You found a truck or SUV in the US that would cost a lot more back home, and you want to know if you can actually get it across the border legally. You can, but Mexico only lets in certain model years, and the US side has its own paperwork with a hard 72-hour clock. Here is exactly what qualifies in 2026, what it costs, and the order to do things in.
The short answer: To export a car from the USA to Mexico in 2026, it must be a 2017 or 2018 model whose VIN shows it was built in the US, Canada, or Mexico. Give CBP the original title and your AES filing number 72 hours before export. A Mexican customs broker then files the import, and you pay a 10% tariff plus 16% IVA.
Updated October 11, 2026. Checked against U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Mexico’s Diario Oficial de la Federación, the Secretaría de Hacienda, and Mexico’s IVA law. Sources are linked at the bottom.
Key takeaways
- Model years: for most of Mexico, only cars 8 to 9 model years old qualify. In 2026 that means 2017 and 2018 models.
- Where it was built matters: the VIN has to show the car was made or assembled in the US, Canada, or Mexico. A US title alone is not enough.
- The 72-hour rule: CBP needs the original title, two copies, and your AES filing number at least 72 hours before the car crosses.
- Taxes: a 10% tariff (1% for some border-zone residents) plus 16% IVA, calculated on the customs value plus the tariff.
- Broker required: only a Mexican customs broker (agente aduanal) can file the permanent import.
- Deadline to watch: the current Mexican decree runs through November 30, 2026.
What year vehicles can be imported to Mexico in 2026?
Mexico’s used vehicle import decree sets the age by model year, counted back from the year you import. For the interior of the country, the car must be 8 to 9 model years older than the import year. Import in 2026 and that is a 2017 or 2018 model.
Residents of the northern border strip, Baja California, Baja California Sur, part of Sonora, and the municipalities of Cananea and Caborca get a wider window, but the car has to stay in those zones.
| Where the car will stay | Model age allowed | 2026 model years | Tariff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rest of Mexico | 8 to 9 years older than import year | 2017, 2018 | 10% |
| Northern border zone, residents only | 5 to 9 years older | 2017 to 2021 | 1% |
| Northern border zone, residents only | 10 years older | 2016 | 10% |
One detail trips people up. The decree defines a model year as November 1 of one year through October 31 of the next. Go by the model year printed on the title and in the VIN, not the date the car was sold new.
Older guides, including the first version of this page, said cars “under 8 years old” qualify. That is backwards. Under the current decree, a 2022 or 2023 car is too new for the 10% route in the interior.
Which cars can be imported to Mexico?
Model year is only the first filter. To qualify under the decree, the car also has to pass these checks:
- Built in North America: the VIN must correspond to a vehicle made or assembled in Mexico, the US, or Canada. Plenty of popular cars sold in the US were built in Japan, Korea, or Germany. Run the VIN through the NHTSA VIN decoder and check the plant country before you bid.
- Legal to drive where it came from: Mexico will not take a car whose use is restricted or prohibited in the country it comes from. Treat an unrepaired salvage or junk title as a red flag and talk to your broker first. Our guide to why car title status matters explains the brands.
- Mechanical and emissions condition: the car must meet Mexico’s physical, mechanical, and environmental conditions. Brokers arrange the emissions certificate, and there are testing centers near the border crossings.
- Not reported stolen: the VIN is checked against stolen vehicle reports, and it has to match the title.
Many full-size pickups and SUVs sold in the US are built in North America, which makes them a natural fit. Still, check every VIN, because the same brand can build one model in North America and another overseas. The decree also covers some heavy trucks, which have their own rules.
What do I need to export a car from the USA?
Every used vehicle leaving the US goes through Customs and Border Protection, even if you are driving it across yourself. Here is what CBP requires under 19 CFR 192.2:
- 1. File Electronic Export Information in AES. This applies to used vehicles regardless of destination, value, or condition. The system gives you an Internal Transaction Number (ITN) that has to appear on your export paperwork.
- 2. Gather the original title. CBP wants the original Certificate of Title (or a certified copy) plus two complete copies.
