Vehicle registration plates of Mexico are issued with unique visual designs by each state, but with a single national numbering system, such that serials are not duplicated in multiple states. Most states change designs approximately every three years, with each state having its own plate replacement cycle. Every year, owners of Mexican-registered vehicles pay the tenencia or revalidación de placas (car plates renewal tax). A set of Mexican plates includes one pair of plates, a windshield sticker, and in some states a plate sticker. The international code for Mexico is "MEX".

Development In 2001 the size of the plate number was reduced in order to accommodate the addition of the state number, legend indicating the position of the plate on the vehicle (delantera (front) or trasera (rear)), and additional graphics.

Mexican plates are issued in several different classifications: Private, Private Fronteriza, Public, Public Frontera, Servicio Público Federal, Inspección Fiscal y Aduanera, Armada de México, and Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores. The Fronteriza plates were introduced in 1972 and are available in the Mexico–United States border zone. This zone is formed by the states of Baja California and Baja California Sur, as well as parts of Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila and Tamaulipas. While the state of Nuevo León shares a border with the U.S., it does not have any cities within the border zone. The Fronteriza plates are to be used on foreign vehicles that are imported into Mexico, so that they can be registered and driven within Mexico without having to go through the corresponding legal import procedures. However, these vehicles can drive around only within the border zone.

Since the year 2004, a new phenomenon has become prevalent. Vehicles brought over into Mexico (mainly from the United States) but not through legal import procedures, are seen driving all around Mexico, even while keeping their original American license plates for many years. There have been several attempts to force owners of such vehicles to regularize their vehicles and register them properly. These vehicles are colloquially referred to as autos chocolates (chocolate cars).

As of 24 June 2016, the combinations issued had to be changed as no combinations may be repeated. From having used ABC-12-34, several jurisdictions began changing to ABC-123-A for private vehicles, A-123-ABC for public vehicles. Mexico City changed privately owned vehicles at the same time; they are now A12-ABC.

Plate types StateImageDesignSloganState abbreviation 1969–1998Serial format number since 1998Assigned 1992 for PassengersAssigned 1992 for Trucks Aguascalientes AGS 01 AAA–AFZAA–AF Baja California BC 02 AGA–CYZAG–CD Baja California Sur BCS 03 CZA–DEZCE–CL Campeche CAMP 04 DFA–DKZCM–CU Chiapas CHIS 07 DLA–DSZCV–DC Chihuahua CHIH 08 DTA–ETZDD–EG Coahuila COAH 05 EUA–FPZEH–FB Colima COL 06 FRA–FWZFC–FJ Mexico City (Distrito Federal until 2016) DF 09 ###-@@@ see Current series for Mexico City@-###-@@ Durango DGO 10 FXA–GFZFK–FX Guanajuato GTO 11 GGA–GYZFY–GW Guerrero GRO 12 GZA–HFZGX–HG Hidalgo HGO 13 HGA–HRZHH–HT Jalisco JAL 14 HSA–LFZHU–KK Estado de México MEX 15 LGA–PEZKL–MS Michoacán MICH 16 PFA–PUZMT–NT Morelos MOR 17 PVA–RDZNU–NZ Nayarit NAY 18 REA–RJZPA–PG Nuevo León N.L. 19 RKA–TGZPH–RP Oaxaca OAX 20 THA–TMZRR–RY Puebla PUE 21 TNA–UJZRZ–SR Querétaro QRO 22 UKA–UPZSS–SY Quintana Roo Q.ROO QR 23 URA–UVZSZ–TB San Luis Potosí SLP 24 UWA–VEZTC–TP Sinaloa SIN 25 VFA–VSZTR–UL Sonora SON 26 VTA–WKZUM–VK Tabasco TAB 27 WLA–WWZVL–VT Tamaulipas TAMPS 28 WXA–XSZVU–WX Tlaxcala TLAX 29 XTA–XXZWY–XE Veracruz VER 30 XYA–YVZXF–YM Yucatán YUC 31 YWA–ZCZYN–YU Zacatecas ZAC 32 ZDA–ZHZYV–ZJ Non-border zone

