Navigating the bureaucratic maze of vehicle registration and driver’s licenses in Mexico can be daunting for newcomers. From language barriers to unfamiliar regulations, many expatriates find the process confusing and time-consuming.
That’s where specialized expat assistance services step in—offering guidance, translation, and step-by-step support to ensure foreign residents can legally drive and register their vehicles without unnecessary stress.
These services not only simplify paperwork but also provide peace of mind, helping expats settle into life in Mexico with confidence and compliance.
Check out the following information kindly shared by Pat’s Plates:
Clarification on the “No TIP Required in the Free Zone” Email Going Around
A few people have emailed Banjercito recently and received the response:
“ A TIP is not required in the free zone.”
Some are taking this to mean:
“Permanent residents can drive foreign vehicles in the free zone.”
“Tourists don’t need a TIP if they store their vehicle in Mexico.”
“Foreign-plated cars are safe from enforcement in Baja.”
All of that is incorrect.
So here is what you actually need to know:
1. Banjercito’s email is technically correct — but incomplete
Banjercito only handles TIP permits, deposits, and refunds.
They do not answer questions about:
residency rules
SAT tax enforcement
Aduanas vehicle seizures
who is allowed to drive a foreign car
Their response means only this:
You don’t need a TIP to drive in the free zone.
It does not mean you can store, leave, abandon, or operate a foreign car however you want.
2. Permanent residents are NOT allowed to drive foreign-plated vehicles
This is federal law and has been enforced for years.
Permanent residents are treated the same as Mexican nationals for vehicle importation rules.
No TIP
No driving foreign vehicles
No exceptions in the free zone
The recent confiscations in Baja were 100% legal and fully expected by those who follow Aduanas enforcement patterns.
3. SAT + Aduanas have been seizing foreign vehicles in storage lots for years
This part is important:
Even in the free zone, tourists and temporary residents must have a valid TIP if they leave their vehicle in Mexico while they are out of the country.
For years, SAT/Aduanas officers have entered:
RV parks
storage yards
marina lots
long-term parking facilities
and seized foreign-plated vehicles without TIPs.
People return from abroad to find:
Their vehicle gone
A storage company notifying them it was impounded
Large fines attached
TIP rules still apply if the vehicle is left behind.
4. Aduanas, not Banjercito, are the ones doing enforcement
This is where the confusion comes from:
Banjercito = the bank issuing TIPs
Aduanas/SAT = the authority that seizes vehicles
National Guard = the force running the Baja checkpoints
If you quote Banjercito to the National Guard, you will lose your vehicle.
5. Real-world example: a woman was hit with a 165,000 peso fine
A judge overturned it only because the vehicle had been legally nationalized — but it illustrates a key point:
Aduanas can seize first and make you prove it afterward.
If someone is actually illegal (like a permanent resident driving a foreign car), they have far fewer protections.
Bottom Line
Permanent residents driving foreign vehicles right now are playing with fire.
Enforcement is active
Vehicles are being confiscated
Fines are huge
The free zone does NOT exempt permanent residents
A Banjercito email does NOT override Aduanas law
If you want your vehicle to stay safe in Mexico:
Tourists: get a TIP if leaving your car behind
Temporary residents: make sure your TIP matches your valid residency
Permanent residents: do not drive foreign-plated vehicles anywhere in Mexico.
IMPORTANT ***Please note it’s possible to leave the US or Canadian registration on the vehicle so that you have a dual citizen vehicle of sorts after it’s nationalized in Mexico. So you use your foreign plates north of the border and your Mexican plates in Mexico. That also allows people to have full insurance on either side.***
Source: Pat’s Plates- Expat Help for Vehicle Registration and Driver’s Licenses
