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rocmoc's avatar
rocmoc
Explorer
May 08, 2013

Tickets, Mexico vs USA if u every wondered!

As we all know a ticket must be paid nearly immediately in Mexico should you get one. I have often wonder what happens to a Mexico local traveling in USA if they get a ticket. I had a chance to ask this of a DPS Officer (Highway Patrol Officer) a couple of days ago. If a ticket is given in the USA, the Mexico traveler can legally return to MX. Should they not pay it they are not suppose to be unable to return to USA tho he admitted the tracking system is not 100%. If they are doing something more illegal than a traffic violation, the vehicle is impounded, towed and stored for a min of 30 days. Before the vehicle can be picked up, the owner (not the driver at the time) must appear before a DPS board in Tucson. Most generally when the vehicle is impound the driver is not the owner so in the past the owner would show up and say someone else loaned his vehicle to a second person and they knew nothing about the activities it had be used in. SO when the owner shows up before the board they must explain how someone else had his vehicle. This was done because before this process was put in place the owner would pickup the vehicle the next day and DPS would impound the same vehicle the next day AGAIN. Now the DPS person said most vehicles are never picked up. So bottom line is a Mexico traveler with a traffic violation can return home and is not suppose to be able to return to the USA. I also asked about Auto Insurance. I was told only, at best, one in four has Insurance. The DPS officer said there is little enforcement of the requirement of insurance at the border. Therefore, make sure you have un-insured and under-insured clauses in your USA coverage. We carry it on all of our vehicles all the time.

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

3 Replies

  • Sloop_Smitten's avatar
    Sloop_Smitten
    Explorer
    May 08, 2013
    I have had two tickets in Mexico. One in Tijuana and one in Ensenada. On both occassions the kind officer offered to collect my fine on the spot and take it to the courthouse for me so I would not have to bother. He was so kind he even halved the fine for me. What a great country! ;)
  • rocmoc's avatar
    rocmoc
    Explorer
    May 08, 2013
    We have Accidents involving Mexico plated vehicles almost daily in Southern AZ. Most have fatalities as seat belts are not wore by most Mexico travelers or there are too many people in a vehicle. Thus there is always someone thrown from the vehicle and dies. I think what catches them off guard is the speed limit. They come from Mexico where the speed limit is rarely even 60 mph / 100 kph and start driving our 80 mph limit (75 legal plus the 5 LEO gives us). They arrive at a corner too fast or have to make a high speed maneuver and lose control rolling the vehicle. Sad because we have it happen on I19 often.

    YES, the Mexico traveler / SHOPPER is a huge portion of the AZ economy. Millions of dollars are spent on products and hauled back to Mexico. We are very thankful in AZ as the economy is still trying to recover. Just surprises me sometime when a little tiny car (models you can't get in USA) which does not look to be in the greatest condition passes my Dodge Ram 4X4 while I am doing 76 mph leaving me in its dust. Just need to protect yourself with correct insurance coverage.

    rocmoc n AZ/Mexico
  • drtee's avatar
    drtee
    Explorer II
    May 08, 2013
    I live here on the Southern border of Texas and we have HUGE numbers of Mexicans bringing their vehicles across the border each week. Most seem to drive carefully (I've watched for this.) and I suspect it's because they don't want to get a ticket for failure to have insurance. A large number of these visitors are coming to shop in McAllen, Harlingen, or Brownsville and the new super outlet mall located in Mercedes. I've counted as much as 75% Mexican license plates on the parking lot at Mercedes. South Padre Island is also a major destination for many of our friends from Monterrey-Saltillo, especially during Holy Week.

    I haven't talked to a State Police officer about this, but will.

    Many Americans cross the bridge at Nuevo Progreso in their cars and there's no office selling Mexican auto insurance anywhere around there. I think they realize that the average speed on the about 7 square blocks visited by tourists is about 15 mph and don't think they need insurance. I operate a website for the town and cross over about 100 times each year and have yet to see anyone get a ticket.

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