BajaNomad - Truck-car registration

Truck-car registration

Phil184 - 5-5-2017 at 06:32 PM

So if you buy a truck that is already in Baja and you plan on keeping it in Baja and it has lets say California title and plates how does that work. To maintain the registration you would have to bring it into California every other year for a smog check. Can you change the reg. to Mexican? How would you do that?

What if you, as a US citizen buy a truck in Baja with Baja registration, how does that work?
Thanks a bunch
Phil

Cancamo - 5-5-2017 at 07:57 PM

Legally vehicles are under the same requirements of your immigration status, in other words, they are required to leave when you leave, if you are on a tourist visa, otherwise they are in the Republic illegally.
Enforcement outside of Mainland Mexico, (B. Cal.), is almost non-existent to this point, although tags often are closely scrutinized on foreign plates by traffic cops.
What some folks do is change title and registration to another state that doesn't require annual smogcheck, proof of insurance, etc.. ie: S.Dakota, (any County, go online, easy and cheap). All done online and by mail.

Also there is Anapromex and Anaprofa, two Mexican companies that have a pending class-action with the supreme court challenging car import laws. So far, so good with their plates as long as you don't enter Federal Property, ie: airport, ferry terminal, where Federal Highway police are present, as well as I believe, mainland Mexico. Also cheap. They have offices all over and the way the wheels of justice turn hear, no impending judgement in sight.

Not cheap is importing which is most efficiently done at the border with a broker and is limited to vehicles no less than 5 years and no more than ten years old.
Buying a BC or national plated vehicle is easy, just need to check to see if it is stolen or salvaged from NOB. Lots of auctioned salvaged and
wreck vehicles here.
So yes, you would need to return to Cal for smog, insurance, etc....but there are a few options commonly used.

BajaBlanca - 5-6-2017 at 06:23 AM

It used to be that you could not import any car that was newer than 5 years.

Now the vehicle must be newer than 5 years old.

Husband says everything got turned upside down.

Since we are now Mexican citizens, anapromex has been a simple, inexpensive process. Who knew they were political ? Not me. You learn something new every day.

gnukid - 5-6-2017 at 07:29 AM

One more correction:

California only requires smog in some counties, many do not require smog check. So you may be able to transfer the vehicle as a sale without returning it to California and without smog if the new address is smog exempt. You can check the DMV book or search for counties / or zip codes that are smog exempt. DMV will also mail the new info to the new address which can be in Baja California or BCS but not border towns like Tecate or TJ. Some DMV people do not know the rules and may question, so you need to read the book yourself and be insistent or bring a copy of the book. BC/BCS is exempt from Mexico restrictions. Actually there is a new form specifically for BC/BCS vehicle registration and smog exemption. You can also use DMV smog exemption declaration form if the vehicle is registered to a smog requiring county or required for sale with the written statement that the vehicle is at your house in BC/BCS and its too far or a burden to return and note the address (more complicated).Though as long as the new address is valid and smog exempt it will go easily. Actually in the system are two address fields one for garage and one for mailing though not everyone knows this, you can access it yourself in the DMV online system. An issue is that BCS zip codes which are legal to register the vehicle sometime come up as duplicate with other states in the USA and the letters BCS are three letters and the state field in the system is two letter but it can override. AAA is California is very easy and professional place to work with. Also, you need a CA DL for CA plated vehicle. CA DL must be done at a DMV (not AAA) and then they mail the DL later. Also be aware that the sale price will require sales tax. Gisted vehicles at 0 have no sales tax. And 0 $ transactions between family members are exempt from smog and sales tax.

[Edited on 5-6-2017 by gnukid]

AKgringo - 5-6-2017 at 08:11 AM

A correction on your correction!

My legal permanent address and DL are in Alaska. I have CA plated vehicles registered to me with a CA street address.

I also have AK plated vehicles at the CA address, and since I have the AK DL, it has not been a problem.

