in Mexico must have currant registration and papers to show it. you can register it off rode in Ca. and keep it currant. but you cant reenter Ca. without first taking the off rode off.

bajalou - 6-9-2006 at 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bruce R Leech

no Bob at that time it was Ca. tags and Ca. licence .

I checked it out and Mexican law says that all foreign vehicles in Mexico must have currant registration and papers to show it. you can register it off rode in Ca. and keep it currant. but you cant reenter Ca. without first taking the off rode off.

If you do a Temp Importation of the vehicle, that makes it legal in Mex. The US plates do not have to be current and are used only for ID purposes.

[Edited on 6-9-2006 by bajalou]

Bruce R Leech - 6-9-2006 at 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bajalou

Quote:

If you do a Temp Importation of the vehicle, that makes it legal in Mex. The US plates do not have to be current and are used only for ID purposes.

[Edited on 6-9-2006 by bajalou]

yes they must be currant

Expired Tags

MrBillM - 6-9-2006 at 07:54 PM

The Good Old Days are Gone in Many Ways.

For the last few years, Cops in San Felipe have been citing U.S. registered vehicles with expired tags. Luckily, my scanner/Printer makes great vehicle tags. No help if you're actually pulled over for something else, of course, but I've been working on good registration facsimiles. Getting close.

I've read that the Mex insurance on your U.S. vehicle is void if the car is not currently registered.

Drive CAREFULLY and always carry some small bills.

Bruce R Leech - 6-9-2006 at 08:03 PM

MrBillM can you do US visas? there are lots of peple down here that would like to get some frome you :rolleyes:

Bruce, If I could, I wouldn't

MrBillM - 6-10-2006 at 07:25 AM

I'm RETIRED, but I don't want to spend what's left of that retirement in a FEDERAL Prison. I'd rather scrape along on less and look out on the Beach everyday.

The registrations aren't that hard since all you need to do is white out the dates and replace them with current year. The trick is to get the font to match perfectly or VERY close to it. Even then, I'd be hesitent to try it in the U.S. In Baja, at least, there is always the "mordida" fallback (usually).

I'm sure there are guys working the streets of San Diego that can arrange for some pretty decent copies of anything. Good hunting.

flyfishinPam - 6-10-2006 at 04:14 PM

Julie,

Francisco and I were pulled over on the highway as we tried to cross from Miramar going into town. The federale cited us for expired CA tags and threatened to seize the vehicle and the panga we were towing. I was holding my week old baby in the passenger seat. Francisco knew it was a mordida stop and he said "OK let's inventory everything here and we'll let you take it" that was in October 2002. The federale let us off as we may likely have not appeared an easy target in his opinion. We only drove it at night and quickly to avoid problems after that then we went to the border to import it asap. That's why my green truck has BCS plates now. They were probably giving us a hard time because a Mexican was driving the vehicle but that federale really knew about the tags on the plates, knew what to look for and that they were indeed expired. On the insurance, its true that if your car has an expired tag or is not registered that the Mex insurance is null and void.

[Edited on 6-10-2006 by flyfishinPam]

shari - 6-10-2006 at 05:12 PM

Check this out, my plates on my Trooper are year 2000 and I have an expired Canadian drivers license, and a mexican license and when I get stopped I tell them I can't register my truck as I don't live in the states and I can't import it as I'm not a mexican citizen...they just don't know what to do with me and always let me go!!! Never paid a mordida either but can talk a mean streak....How do I get a temporary import permit?

Bob and Susan - 6-10-2006 at 06:18 PM

aduana office in santa rosalia...

Bruce R Leech - 6-10-2006 at 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by shari
Check this out, my plates on my Trooper are year 2000 and I have an expired Canadian drivers license, and a mexican license and when I get stopped I tell them I can't register my truck as I don't live in the states and I can't import it as I'm not a mexican citizen...they just don't know what to do with me and always let me go!!! Never paid a mordida either but can talk a mean streak....How do I get a temporary import permit?

the T.I.P. will not make any deference on a expired registration in fact they require current reg. to get the T.I.P.

bajalou - 6-10-2006 at 07:11 PM

Bruce, I agree that the registration has to be current to get a TIP - but Banjercito tells me that the TIP is then the controlling factor for being in Mexico legaly. Their feeling is your Temp Import Permit makes your vehicle legal, just as a valid and current US registration would. The plates are only for vehicle identification. the TIP is valid for the entire length of time your FM? is valid including renewals. It is no longer requred that you adivse Aduna of your renewals. If you Imigrate to Mex, you can no longer get a TIP.

