Mazatlan -LaPaz car ferry importado requirement

[blankletmusic]

Taking this can save about 1,000 miles of driving down the Baja peninsula. Pretty long crossing the Sea of Cortez, though (not for everybody).However, I believe you would need an importado certificate to do this, if even for the few day's drive from the US border to Mazatlan. Baja is a free zone with no importado required. Can you then surrender your importado and get your vehicle deposit refunded (if residing full time in Baja)?

[RickS]

Well one can purchase a TIP at the Banjericto (Mexican Bank) office AT the ferry terminal in La Paz if heading for the mainland but I don't know if one can cancel/turn in a TIP if coming into La Paz from the mainland. "Normally" one can only do this at a Banjercito when leaving Mexico into either US or Belize.

IF you can actually do this cancellation in La Paz, you have one more 'problem'.  Although one does NOT have to have a TIP anywhere in the Baja, Mexico does require one maintain a current vehicle registration while there. If you plan on living full time in La Paz you will need to find a state that will give you a title/plate and then let you renew it annually via mail. South Dakota will do this.

 

[blankletmusic]

On 3/18/2024 at 5:00 PM, RickS said:

Well one can purchase a TIP at the Banjericto (Mexican Bank) office AT the ferry terminal in La Paz if heading for the mainland but I don't know if one can cancel/turn in a TIP if coming into La Paz from the mainland. "Normally" one can only do this at a Banjercito when leaving Mexico into either US or Belize.

IF you can actually do this cancellation in La Paz, you have one more 'problem'.  Although one does NOT have to have a TIP anywhere in the Baja, Mexico does require one maintain a current vehicle registration while there. If you plan on living full time in La Paz you will need to find a state that will give you a title/plate and then let you renew it annually via mail. South Dakota will do this.

 

Thank you. Do you have a link to their website?

[RickS]

Who is "their"...   Banjercito or South Dakota DMV? 

 

[blankletmusic]

2 hours ago, RickS said:

Who is "their"...   Banjercito or South Dakota DMV? 

 

Oh sorry, SD DMV.

[RickS]

What is it that you would like to know about this?  The place to go is not the state but rather a county that has been doing it for years.... Clay County.  I have had both car and trailer titles/plates over the years from SD.  At one point there were about as many SD plates at Lakeside at any  given time as there were other states combined.... because of the ease of renewal. 

 

[RickS]

The 'short' version is:  one goes online and fills out a couple of forms and sends their current title, a copy of your driver's license and a check to Clay County.  In about a week... if one is in the US... you'll get the plates and registration directly from Clay County. They are FAST. The title which must come from the State... and they are not as quick... was taking 4-6 weeks for the last several years.   

Then annually Clay County will send out a notice for renewal and a new 'year' sticker which one can pay by mail or online credit card. This is what makes the service nice since other states will not let you 1) have a title/plates if you don't live in their state, and 2) renew said by mail. 

[blankletmusic]

3 hours ago, RickS said:

The 'short' version is:  one goes online and fills out a couple of forms and sends their current title, a copy of your driver's license and a check to Clay County.  In about a week... if one is in the US... you'll get the plates and registration directly from Clay County. They are FAST. The title which must come from the State... and they are not as quick... was taking 4-6 weeks for the last several years.   

Then annually Clay County will send out a notice for renewal and a new 'year' sticker which one can pay by mail or online credit card. This is what makes the service nice since other states will not let you 1) have a title/plates if you don't live in their state, and 2) renew said by mail. 

Thanks again Rick for the information. One question though- how do you get the annual renewals if you've departed the US and no longer have an address for them to mail it ?  I'm leaning towards living in BCS (likely La Paz) if everything works out. I'd be buying a car in the Albuquerque area, registering it in NM and driving it down to Baja Sul.

Would one simply take their newly acquired SD plates, title and registration along with them and swap the plates once your NM registration expires  a year later? And then do annual online renewals?

[RickS]

Living in La Paz you may want to set up a mail-forwarding facility 'at the border'  for important mail. Then your mail gets sent to you by a service. Same with the renewal of your plates. Put your annual renewal 'time' on your calendar; call Clay County a month before and pay for the renewal. Without a mail-forwarding service in Mexico you can send stuff back and forth using UPS/FedX or Estefa. It's just part of living abroad but still needing to ''do business" in the US. Face it. 

One cannot title a vehicle in two states simultaneously. So you buy in NM but get temp plates; send the NM title to SD and get SD title and plates. Move to La Paz WITH SD title/plates. Renew them annually as above.  Recommendation: leave yourself PLENTY of time for this process... buying then getting SD title and plates in hand....well before your departure time. Drive around in NM with SD plates for a few weeks or a month is OK... just can't do that 'for ever'.