My experience at the CA DMV also varies from yours. For anything other than a straight renewal, AK is much simpler, and with CA getting set to add even more fees, it is much cheaper!

Cancamo - 5-6-2017 at 09:01 AM

A friend who had car lot in BCS got all his vehicles NOB at auctions, mostly insurance jobs, many salvaged, many involved in a wreck to some degree. Mexicali is full of car lots with imported cars, many bought at the same auctions.
Body shops are plentiful and cheap and I don't think any safety check is involved like NOB. Maybe an individual cannot import a salvage vehicle, but a licensed importer can, or the laws have changed.

As far as keeping a California plated vehicle insured in California year round even though it is SOB, sounds kinda silly considering you would want to be insured here as well.

Didn't know Anapromex/Anaprofa was limited to nationals.

There is a type of Mexican registration for classic vehicles if it is old enough. A friend was able to attain it locally without a trip to the border on an old Cadillac I gave him. Wasn't expensive either.

gnukid - 5-6-2017 at 09:41 AM

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo

A correction on your correction!

My legal permanent address and DL are in Alaska. I have CA plated vehicles registered to me with a CA street address.

I also have AK plated vehicles at the CA address, and since I have the AK DL, it has not been a problem.

My experience at the CA DMV also varies from yours. For anything other than a straight renewal, AK is much simpler, and with CA getting set to add even more fees, it is much cheaper!

True, a person may transit with the vehicle plates and dl mismatched. But if you establish a residence in CA for more than some period, I believe 10 days, then you should get the plates and DL to match. So, in CA if the police ask you where you live and you say I moved here 30 days ago and the DL and plates are not up to date then you get a fix it ticket. Of course, Mexican police can not initiate this action though they can pretend they can.

gnukid - 5-6-2017 at 09:44 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Cancamo

A friend who had car lot in BCS got all his vehicles NOB at auctions, mostly insurance jobs, many salvaged, many involved in a wreck to some degree. Mexicali is full of car lots with imported cars, many bought at the same auctions.
Body shops are plentiful and cheap and I don't think any safety check is involved like NOB. Maybe an individual cannot import a salvage vehicle, but a licensed importer can, or the laws have changed.

As far as keeping a California plated vehicle insured in California year round even though it is SOB, sounds kinda silly considering you would want to be insured here as well.

Didn't know Anapromex/Anaprofa was limited to nationals.

There is a type of Mexican registration for classic vehicles if it is old enough. A friend was able to attain it locally without a trip to the border on an old Cadillac I gave him. Wasn't expensive either.

CA DMV will accept BC/BCS mexican insurance as proof of insurance at the DMV though those are not electronically verified so you need to show written proof every year prior to expiration. Many people have multiple car policies so having a BC/BCS vehicle added to the policy does not increase the cost. Yes, they have two polices one for BC/BCS and one for USA. Liability DL mexico policies are about $150/yr.

imlost - 5-6-2017 at 10:14 AM

The simple solution is to register your car in South Dakota. You don't have to be a resident to register your vehicle there, and you can do it all over the phone & through mail. Simple, easy, cheap. They mail you the plates, and you don't have to be concerned about DEQ/smog - they don't require it in SD. When you visit BCS, you'll see thousands of vehicles with SD plates.

[Edited on 5-6-2017 by imlost]

[Edited on 5-6-2017 by imlost]

gnukid - 5-6-2017 at 10:34 AM

There are also other reasons for declaration of smog exemption for transfer or registration. You need to read the fine print but in general if the car is located somewhere where it may more likely encounter various fuel quality or it is an undue burden to bring the vehicle to a smog station. You can imagine there are CA plated vehicles all over the world as secondary cars for CA residents who are traveling or have a second home and in most cases those cars are exempt and there is a form for this.

gnukid - 5-6-2017 at 10:40 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Bob and Susan

geezzz lots of info here...