- 3. Get a lienholder letter if there is a loan or lease. It must be on the lender’s letterhead, include the VIN and contact numbers, and expressly allow the export.
- 4. Submit everything 72 hours ahead. At a land border, the documents go in at least 72 hours before export and the car is presented when it crosses. By ship, the car and documents both have to be there 72 hours ahead.
CBP’s guidance warns of civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation for late filing, failure to file, or false information. Do not skip the AES step because you are only driving one car across. For the wider rules on where US cars can and cannot go, see car export restrictions for US sellers.
How do you import a car to Mexico permanently?
Permanent import (importación definitiva) is the route if the car is going to be registered, plated, or sold in Mexico. Only a licensed customs broker can file it. Mexico’s tax authority materials list this order:
- 1. Hire an agente aduanal. Give the broker your official ID, your CURP, the title in your name or signed over to you, and a carta de encomienda authorizing the import.
- 2. The broker checks the car. Model year, VIN country of manufacture, stolen status, and that the VIN matches the title.
- 3. Get the emissions and condition certificate. This proves the car meets the physical, mechanical, and environmental conditions.
- 4. Clear US export. The title goes to US customs for export approval. The Mexican materials say this takes about two business days on average.
- 5. Pay the taxes and get the pedimento. The broker prepares the import declaration (pedimento) and you pay the tariff and IVA.
- 6. Present the car at Mexican customs. Customs decides whether to inspect it. The paid pedimento is your proof the car is legally in Mexico.
- 7. Register it with REPUVE. The decree requires owners to register the car in Mexico’s public vehicle registry.
Volume limits matter if you are buying to resell. An individual can import one used vehicle in each 12-month period without registering in Mexico’s importer registry (Padrón de Importadores). Companies and people with business activity can import as many as they need, but only if they are registered in the Padrón. Our guide to customs and duties for auction cars going to Canada and Mexico compares both borders.
How much does it cost to import a car to Mexico?
The two big government charges are the tariff and IVA. Everything else is a service fee you can shop around.
| Cost | How it is figured |
|---|---|
| Import tariff | 10% of the customs value (1% for 5 to 9 year old cars imported by border-zone residents) |
| IVA (value added tax) | 16% of the customs value plus the tariff and other import charges |
| Customs broker | Set by the broker. Get a written quote before you buy the car |
| Emissions and condition certificate | Set by the testing center |
| Getting the car to the border | Transport quote, or drive it yourself |
| State registration and plates | Set by the Mexican state where you register |
A rough illustration: if Mexican customs values the car at $10,000, the 10% tariff is $1,000. IVA is 16% of at least $11,000, so $1,760 or more. That is about $2,760 in Mexican taxes before the broker’s fee. Customs sets the value it uses, and it may not match what you paid, so ask your broker to run the real number on the specific VIN.
Tariff talk in the news is mostly about new cars and trade between governments. For how that touches used exports, see how tariffs affect car exports from the USA.
What do I need to take my car to Mexico temporarily?
Driving your own US-plated car into Mexico for a trip is a different process. You get a temporary vehicle import permit through Banjercito. The Mexican consulate lists a deposit of $400 for 2007 and newer vehicles, returned if you take the car back out before the permit expires.
A temporary permit is not a way to sell a car in Mexico. Mexican tax authority materials warn buyers not to buy, sell, or transfer a temporarily imported vehicle. If the car is staying, it needs a permanent import with a pedimento.
Can I buy a car at a US auction and export it to Mexico without a dealer license?
Yes. Many online auctions are open to the public, and exporting does not require a US dealer license. What matters is that you end up with a clean, transferable title in your name or signed over to you, because CBP and your Mexican broker both need it.
Plan around the title, not the car. At Remarket Space, the car can be delivered in about 48 hours, but the title typically takes 8 to 12 weeks to arrive, according to the How It Works page. You cannot start the 72-hour CBP clock until you have that original title. Our guide to how the title transfer works after an auction walks through the timeline.
