Driving In Mexico

If you are driving a US or Canadian registered vehicle (US or Canadian license plates) into Mexico, you will need to purchase auto insurance for Mexico. US and Canadian auto insurance is not recognized by Mexican authorities. Mexican authorities only recognize auto insurance written in Mexico by a Mexican insurance company. If you do not have auto insurance for Mexico, you may be prevented from departing the country even if you require lifesaving medical care, and you are almost certain to spend some time in jail until all parties are satisfied that responsibility has been assigned and adequate financial satisfaction received. The in your auto insurance for Mexico  Liability coverage policy will demonstrate proof that you can respond to damages or injuries for which you may be responsible. For this reason, it is strongly recommended that you always purchase a auto insurance for Mexico prior to entering the country with your vehicle.

Although some, not all, US/Canadian policies may provide some level coverage for your vehicle if you stay within 10-50 miles of the US/Mexico border (check with your insurance carrier), absolutely no US/Canadian policy can provide the liability coverage that Mexican authorities will recognize. At the absolute minimum, you should always purchase auto insurance coverage in Mexico or online, and it is always a good idea to include 'Full Coverage' if you are concerned about protecting your own vehicle. Mexican auto insurance in Mexico or online is extremely inexpensive, so you are 'loco' not to purchase a policy prior to entering the country!

An example horror story of driving uninsured in Mexico:

A young man from the US (San Diego) decided to take a quick weekend trip to Ensenada to visit some friends without purchasing auto insurance for Mexico. It was Friday afternoon, and he didn't feel like taking the time to purchase an auto insurance policy for Mexico (and he was only going to be in Mexico for three days). He had recently purchased a new 'pre-owned' Ford pickup truck for about $15,000, and he was excited to show it off to his friends. While driving down the Mexican highway towards Ensenada, he noticed that the engine was running a little hot. He quickly pulled over onto the shoulder of the highway and popped the hood. After some investigation, he realized that the radiator fluid level was low. He decided to walk to a nearby market to get some water to fill his radiator.... and so he began walking....

The young man had been walking for just over a minute when a Mexican public transportation bus scraped along the side of his new truck.... To make a long story short, the bus stopped, there was significant damage done to both vehicles, the police were called, the police asked for the young man's insurance..... He didn't have any auto insurance for Mexico, and it was determined that it was the young man's fault because he was parked too close to the highway.

The young man was detained at the Mexican police station, his truck was impounded, and both he and his truck were not released until friends could make arrangements to pay (a few thousand dollars) for the damages to the bus. (And the damages to the young man's truck were not covered either).

Cost for 3 days of Mexican Liability Auto Insurance for Mexico: $30.00

Cost for 3 days of Mexican Full Coverage Auto Insurance for Mexico ($15k vehicle value):$41.06

Time needed to purchase & print a Mexican Auto Insurance policy for Mexico online at www.assuremex.com: 4 minutes

Over the years there have been many occurrences that have been much worse (including accidents involving injuries and fatalities). Although every auto incident is a tragedy, the situation is made considerably more tragic and damaging if the vehicles involved are not insured with a Auto Insurance policy for Mexico

Moral of the story: Get an Auto Insurance policy for Mexico before you enter the country.