Permanent Residency & Foreign-Plated Vehicles in Mexico

In December 2025, we began to receive reports about foreign-plated vehicles being seized at checkpoints on the Baja peninsula when being driven by owners holding Permanent Residency status.

This article describes the context of the situation and shares the latest information we have about the changing pattern of rules related to Permanent Residents driving their foreign-plated vehicles in Mexico.

Driving a foreign-plated vehicle on the Baja Peninsula

Baja California and Baja California Sur are the two Mexican states that comprise the Baja Peninsula—an important and economically prosperous ~800-mile stretch of land immediately south of the US state of California, straddling the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortés/Gulf of California.

This area of Mexico is a defined “free zone” for foreign-plated vehicles, akin to the defined free zones for foreign-plated vehicles in the states of Sonora and Quintana Roo, on Mexico’s mainland.

Foreign visitors and residents driving their foreign-plated vehicles across the  border into Baja or Sonora, or into Quintana Roo, do not need to apply for a Temporary Import Permit provided that the vehicle remains always inside the defined “Free Zone.”

Temporary vs Permanent residency

When Mexico reformed its immigration law in 2012, it explicitly forbade foreigners with Permanent Residency status from importing a foreign-plated vehicle to Mexico.

That law stipulates that only visitors and holders of Temporary Residency cards may apply for a Temporary Import Permit (TIP)—and by extension bring a foreign-plated vehicle to Mexico.

A TIP is valid for the same time period that the visitor permit or Temporary Residency card is valid, and the car must be exported and the TIP cancelled at the end of that time period.

There is (currently) no need to apply for a Temporary Import Permit for your foreign-plated vehicle provided that the vehicle remains inside a “Free Zone:” on the Baja peninsula, or in the defined “free zone” area in the states of Sonora or Quintana Roo, on the mainland.

Since 2012, foreign residents with permanent residency cards have been driving and keeping their foreign-plated vehicles inside a vehicle “Free Zone” and temporary residents who eventually changed their status to permanent residency have been doing the same.

Changing pattern, new enforcement

The situation has always remained a ‘grey area’ in law. Strictly (legally) speaking, permanent residents cannot bring a foreign-plated vehicle to anywhere in Mexico, but since 2012 people with Permanent Resident status have been driving and keeping foreign-plated vehicles in a Free Zone without trouble as the law was not enforced.

However, in December 2025 roadside checkpoints on the Baja California peninsula appear to have had their remit extended and officers are now checking the immigration status of people driving foreign-plated vehicles.

Some drivers passing through these checkpoints have reported that their vehicles were seized and impounded by the authorities because they are foreign-plated and the owners hold permanent residency in Mexico.

Reports posted on Social Media (example one, example two), share information about what appears to be a changing pattern in the enforcement related to permanent residents driving vehicles in Baja region.

There has been no official notice about this, and we and our associates have yet to hear back from authorities like Banjercito with an official response.

We will continue to update this article as new information becomes available.

Responding to the new enforcement

In light of recent reports about ad-hoc vehicle confiscations in Baja, and in absence of any official notice to the contrary, it would be prudent to presume that foreign residents with permanent residency status are not (or will no longer be) permitted to drive and keep their foreign-plated vehicles in the Baja “free zone.”

We have no information at this time about whether the same enforcement is being (or will be) extended to the Sonora and Quintana Roo free zones.

If you are currently in Mexico with a foreign-plated vehicle AND you hold Permanent Residency status

If you are in the Baja area, or other free zone, you may continue to drive your car, but be aware from recent reports that new enforcement is being exercised that might result in your vehicle becoming seized and impounded, especially if you’re situated in Baja.  We have no reports at this time about similar enforcement currently being exercised in the Sonora/Quinta Roo free zones.

Your options include:

Consider exporting the vehicle permanently: Take the car out of Mexico, and back to its country of origin.

Export and then re-import the car using a Customs Broker: If you want to keep your currently-foreign-plated vehicle for use in Mexico, you will need to take the car out of Mexico, and then formally apply for its import and get Mexican plates. There is a process to legally import a car by paying the relevant duties and import taxes and getting Mexican plates for the vehicle.  You’ll need a Customs Broker to assist you with this process.

Export the car and sell it to a person with a Residente Temporal permit: Foreign residents with Temporary Residency status are allowed to keep a foreign-plated car in Mexico.  If you know a foreigner with a Residente Temporal permit who wants to buy your car, you can export it, sell it to them, and the new owner can re-import it using their Residente Temporal permit.  Note that the car must be exported to make this transfer, it cannot be done within Mexico.

Further information

See our guide to importing a foreign-plated car to Mexico.

If you are a Permanent Resident with a foreign-plated vehicle in Mexico and have some experience about the recent enforcement or other first-hand local knowledge that is relevant, please post a comment below that may constructively assist/guide others.