Jaybo
Nomad
Posts: 240
Registered: 12-7-2009
Location: NW Oregon
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Mood: Praying for Baja!
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Leaving a US Registered vehicle in Mexico?
I inherited a vehicle (94 Plymouth Grand Voyager LE AWD) and we are considering taking it down to Mexico. The plan is to leave it at friends place in
Cabo so that we don't have to rent a vehicle when we are there. We will put our friends name on it and piggyback off her car insurance. She lives
there 9 months or so out of the year and has a corporation (condo/restaurant) so the insurance thing should not be an issue. It would save us a fair
amount of money on car rentals, give us a nicer vehicle, and allow us to drive down and check out a few areas we are interested in for future stays.
Once the vehicle is down there it would quite likely stay there for the rest of its life.
So who has done this? Is there any problems doing this? Only one I can think of is when I need new tags having to put US insurance on it in order to
buy the tags. Not sure if we should just leave it plated as an Oregon vehicle or perhaps see if our friend could get Baja plates for it? I'm sure
someone has done the research on this, right? 
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Loretana
Senior Nomad
Posts: 825
Registered: 5-19-2006
Location: Oregon/Loreto
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Mood: alegre
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Oregon will give you new stickers for your van when the plates expire if you show proof of Mexican Insurance. That way you don't have to take the
vehicle back to Oregon to run it thru the DEQ to get your renewal sticker.
There is also a form the DMV has to declare that the vehicle is out of the country. You can find it on the Oregon DMV website.
However, you may have a problem if there is a discrepancy between the name of the registered owner and the name of the insured.
"If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration."
-Nikola Tesla
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monoloco
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6667
Registered: 7-13-2009
Location: Pescadero BCS
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We have an Oregon plated vehicle that lives in Baja, when it's time to renew the registration we call the insurance company, add the car to our
policy, renew the registration then cancel the insurance. Never had a problem.
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Jaybo
Nomad
Posts: 240
Registered: 12-7-2009
Location: NW Oregon
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Mood: Praying for Baja!
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Wow, Great info there Loretana! Since we plan to add our friend as a co-owner, the insurance should not be an issue. I don't live in a DEQ area
(thank god!) so that was not a concern.
Is there any advantage to getting Baja plates on the vehicle? I was thinking less Tourist/Policia' hassle issues...
| Quote: | Originally posted by Loretana
Oregon will give you new stickers for your van when the plates expire if you show proof of Mexican Insurance. That way you don't have to take the
vehicle back to Oregon to run it thru the DEQ to get your renewal sticker.
There is also a form the DMV has to declare that the vehicle is out of the country. You can find it on the Oregon DMV website.
However, you may have a problem if there is a discrepancy between the name of the registered owner and the name of the insured.
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[Edited on 3-7-2010 by Jaybo]
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
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Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Word of warning
A large number of states are now using electronic verification matching between the insurance copmanies and DMV. As soon as you cancel an insurance
policy, an electronic notification is sent to DMV, who in turn cancels the registration. When you go back to register, you are hit with a big fine.
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Jaybo
Nomad
Posts: 240
Registered: 12-7-2009
Location: NW Oregon
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Mood: Praying for Baja!
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Yeah Oregon is one of those states, hence why they have the form for if the vehicle is out of the country I'd bet.
| Quote: | Originally posted by bajaguy
A large number of states are now using electronic verification matching between the insurance copmanies and DMV. As soon as you cancel an insurance
policy, an electronic notification is sent to DMV, who in turn cancels the registration. When you go back to register, you are hit with a big fine.
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desertcpl
Super Nomad
Posts: 2405
Registered: 10-26-2008
Location: yuma,az
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why make things so complicated,, if you are planning on leaving it in MX,, just get it registered in MX with MX insurance, inform Oregon what your
doing , I dont think it is really a big deal
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Jaybo
Nomad
Posts: 240
Registered: 12-7-2009
Location: NW Oregon
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Mood: Praying for Baja!
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That's why I am asking! Is the process to get MX plates a pain?
| Quote: | Originally posted by desertcpl
why make things so complicated,, if you are planning on leaving it in MX,, just get it registered in MX with MX insurance, inform Oregon what your
doing , I dont think it is really a big deal |
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desertcpl
Super Nomad
Posts: 2405
Registered: 10-26-2008
Location: yuma,az
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I dont know first hand,, but I have had friends that have and its really no big deal,, is the car in your name now?
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Jaybo
Nomad
Posts: 240
Registered: 12-7-2009
Location: NW Oregon
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Mood: Praying for Baja!
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Hoping for first hand info. Car is not yet in my name (until I get done cleaning and refurb-ing it) but I have the title ready to be signed off on -
Will need to add my friend in Cabo to the title as well, just have to reserch that with the local DMV.
| Quote: | Originally posted by desertcpl
I dont know first hand,, but I have had friends that have and its really no big deal,, is the car in your name now? |
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desertcpl
Super Nomad
Posts: 2405
Registered: 10-26-2008
Location: yuma,az
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you might want to go thru a service ,, some one thats speaks MX I know alot of Nomads here use a gal in LA Paz to do their yearly updates on FM2 and
3,,, I dont think the cost is that much
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El Jefe
Super Nomad
Posts: 1027
Registered: 10-27-2003
Location: South East Cape
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To get Mexican plates you will have to import the vehicle. That is costly and a hassle. Just keep it plated on Oregon and you will be fine.
Lots of us down here plate our vehicles in South Dakota because they don't require proof of insurance, smog testing and etc. There is a fellow who
advertises in the Gringo Gazette that will do the SD reg for you. Many of us have done it on our own. Just have to know how to run it through the
process.
But if you can keep your vehicle registered in Oregon without having to take it back there to get new tags you are golden. Lots of Oregon plates down
here on cars that never leave.
No b-tchin\' in the Baja.
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Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8813
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
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Mood: Full Time Residents
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and...to legally import the car it HAS to be in the USA
then...
AFTER its imported it can cross the border
it cannot reside in mexico during the import
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Jaybo
Nomad
Posts: 240
Registered: 12-7-2009
Location: NW Oregon
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Mood: Praying for Baja!
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Holy crap. OK, It will live just have to live there with Oregon plates The SD
registration is interesting to me as well, just to relieve me of the insurance proof hassle.
| Quote: | Originally posted by morgaine7
You can't just register any car in Mexico. It has to be imported first, as El Jefe mentions, and there are restrictions ... for example, age, country
of manufacture, etc. My car was already imported ten years before I bought it, so registering was easy, but from what I gather, the importation
process itself is a lot more complex and may cost more than you're willing to pay. Look into it, but have a Plan B.
Edit to add link w/ some info:
http://bajainsider.com/baja-business/importingregisteringveh...
Kate
[Edited on 3-7-2010 by morgaine7] |
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