Budget for auction fees too. On a $10,000 winning bid at Remarket Space, the published buyer’s premium is $799 and the administrative fee is $209, per the buyer premium and fees page. Out-of-state buyers do not pay Minnesota DMV fees there. For how premiums work across auctions, read our explainer on the car auction buyer’s premium.
Then line up transport to the border or a port. Our guide to getting your car home after you win at auction covers the options, and international car auction shipping covers ocean freight if you are shipping instead of driving.
What happens after November 30, 2026?
The current rules come from a decree published November 4, 2024 and extended on November 5, 2025. The extension says it is in force until November 30, 2026. Mexico has renewed this decree before, but nothing guarantees it.
Two practical points. If you are buying now, leave enough time for the title, the 72-hour CBP notice, and the broker before that date. And if the decree is renewed into 2027, the 8 to 9 year window would move to 2018 and 2019 models, so a 2017 bought late in 2026 could age out. Check the Diario Oficial de la Federación or ask your broker before you buy.
Shopping for a 2017 or 2018 to take to Mexico?
Remarket Space is an online car marketplace open to the public, with no dealer license needed. Every listing has a full inspection, a free Carfax, real photos, and an HD test drive video, so you can check the VIN, model year, and condition before you bid. You can Buy Now or bid live, pay by card within 48 hours, and get nationwide delivery with the quote shown on the listing. Your title is guaranteed for as long as you own the car.
See cars up for auction now and filter for 2017 and 2018 models. Good places to start are used trucks, used SUVs, and used Ford Explorers, like this 2017 Ford Explorer XLT 4WD listed today. These cars sit in Minnesota. Read how buying works before your first bid.
Exporting somewhere else in Latin America? See exporting cars to Guatemala. Para leer esta guía en español: cómo comprar autos americanos y exportarlos a México.
Frequently asked questions
For most of Mexico, the car must be 8 to 9 model years older than the year you import it. In 2026 that means 2017 and 2018 models. Residents of the northern border zone can import 2017 to 2021 models at a 1% tariff, but the car must stay in that zone.
Expect a 10% tariff on the customs value plus 16% IVA on the value and tariff combined. On a car valued at $10,000 that is roughly $2,760 in taxes, before the customs broker, emissions certificate, transport, and state registration.
Yes, for a permanent import. Only a licensed Mexican customs broker, or agente aduanal, can file the import with Mexican customs. You give the broker your ID, CURP, the title, and a letter authorizing the import, and the broker prepares the pedimento.
CBP needs the original title or a certified copy plus two copies, a lienholder letter if there is a loan, and the ITN from your AES export filing. Documents must be submitted at least 72 hours before the car crosses the border.
Not under the 10% used vehicle decree. That route requires a VIN showing the car was made or assembled in the US, Canada, or Mexico. Many brands build some models in North America and others overseas, so check the plant country for the exact VIN.
Yes, if it qualifies. Buy a North American built car of an eligible model year, wait until you have the original title, file the US export paperwork 72 hours ahead, and have a Mexican customs broker handle the permanent import and taxes.
Sources
- US export rules: CBP, Exporting a Motor Vehicle
- AES filing for used vehicles: CBP, Exporting Used Vehicles (EEI requirements)
- Mexico decree: DOF, Decreto por el que se regula la importación definitiva de vehículos usados (November 4, 2024)
- Extension to November 30, 2026: DOF, decree modifying the used vehicle import decree (November 5, 2025)
- Hacienda statement: Secretaría de Hacienda, Comunicado No. 1 (January 5, 2026)
- Import steps and broker requirement: Gobierno de Chihuahua and SAT, Importación Definitiva de Vehículos
- IVA: Ley del Impuesto al Valor Agregado, articles 1 and 27
- Temporary permits: Consulado General de México en Sacramento, Importación Temporal de Vehículos
- VIN plant check: NHTSA vPIC VIN decoder
- Remarket Space fees and timeline: Buyer premium and fees and How It Works
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Mexican import rules and tariffs change, so confirm with a licensed Mexican customs broker and CBP before you buy. Remarket Space sells the car; we do not handle export filings, shipping to Mexico, or Mexican customs.