ONLY insurance companies that electronicly report to the California dmv can insure a car for registration

DMV will accept demonstrable written insurance for regions outside of CA as evidence of insurance, they also accept a $ bond which are not electronically verifiable when the vehicle will not return and a written statement is included that the vehicle will not return during this period and when it does it will have valid CA insurance, however, this written acceptance of insurance often is lost from the DMV system during electronic verification checks causing a flag so its not a method that is reliable, and will cause headaches like canceled registration, therefore, most CA drivers in Baja have two polices one in CA and one in BC/BCS to reduce problems.

willyAirstream - 5-6-2017 at 11:18 AM

Quote:

Cancamo There is a type of Mexican registration for classic vehicles if it is old enough. A friend was able to attain it locally without a trip to the border on an old Cadillac I gave him. Wasn't expensive either.

Do you know the process for a classic car registration? Or where to start the process? ThX

btw, Onappafa will issue plates if you are a PR. I have them on the Willys.

willyAirstream - 5-6-2017 at 02:25 PM

BoBsusan
Cancamo mentioned otherwise. Just trying to clarify as I have heard from others that the were exemptions for classic cars.

I have been stopped and the plates have not been a problem, maybe I was lucky.

gnukid - 5-6-2017 at 11:50 PM

ley para importaciones de vehículos clásicos 30 anos o mas viejo

http://www.sat.gob.mx/aduanas/vehiculos/importaciones_autosu...

willyAirstream - 5-7-2017 at 01:21 PM

will do.
Thanks Paul

Phil184 - 5-9-2017 at 07:50 PM

Well thank you all very much for lots of good info. I still and probably will always have a California address in a smog test county. So it seems like the easiest thing to do is buy and keep a truck registered in California and see if I can put off a smug check until if and when the truck returns to California. I have a boat in La Paz and am in the process of buying a property near by so want to have a truck down there.
Thanks again.
Phil

gnukid - 5-9-2017 at 09:34 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Phil184

Well thank you all very much for lots of good info. I still and probably will always have a California address in a smog test county. So it seems like the easiest thing to do is buy and keep a truck registered in California and see if I can put off a smug check until if and when the truck returns to California. I have a boat in La Paz and am in the process of buying a property near by so want to have a truck down there.
Thanks again.
Phil

Phil, All you need is an address in BC/BCS (except TJ, Tecate) and you are not required to return the vehicle for smog and you will also lower the reg fees. Perhaps you misunderstand, the majority of geographical California has no smog check and all citizens who have vehicles in other geographies are also not required to return for smog and pay extra CA hi way fees. The primary issue is the annual registration date is associated to the plate and can not be changed. Can you return the vehicle just prior in the 60 day reg window to do the reg renewal date with vehicle up north every year? Do you feel obligated to return to your home county to pay the smog and us hi way reg fees for a vehicle that isn't usually there? Are you aware that variation in fuel will harm the CO2 sensor / catalytic converter and it may need to be replaced often at a high cost to pass smog? To me the added costs of driving back and forth plus smog and hi way fees just to reg are high and the increase on risk are unnecessary. It's cheaper to fly RT home if needed. There are more costs and risks to returning for smog but i'll leave it there for now.

[Edited on 5-10-2017 by gnukid]

Phil184 - 5-10-2017 at 05:35 PM

Thanks gnukid, let me say again what I see as the best option for me at this time based on all the info given.

I will maintain a California address, if that matters.

I will have a new BCS address also.

I don't speak or read Spanish yet and don't have a Mexican drivers License. So my understanding is I can't register a vehicle in Mexico like if say I was to buy a Mexican plated vehicle. Can't register without a Mexican drivers Lic. right?

So it seems the thing to do is buy a California plated vehicle (or some other state) and not bring it back to California and that means I don't have to have a smog test. Isn't this correct?

