Vehicle registration plates of Mexico

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.^[1] 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^[why?] 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 15-kilometre (9.3 mi) border with the U.S., it does not have any cities within the border zone.

European-style license plates have become popular, as with this example of an unofficial remake of a Baja California plate. Unofficial plates are legaloid: they remain technically illegal, but in practice they are tolerated. However, in most states the motorist can choose between Euro-style plates and the more common US-style plates.

As of 24 June 2016, the combinations issued had to be changed as no combinations may be repeated.^[2] 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[]

State	Image	Design	Slogan	State abbreviation 1969–1998	Serial format number since 1998	Three-letter series assigned since 1992
Aguascalientes				AGS	01	AAA–AFZ
Baja California				BC	02	AGA–CYZ
Baja California Sur				BCS	03	CZA–DEZ
Campeche				CAMP	04	DFA–DKZ
Chiapas				CHIS	07	DLA–DSZ
Chihuahua				CHIH	08	DTA–ETZ
Coahuila				COAH	05	EUA–FPZ
Colima				COL	06	FRA–FWZ
Mexico City (Distrito Federal until 2016)				DF	09	see Current series for Mexico City
Durango				DGO	10	FXA–GFZ
Guanajuato				GTO	11	GGA–GYZ
Guerrero				GRO	12	GZA–HFZ
Hidalgo				HGO	13	HGA–HRZ
Jalisco				JAL	14	HSA–LFZ
Estado de México				MEX	15	LGA–PEZ
Michoacán				MICH	16	PFA–PUZ
Morelos				MOR	17	PVA–RDZ
Nayarit				NAY	18	REA–RJZ
Nuevo León				N.L.	19	RKA–TGZ
Oaxaca				OAX	20	THA–TMZ
Puebla				PUE	21	TNA–UJZ
Querétaro				QRO	22	UKA–UPZ
Quintana Roo				Q.ROO and QR	23	URA–UVZ
San Luis Potosí				SLP	24	UWA–VEZ
Sinaloa				SIN	25	VFA–VSZ
Sonora				SON	26	VTA–WKZ
Tabasco				TAB	27	WLA–WWZ
Tamaulipas				TAMPS	28	WXA–XSZ
Tlaxcala				TLAX	29	XTA–XXZ
Veracruz				VER	30	XYA–YVZ
Yucatán				YUC	31	YWA–ZCZ
Zacatecas				ZAC	32	ZDA–ZHZ

Private, non-border zone[]

pre-graphic era

Auto Antiguo license plate from Morelos

Public, non-border zone[]

Private, border zone[]

Public, border zone[]

Public Federal Service (SPF)[]

SPF Turismo license plate

Seguridad Pública (Local, State or Federal Police and related)[]

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 2003
• 000-TAA for late 2003 and 2004
• 000-UAA for 2005 and 2006
• 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 2014 and 2015
• A00-AAA for 2015 and 2018
• A00-BAA for 2018 onwards

Another type of license plate is for the operation of public transport in metropolitan routes crossing to the State of Mexico metropolitan area.^{[citation needed]}

References[]

External link[]

Media related to License plates of Mexico at Wikimedia Commons