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pacside
Nomad
Posts: 316
Registered: 1-16-2006
Location: N. Cal
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Truck in baja - CA DMV?
Hi Fellow Nomads,
Drove '94 Ford F150 to baja in July and plan on leaving it there permanently. Called AAA (CA) to cancel insurance.
What paperwork do I need to file with DMV?
Truck's smog is good for another 1 1/2 years and registration is good for almost a year. Once registration expires I will look to the South Dakota
thing or whatever makes sense at that time. Right now just trying to avoid any penalty fees from CA DMV for not having insurance on a CA registered
vehicle.
Sorry for rehashing car question but I couldn't find answer in search function. Or maybe I didn't look hard enough...
Regards,
pacside
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dtbushpilot
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3296
Registered: 1-11-2007
Location: Buena Vista BCS
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Mood: Tranquilo
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Do you have MX insurance coverage? Some or most tourist type policies require stateside coverage to be in effect.....dt
"Life is tough".....It's even tougher if you're stupid.....
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pacside
Nomad
Posts: 316
Registered: 1-16-2006
Location: N. Cal
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| Quote: | Originally posted by dtbushpilot
Do you have MX insurance coverage? Some or most tourist type policies require stateside coverage to be in effect.....dt |
Yes I have an annual mx insurance policy through Lewis & Lewis. Don't know what difference tourist policy is vs. just regular mx insurance policy.
I had no idea stateside coverage was required. Anyone else want to weigh in?
pacside
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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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you cant cancel the insurance for california
if you do the dmv cancels the plate
no plate = no registration
even if the reg is paid and you have a sticker
then its a pain...
calling the dmv ins dept
fax proof of ins
and another fee
and a trip to the dmv in california 10 days after its cleared up
the truck can stay home
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
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As long as you know it's not coming back with you behind the wheel, cancel the insurance and get a non-op on the vehicle. Down here, the vehicle
doesn't need stateside insurance. Wont affect you at all. In fact, you can insure your drivers license here without mention of your vehicle.
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pacside
Nomad
Posts: 316
Registered: 1-16-2006
Location: N. Cal
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bob and Susan
you cant cancel the insurance for california
if you do the dmv cancels the plate
no plate = no registration
even if the reg is paid and you have a sticker
then its a pain...
calling the dmv ins dept
fax proof of ins
and another fee
and a trip to the dmv in california 10 days after its cleared up
the truck can stay home |
truck left home and isn't coming back. it has a new home now in BCS. what to do?
if you mean figuratively then i guess i'm in that boat of having to drive it up north to get it smogged every 2 years and keeping minimal CA
insurance?
what do others do in this situation?
thanks for the heads up.
pacside
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pacside
Nomad
Posts: 316
Registered: 1-16-2006
Location: N. Cal
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
As long as you know it's not coming back with you behind the wheel, cancel the insurance and get a non-op on the vehicle. Down here, the vehicle
doesn't need stateside insurance. Wont affect you at all. In fact, you can insure your drivers license here without mention of your vehicle.
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So you're saying insure my CA drivers license and that covers me driving the truck without mention of the truck? I imagine this is different insurance
than I currently have with Lewis & Lewis. What insurance agent/co do you recommend to insure drivers lic? Does esposo need to get insurance for
his drivers lic as well?
What about keeping registration current? Is that why folks do the S Dakota thing?
Thanks for taking the time to answer.
pacside
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fandango
Senior Nomad
Posts: 549
Registered: 1-30-2006
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pacside, check your u2u.
sbwontoo
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monoloco
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6667
Registered: 7-13-2009
Location: Pescadero BCS
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I can't believe that California requires you to maintain coverage on a vehicle that is not in the U.S.. I live in Oregon for half the year and we
simply suspend our insurance when we cross the border and reinstate it when we cross back. How can they require you to maintain coverage that is
invalid for the country you are in? I reinstate the insurance coverage on the car we leave in Baja just long enough to reregister the vehicle then
suspend it.
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pacside
Nomad
Posts: 316
Registered: 1-16-2006
Location: N. Cal
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| Quote: | Originally posted by monoloco
I can't believe that California requires you to maintain coverage on a vehicle that is not in the U.S.. I live in Oregon for half the year and we
simply suspend our insurance when we cross the border and reinstate it when we cross back. How can they require you to maintain coverage that is
invalid for the country you are in? I reinstate the insurance coverage on the car we leave in Baja just long enough to reregister the vehicle then
suspend it. |
I think my insurance company AAA (CA) submits records electronically to DMV on insurance coverage. So if you stop and start the insurance who knows
maybe they would cancel the plate. Sounds like you found a good work around for your situation.
pacside
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
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| Quote: | Originally posted by pacside
So you're saying insure my CA drivers license and that covers me driving the truck without mention of the truck? I imagine this is different insurance
than I currently have with Lewis & Lewis. What insurance agent/co do you recommend to insure drivers lic? Does esposo need to get insurance for
his drivers lic as well?
What about keeping registration current? Is that why folks do the S Dakota thing?
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DL insurance is another liability policy written for non-residents. Locals, without a stateside mailing address can't buy it. My address has been
Postal Annex forever.