I don't feel obligated to give California any thing that I don't have to but I do want to have a legally registered vehicle in Mexico.

gnukid - 5-10-2017 at 08:58 PM

Zactley

danaeb - 5-11-2017 at 08:53 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Phil184

So it seems the thing to do is buy a California plated vehicle (or some other state) and not bring it back to California and that means I don't have to have a smog test. Isn't this correct?

If you decide to buy a CA-plated car, here's the CA DMV form to fill out for smog exemption. It has to be submitted annually. I do mine through AAA in San Diego.
https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/wcm/connect/407b2792-be32-47cf...

[Edited on 5-11-2017 by danaeb]

gnukid - 5-11-2017 at 06:13 PM

If the car is registered to an exempt address out of state there is no requirement for the form, this form is for cars registered in a smog country but garaged out of the area. If you register your car to your BC/BCS address (except TJ, Tecate) there is no requirement or request for the form and DMV will mail forms and stickers to your house in Baja too.

SFandH - 5-11-2017 at 06:21 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Phil184

So it seems the thing to do is buy a California plated vehicle (or some other state) and not bring it back to California and that means I don't have to have a smog test. Isn't this correct?

I don't feel obligated to give California any thing that I don't have to but I do want to have a legally registered vehicle in Mexico.

Don't forget you'll need to carry an insurance policy using the US address the car is registered at to get and renew the registration.

Phil184 - 5-11-2017 at 08:20 PM

Excellent thanks everyone! Or I mean mucho Garcia! :biggrin:

bajaguy - 5-12-2017 at 05:03 PM

If you are not going to bring the vehicle back to California and you want to have a legally registered vehicle in Mexico, sounds like you need to title and register in South Dakota. No proof of insurance, no SMOG, no safety inspection, lower (by a bunch) registration fees than California.......

You can do it all over the phone with Clay County:

http://www.claycountysd.org/treasurersoffice.cfm

Quote: Originally posted by Phil184

Phil184 - 5-13-2017 at 11:53 AM

Thanks for the link Bajaguy, that sure seems like the way to go.

bajaguy - 5-13-2017 at 05:20 PM

You will be in good company. There are probably more South Dakota registered vehicles in Baja than in South Dakota :lol:

Quote: Originally posted by Phil184

Thanks for the link Bajaguy, that sure seems like the way to go.

thebeckster - 5-15-2017 at 03:56 PM

Is it true that a gringo that holds a Mexican citizenship is not allowed to drive a vehicle with South Dakota plates or any U.S. plates for that matter? Thought I read that in the Gringo Gazzette not too long ago.

willardguy - 5-15-2017 at 04:23 PM

Quote: Originally posted by thebeckster

Is it true that a gringo that holds a Mexican citizenship is not allowed to drive a vehicle with South Dakota plates or any U.S. plates for that matter? Thought I read that in the Gringo Gazzette not too long ago.

driving around rosarito anyway....it appears mexican nationals are cool to drive california plated cars, as long as they're well expired!

BajaBreak - 5-15-2017 at 04:48 PM

If a gringo gets MXN citizenship, doesn't that degringoize them?

You could also just take your bumper off to blend in, in case your tags are too current...

Phil184 - 6-22-2017 at 12:47 AM

Hi all, I wanted to let you know how it turned out. I bought a used truck in California and registered it in South Dakota.
I got the plates and registration one week after I mailed the info and check. Unbelievable !

So now to get some Mexican insurance then I'm good to go.

Thanks for all the advice Amigos!

Cheers
Phil

[Edited on 6-22-2017 by Phil184]

age of automobile

dmer - 6-22-2017 at 06:31 AM

so,

If I am understanding this correctly, my 2006 car, in great condition, save a fuel gage, can not become a temporary resident if I become one??

Alm - 6-24-2017 at 02:26 PM

You are understanding this correctly, though out of context again.

2006 year has everything to do with "importing", which in turn has little to do with driving it in Baja for those with Tourist or Temporary status.