TypePrivatePublicAntique automobileAB-12, 1AB-12 AB-123 in Mexico CityBus12-ABC-34, 1-ABC-23 12-AB-3 in Mexico CityB-12345-A, 123-456-A 000-A-123, 000-12-34, 300-001 to 399-999, and 650-001 to 850-000 in Mexico City (000 = the bus route number)

123--456 in Estado de México–Ciudad de México joint Transporte Metropolitano issues, where the letters denote the municipalityDealership demo car1-AB-23C, 1-AB-234Handicapped driver123-ABMotorcycleA123B in Baja California, Baja California Sur, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Colima, Estado de México, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo León, Oaxaca, Puebla, Tlaxcala and Zacatecas; A 123 B in Guanajuato ABC12 (following exhaustion of A123B allocation) in Durango, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Michoacán, Quintana Roo and Yucatán;

1234 A in Mexico CityPassengerABC-123-D, ABC-12-34

D12-ABC, 123-ABC in Mexico CityPublic Passenger vehicles = Taxis D-123-ABC, 12-34-ABC

[A/B]-12345 for free taxis, and M-12345 for site taxis in Mexico CityRV and Trailer1AB-234-C, 1-AB-2345 A-0A-00, A-00-00 in Mexico City12345-AB, A-123-456 850-001 to 999-999 in Mexico City Rarely issuedTruckAB-1234-C, AB-12-345 C-123-AB, 12-34-AB in Mexico City1-ABC-234, 1-ABC-23D 500-001 to 650-000 in Mexico City

Border zone TypePrivatePublicAntique AutomobileAB-12BusZAB-12-34C-123-ZAB, 12-34-ZABHandicapped123-ABPassengerD12-ABC-3, 123-ABC-4 BAB-12-34 in Baja California in approx. 2004 - 2016

(Note that BAB-123-C are not border plates)C-123-ZAB, 12-34-ZABTruckZAB-123-C, ZAB-12-34 BA-12-345 in Baja California in approx. 2002 - 2016C-123-ZAB, 12-34-ZAB

Public Federal Service (SPF)

TypeSerial formatFreight (purple plate)12-[A/B/C]B-3C, 123-[A/B/C]B-4Passengers (orange plate)12-[H/J]B-3C, 123-[H/J]B-4Tourism (green plate)12-RB-3C, 123-RB-4Border freight (tan plate)12-E[M-Z]-3C, 123-E[M-Z]-4Hauling (yellow/orange plate)1234-XBRental (blue plate)12-[MW-PZ]-3C, 123-MW-4Handicapped (burgundy plate)Diplomatic (blue plate with Aztec symbol)I.F.A. (white with dark blue letters)

Seguridad Pública (Local, State or Federal Police and related) TypeSerial formatAll vehicles01-234 (all patrol vehicles, and official-use vehicles from the federal judiciary)

Current series for Mexico City The current 000-AAA plate series for Mexico City (until 2016 the Distrito Federal) was introduced in 1972, allowing registration for 10,950,300 private automobiles. This series was not affected by plate designs, and continued to be used until its ending in early 2015 (999-ZZZ). However, in 2001 all vehicles using combinations around 000-LWU and older received all-new combinations beginning with 000-MAA. Following the established series, vehicles after 999-ZZZ are registered as A01-AAA, in order not to use a combination used in the past, Letters I, O and Q are not used.

000-LAA for late 2000 and 2001 (plate redesign and full registration renewal around 000-LWU) 000-MAA, 000-NAA and 000-PAA were issued as replacement for older combinations and a few new registrations in 2003. 000-RAA for late 2001 and 2002 new registrations 000-SAA for late 2002 and 2004 000-TAA for late 2003 and 2006 000-UAA for 2006 and 2007 000-VAA for 2007 and early 2008 (plate redesign around 155-VSV and 865-VSV) 000-WAA for 2008 and 2009 000-XAA for 2010 and 2011 000-YAA for 2012 and 2013 (plate redesign after 999-YVT) 000-ZAA for 2013 and 2014 A00-AAA for 2015 and 2018 A00-BAA for 2019 onwards

References

External links