How can I take a borrowed car to Mexico?

Question

My parents want to borrow my car to take it to Mexico. What should we do to make sure they are able to get across the border without a problem?

Answer 1

I just do not believe it can be done.  You  must have the title and registration and they must match your I.D. Also, you will need Mexican car ins. on the car, and only the owner is allowed to drive, or a family member if you are in the car too.    You could check with the nearest Mexican consulate.  If they are only going to a border area, or Baja , or Sonora, a permit is not needed.  See sites below.  I totally disagree with Paco.  You cannot drive 75 miles past the border without a permit.  A non-owner of the car cannot get the permit...a non-owner cannot insure the car or drive the car with ins. you purchased.  Cops are NOT horrid...and I know people, who out of ignorance, did not get a permit, and the police made no fuss at all.  Though...i would not PLAN on that...the  permit is needed.  The big issue is a non-owner trying to take a car into Mexico.   Also, depending on where you cross, the office where you buy the car permit can be VERY hard to find! Talk to the consulate for sure.

Answer 2

I doubt they care over there if your aloud to drink under the legal age! lol

Answer 3

I would get the insurance in your name on-line before they cross into Mexico. Somewhere around 12 days is the point where it makes more financial sense to buy the insurance for the year rather than just on a day to day basis. If they are close to 12 days I would just get it for the year so they are safely covered.

Once you cross the border by more than 75 miles you have to pay an import tax. They put a sticker on your windshield which must remain there until you drive the same car back across the border. The stations where they issue these stickers are huge, so you can't miss them. If you drive by the police will immediately pull the car over and give them a fine.

NOTE: In Baja I think they are not doing this anymore. The station used to be south of Ensenada, but there was no-one there when I went by last time.

  Get nice color photocopies of all pertinent information (driver's license, registration, title, and passport information). Preferably you want these pseudo-documents put in plastic. Don't give up an original unless it's to a clerk behind a counter. Just tell the policeman who pulls you over that you lost the original. Be prepared for a fairly agressive scene. The police are real thugs. They often threaten with handcuffs, they drag you into their police car, they threaten to take you to headquarters, and they will tell you that you owe them hundreds of dollars if they smell one beer on you. Have several copies of your driver's license since you may lose some of these.

  Don't do intercity driving at night. It can be a very scary between the condition of the road, the trucks, and the police.

  Know your tolls. Once you get a few hundred miles south of the US border, the tolls can be huge. There is a website in the source that will tell you mileage for a route and tolls.