Bruce R Leech - 6-10-2006 at 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bajalou
Bruce, I agree that the registration has to be current to get a TIP - but Banjercito tells me that the TIP is then the controlling factor for being in Mexico legaly. Their feeling is your Temp Import Permit makes your vehicle legal, just as a valid and current US registration would. The plates are only for vehicle identification. the TIP is valid for the entire length of time your FM? is valid including renewals. It is no longer requred that you adivse Aduna of your renewals. If you Imigrate to Mex, you can no longer get a TIP.

this is wrong If you have the TIP you must still keep your registration current to be with in the law.

bajajudy - 6-11-2006 at 11:13 AM

Julie
There is a 30 day grace period in Califonia. Might work here if you can explain it.
Suerte

Bruce R Leech - 6-11-2006 at 11:51 AM

I dont think Ca. has sush a thing

bajalou - 6-11-2006 at 12:28 PM

No grace period in CA - penalty for late renewal but it starts low for just a few days and gets progressivly higher.

Julie - 6-11-2006 at 02:06 PM

Thanks again everyone. We did know about teh 30 day grace, but.. that doesn't help us if we are stopped this side, which is our concern. Looks like I am going to head ahead of Mike this year, I'll get 2 extra weeks in the US.

Pam, thanks for the info, on another note.... I'm planning to take my english students to Isla Coronado Wed. for an end of term party. What do you think the dead squid situation will be then??? Gracias

You can import a vehicle into Mexico

flyfishinPam - 6-12-2006 at 04:03 PM

Quote:

Even if you're not a citizen you can import a vehicle into Mexico. I did it!

flyfishinPam - 6-12-2006 at 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Julie
Thanks again everyone. We did know about teh 30 day grace, but.. that doesn't help us if we are stopped this side, which is our concern. Looks like I am going to head ahead of Mike this year, I'll get 2 extra weeks in the US.

Pam, thanks for the info, on another note.... I'm planning to take my english students to Isla Coronado Wed. for an end of term party. What do you think the dead squid situation will be then??? Gracias

The squid are still beaching themselves at Coronado. Try going to the small beach on the southwest side its marked C-04 on the marine park map. I hosted a party for 90 persons there recently and no smelly squid there.

dmv form

sylens - 6-12-2006 at 04:13 PM

i looked at the dmv form and found nothing about hardship for smogging permitting one to register without biennial smog check requirement.

help????

Bob and Susan - 6-12-2006 at 05:07 PM

fill out the form....

in the comments state the address that the car is located at in Mexico...
and
That it would be a burden to bring it to the USA just to smog...

mail it in with NO SMOG....

14 days later your tags will be in the mail....

These ARE the rules.

thank you bob and susan

sylens - 6-13-2006 at 03:17 PM

we'll give it a try in october when registration is due. :spingrin:

bajacrawler - 6-14-2006 at 10:43 AM

I looked at the DMV form. In section B it says. It is located outsde of the State of California. (Exception: Nevada and Mexico) Does this mean if your vehicle is located in Nevada or Mexico you cannot use this form.

bajalou - 6-14-2006 at 10:55 AM

Does that form even apply to periodic smog certificates (Renewals) it is pretty plain in saying "Transfer of Ownership" on all the sections--????

In talking about the exemption from Smog Cert on transfer between certain persons there is a asteric - pointing to the statement "*Does not require smog certification unless Biennial Smog is required"

And isn't that what is wanted to be avoided - the Biennial Smog?

[Edited on 6-14-2006 by bajalou]

bajacrawler - 6-14-2006 at 12:04 PM

Further up in this posting they are talking about a form. If it is not this form. What form are they talking about to use for a renewal.

Bob and Susan - 6-14-2006 at 12:11 PM

it's the form...

if the car is located in Mexico or Nevada then you do not have to include a smog with your renewal....

Just fill out the form...
State the address in Mexico or Nevada thet the car is located..
State that it would be a hardship to bring the car to California to smog...

Mail in the registration and check...receive the renewal in the mail...no smog required

I just did it AGAIN!!!

bajacrawler - 6-14-2006 at 12:54 PM

I hope the renewal goes to your California address. In San Felipe the only address I have is kilometer 8.5 on the Puertecitos road.

Bob and Susan - 6-14-2006 at 12:56 PM

it comes to your local california address...

if it doesnt you can always pick it up at the DMV later...