Vehicle Permit

Temporary Importation of Motor Vehicles

All vehicles traveling in Mexico, including your race car and support vehicles, must have valid tourist permits if they are not already registered in Mexico. These permits are valid for 180 days and can be obtained at the border at the time of your crossing, by visiting your local Mexican Consulate or (in theory) online from the Banjército Bank.

Permits are available online from the Banjército Bank here.

A list of Embassies and Consulates from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is available here.
These permits are $35 at the Consulate and $30 at the border.

In order to obtain these permits, you will need the original plus two (2) copies of the following documents:

1) Valid proof of citizenship (passport)
2) The original vehicle certificate of title or copy of it.

3) An affidavit from the lien holder authorizing the temporary importation of the car

4) A valid state registration

5) A valid driver’s license issued outside of Mexico

6) Mastercard, VISA or American Express, in the driver’s name.

If you don’t have a credit card, then you’ll be required to post a bond based upon the car’s value (a bond for a vehicle 1999 to present is roughly $400 US). The car permit is good for multiple crossings during its six-month life. When you apply for the car permit, you’re required to sign a promise that when you leave Mexico, you’ll take the car with you.You are not permitted to sell the car while you’re in Mexico. If the car is stolen or completely wrecked, then you are required to obtain additional documentation and verification from the Mexican government to that effect.

Do not forget to return your permit when you leave Mexico. Failure to do so may bar you from getting a new permit in the future for the same or any other vehicle. To check the car out of Mexico, tourists must return to exactly the same Customs office upon leaving the country; otherwise they run the risk of further credit card charges and/or they forfeit the bond posted.

An important note to La Carrera participants traveling with more than one vehicle:

If you own your race car and service truck and trailer, you can not bring the vehicles in all at once under one owners name. You will need to sign over the title of one of the vehicles to your co-piloto or service truck driver in order to get the vehicles across the border. Mexico does not want stolen cars entering from the USA, so this is their defense against it. While an inconvenience, for most border crossers the process is not a problem.

Another important notice for service trucks with trailers:

At the border, they will inspect your trailer. If they see things like brand new sets of tires, they may be inclined to think that you are taking them to sell in Mexico (tires are very expensive there). Do yourself a favor and roll your new tires around in the dirt to avoid this. Also avoid having unopened goods (such as tool sets) that may appear destined for resale. While you will be able to bring all of your items into the country, you will be made to fill out itemized lists of your gear so that they can check it upon your return to make sure your items have returned with you and not been sold by you during your stay.