Four things decide whether your drive to Mexico goes smoothly: your passport and FMM, your Temporary Import Permit (TIP) if you are going past the free zone, current registration in your name, and a Mexican liability policy. The insurance is the one item with no workaround — Mexican law only recognizes an insurer authorized in Mexico. We handle the policy the same day at Stockton (956 W. Robinhood Dr), San Jose (25 N. 14th St) and San Rafael (9 Vivian St). Call 209-670-1556.
Every person in the vehicle needs a valid passport or passport card, and travelers going beyond the border zone or staying more than a short trip need an FMM tourist permit. The FMM covers the people; the TIP covers the vehicle. They are separate documents and people mix them up constantly.
Get the FMM online or at the port of entry, and keep it with your passport for the whole trip. If a child is traveling without both parents, bring documentation of the arrangement.
You need a Temporary Import Permit to drive your vehicle beyond the border free zone into mainland Mexico. You do not need one to drive in the Baja California peninsula, and Sonora operates a partial program — often called Only Sonora — with its own conditions and limits on where you may drive.
Get the TIP through Banjercito, either online in advance or at a Banjercito module at the crossing. Applying ahead is the calmer path, because the module at the border on a Friday in December is not where you want to discover a paperwork problem. The permit requires a refundable deposit whose amount is set by Mexican authorities and varies by the vehicle model year, along with title or registration in your name and matching ID.
The permit gets your truck into the country; the Mexican policy is what gets you out of a bad afternoon.
Bring the title or current registration showing the vehicle in your name, and make sure your plates and tags are current before you leave. Name mismatches are the most common reason a TIP application stalls.
We handle California registration in all three offices, so a renewal or a transfer is a sensible errand to combine with the Mexico policy on the same visit. Across our three California offices we completed 3,301 registration transactions in 2025, and a good share of those were people getting their tags straight before a trip. We also serve more than 4,500 active customers, many of whom cross at least once a year.
Your California policy does not satisfy Mexico’s liability requirement. Mexican law recognizes liability coverage only from an insurer authorized in Mexico, and on federal highways that requirement sits in the Ley de Caminos, Puentes y Autotransporte Federal. Some US policies extend limited physical-damage coverage a short distance past the border, but that is coverage for your own vehicle, not the liability authorities ask about after a crash.
Without valid Mexican liability coverage the vehicle can be detained and you can be held until responsibility for the damage is resolved. A tourist policy is your proof of responsibility and brings adjusters and legal assistance on the Mexican side. Terms are sold by the day, by the week, or for six months — the six-month term usually fits people who cross several times a year.
Keep the printed policy in the glove box where the driver can reach it, not in a suitcase in the trailer.
If there is a lien on the vehicle, you need a letter from the lienholder or leasing company authorizing the vehicle to be taken into Mexico, generally naming you and covering your travel dates. Banjercito will ask for it with the TIP application.
Request the letter early. Lenders are not fast, and two weeks is a realistic wait. Tell us the vehicle is financed when we write the Mexico policy so the paperwork lines up with what you are handing over at the border.
Under California Vehicle Code §16028 you still need evidence of financial responsibility for the California side of the drive, so do not let the US policy lapse while you are gone.
No. The Baja California peninsula does not require a Temporary Import Permit, and Sonora runs a partial program often called Only Sonora with its own conditions. A TIP is required once you drive beyond the border free zone into mainland Mexico. Rules are set by Mexican authorities and can change, so confirm current requirements with Banjercito for your specific route before you leave.
The permit requires a refundable deposit whose amount is set by Mexican authorities and varies by the vehicle model year, so check the current figure with Banjercito rather than relying on what a friend paid. You can apply online through Banjercito ahead of time or at a Banjercito module at the border crossing. The deposit is returned when you cancel the permit properly on your way out.
Bring the title or current registration showing the vehicle in your name, matching identification, and current plates and tags. Mismatched names are the most common reason a permit stalls, so if you recently bought the vehicle make sure the paperwork caught up. We handle California registration in all three offices, which is a good pre-trip errand to combine with the Mexico policy.
Usually yes, but you need an authorization letter from the lienholder or leasing company permitting the vehicle to be taken into Mexico, generally naming you and covering your travel dates. Request it early because these letters can take a couple of weeks. Bring it with your other documents, and tell us the vehicle is financed when we write the Mexico policy.
Tenemos este mismo checklist en español, pensado para el viaje de diciembre: el pasaporte y el FMM, el permiso TIP de Banjercito, los papeles del vehículo y el seguro mexicano antes de llegar a la garita.
Stockton: 956 W. Robinhood Dr, Mon–Fri 10am–6pm · San Jose: 25 N. 14th St, Mon–Sat 10am–6pm · San Rafael: 9 Vivian St, Mon–Fri 10am–6pm, Sat 10am–3pm. Mexico policies and California registration under one roof, in English and Spanish.