Temporary Import Permit · free zones · deposits
Do you need a vehicle permit for Mexico?
It depends on where you are going and what you are driving. Pick your route and we give you the answer, with the official source for every fact and the date we checked it.
1. Where are you going?
Baja California only
Tijuana to Cabo, staying on the peninsula.
Choose your vehicle →Border towns only
A short trip inside the border strip.
Choose your vehicle →Sonora free zone
Puerto Peñasco, San Carlos, Guaymas and the Sonora coast.
Choose your vehicle →Baja, then ferry to the mainland
La Paz to Mazatlán or Topolobampo, or Santa Rosalía to Guaymas.
Choose your vehicle →Mainland Mexico
Past the free zones: Monterrey, Mazatlán, Guadalajara, the interior.
Choose your vehicle →Everything else you need
Fees and deposits
What Banjercito charges, and the deposit by model year.
Free zones
Where you can drive without a permit.
Banjercito offices
Where to get and cancel a permit.
Cancel your TIP
So you get your deposit back, with a calendar reminder.
Mexico car insurance
What the law requires, and why your US policy is not enough.
Mexican nationals (paisanos)
The winter 2026 Héroes Paisanos program and permits for Mexican nationals.
Why trust this
Every fact links to its source: 23 sources, 13 of them official (Banjercito, SAT/ANAM, Mexican consulates). When sources disagree, we show every value instead of picking one. Last checked Nov 7, 2026.
MexicoTIP is an independent, sourced guide to driving a car, RV, motorcycle or boat into Mexico: which vehicle permit you need, what it costs, where to get and cancel it, and what insurance you need. Every fact links to its source and shows the date it was checked.
Recent changes
- : Initial dataset published.
- : Conflict: TIP fee at modules/consulates. Banjercito says 51 USD + IVA; the Oklahoma consulate says 939.60 pesos (~53 USD); Mexpro says ~51 USD including IVA.
- : Conflict: online TIP fee. Banjercito says 45 USD + IVA; Mexpro says ~45 USD including IVA.