Lewis & Lewis probably sell the policy as well so, check with them.
My agent is Isabel Gonzales here in Punta Banda and the underwriter is MAPFRE. You can get a lot of info from Google and probably a contact for
Isabel as well. Let me know if you can't and I'll dig it out.
The policy allows you to drive any foreign, currently plated car. Doesn't cover Mexican plates.
Yes...that's one reason we do the SD thing along with no-smog requirment.
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bajalou
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4459
Registered: 3-11-2004
Location: South of the broder
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monoloco - you're Ore. insurance is different than CA, AZ and NV that I'm familiar with. If you don't want to believe it, that's OK, believe what
ever you want.
No Bad Days
\"Never argue with an idiot. People watching may not be able to tell the difference\"
\"The trouble with doing nothing is - how do I know when I\'m done?\"
Nomad Baja Interactive map
And in the San Felipe area - check out Valle Chico area |
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
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| Quote: | Originally posted by pacside
So if you stop and start the insurance who knows maybe they would cancel the plate. |
I don't know what that means. The plate will be in Mexico. It's not just going to disappear from your truck.
You're really looking too far into this issue.
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pacside
Nomad
Posts: 316
Registered: 1-16-2006
Location: N. Cal
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
| Quote: | Originally posted by pacside
So if you stop and start the insurance who knows maybe they would cancel the plate. |
I don't know what that means. The plate will be in Mexico. It's not just going to disappear from your truck.
You're really looking too far into this issue. |
I'm referring to Bob and Susan's reply above. They state that the plate would be cancelled possibly if insurance is cancelled in CA. In which case to
get the registration renewed in CA (if one chooses to go that route) you would have to go through the hassle of faxing in proof of insurance etc.
I'm actually looking for most simple solution and try to avoid at all cost trying to make things more difficult than they need to be. Thanks for your
help DENNIS.
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monoloco
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6667
Registered: 7-13-2009
Location: Pescadero BCS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajalou
monoloco - you're Ore. insurance is different than CA, AZ and NV that I'm familiar with. If you don't want to believe it, that's OK, believe what
ever you want. |
You can't suspend insurance coverage on a vehicle that is out of service?
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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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to drive the vehcile it has to registered
no ins in calif = no registration
and you have to prove it
they cancel the plate
i know this
been there done that
no current registration = no ins in baja
insure the truck
smog the truck
register the truck
or
move to south dakota
again if you let the ins lapse
the dmv cancels the plate
then you need to prove ins to the dmv ins dept
and pay them a fee
then go a week later to dmv to reinstate the plate
and pay them another fee
its a pain
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Woooosh
Banned
Posts: 5240
Registered: 1-28-2007
Location: Rosarito Beach
Member Is Offline
Mood: Luminescent Waves at Rosarito Beach
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| Quote: | Originally posted by pacside
| Quote: | Originally posted by Bob and Susan
you cant cancel the insurance for california
if you do the dmv cancels the plate
no plate = no registration
even if the reg is paid and you have a sticker
then its a pain...
calling the dmv ins dept
fax proof of ins
and another fee
and a trip to the dmv in california 10 days after its cleared up
the truck can stay home |
truck left home and isn't coming back. it has a new home now in BCS. what to do?
if you mean figuratively then i guess i'm in that boat of having to drive it up north to get it smogged every 2 years and keeping minimal CA
insurance?
what do others do in this situation?
thanks for the heads up.
pacside |
Maybe 20% of the cars I see driven by latinos in South Bay San Diego have expired CA plates. Not a problem crossing the border. You take your
chances with a traffic stop and ticket (the fine would be a small fraction of your current insurance/registration costs). Live on the edge in the
rare event you will take it north at all. JMHO
If you're gonna live in Mexico- drive like one. 
\"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing\"
1961- JFK to Canadian parliament (Edmund Burke)
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pacside
Nomad
Posts: 316
Registered: 1-16-2006
Location: N. Cal
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Bob and Susan,
I feel your pain. I realize you speak from personal experience. Thanks for the helpful info and warnings.
The CA DMV has a "Statement of Facts" form. Some have been successful in renewing their CA registration annually by completing the form stating truck
is in mx, showing CA DMV proof of mx insurance and also stating truck will not be back in california. I will try this and let everyone know how it
goes.
pacside
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pacside
Nomad
Posts: 316
Registered: 1-16-2006
Location: N. Cal
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: |
Maybe 20% of the cars I see driven by latinos in South Bay San Diego have expired CA plates. Not a problem crossing the border. You take your
chances with a traffic stop and ticket (the fine would be a small fraction of your current insurance/registration costs). Live on the edge in the
rare event you will take it north at all. JMHO
If you're gonna live in Mexico- drive like one. |
What about all those folks who say a gringo driving a ca plated car with expired registration is a target? i don't want to have "ticket me" written
all over the side of the car...although that is better than other things written on side of a car  
pacside
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chernefitter
Junior Nomad
Posts: 39
Registered: 10-23-2009
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Have you discussed this move with AAA? I use them for all registration needs so call or even better go in and tell them your circumstances. Keep us
posted if you find out please. Fitter.
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