BajaNomad

More legalities

chuckie - 1-28-2014 at 11:45 AM

If an American leaves a car here in Baja and tells a mexican that he can drive it while he is gone, what are the liabilities?
Would the insurance be any good?
Or
If an American gives a Mexican a non imported car, how would title etc. be transferred? Is it legal to do that?

FYI: I am not considering any of this but a friend is...

DavidE - 1-28-2014 at 12:22 PM

The PFP sees the car with no decal implying the vehicle has applied for FRONTERA status and the car is impounded.

I know of no Surplus line broker that would authorize anyone not having a valid USA driver license to drive a vehicle.

To obtain permission to APPLY for Frontera plates, an ownership certificate transfer is needed, proof of purchase price, import fees and taxes must be paid THEN the automobile is eligible to apply for FRONTERA plates.

Hope This Helps

chuckie - 1-28-2014 at 01:58 PM

Thanks DE, thats about the conclusion I have come to. I did call the insurance company and they said the same...except that if the US owner driver were IN the vehicle at the time. They also said they would not pay for loss in the case of impounds.

Pescador - 1-28-2014 at 02:01 PM

The other challenge is that a US plated car can not be driven by a Mexican Drivers license. If they have an ONAPAFFA registration (which now includes plates in addition to the window sticker) or an ANOPROMEX plates they get a drivers license which allows them to drive those plated vehicles.

latina - 1-28-2014 at 03:44 PM

Illegal to sell or give a foreign plated car here unless you give/sell it to another foreigner and use a foreign location as the location of transaction. You can't drive a Mexican plated car without a Mexican driver's license (other than a rental car) and you can't drive a US/Canadian plated car with a Mexican driver's license.

shari - 1-28-2014 at 04:36 PM

I bought my american plated car from a Mexican in Mulege and went to the Anapromex office there and for a fee, they gave me a decal sticker plate and an Anapromex drivers license to drive it...didnt even ask if I had a mexican license...which I do of course...I've had several gringo plated cars and done the very same thing for 10 years now...seems to work here in the boonies.

chuckie - 1-29-2014 at 04:30 AM

Thanks all....Issue has been resolved.

Osprey - 1-29-2014 at 06:37 AM

Since you have to buy $300,000 dollars liability coverage for any vehicle operated on Federal Mexican highways, you are gonna have problems rounding up some insurance for Oonapafa or Anapromex cars -- it has nothing to do with your driver's license. We couldn't do it so we had to import. Now we have Mex plates and Mex. Liability insurance coverage for the highway. Had to do it because we must drive an hour or two on the Federal Highway every time we go south to shop in San Jose del Cabo or San Lucas.

MitchMan - 1-29-2014 at 09:42 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by shari
I bought my american plated car from a Mexican in Mulege and went to the Anapromex office there and for a fee, they gave me a decal sticker plate and an Anapromex drivers license to drive it...didnt even ask if I had a mexican license...which I do of course...I've had several gringo plated cars and done the very same thing for 10 years now...seems to work here in the boonies.


Shari, what is your Mexican immigration status?

DavidE - 1-29-2014 at 11:17 AM

Boy what a difference 20 years made with the Mexican highway patrol. Before they were laid back looking for occasional speeders, or cars without plates to gain a few pesos,

Today when one passes by I can feel their eyeballs rubbing up and down my seat belt.

On the mainland on federal roadways, they hide behind freeway overpass center supports with their instant on radar gun. Parked at the top of freeway overpasses, driving 85 mph trying to sneak up behind speeders. Hijos sometimes I feel the PFP has hired Mexican American CHP no-hires :(