Birth Certificate or a Passport is Required to cross back into the USA from Mexico by land.

There is now a Passport or Birth Certificate required for US citizens that drive or go to one of our Tours to and from Mexico.

Here a link to the Department of State.

Check this out if you consider Driving in Mexico! You will only need your USA DL to do so.

Over the past 15 years, we have driven 150,000 miles in Mexico. I would not hesitate to go right now if I wanted to or had to. I have put together some useful and interesting information on how do drive a car into Baja California, Mexico or places like Sonora and South of Texas.

Get a free quote or Buy/Print
in minutes from the a great Mexico Insurer,
without even stopping at the border.

Just have your registration and credit card ready. Everything is a very safe and
secure internet connection, just like your online banking

No Visa required for US citizens driving/walking into Mexico., find details on the bottom of this page.

Below some personal experiences while drive down to our vacation destinations in Mexico. Get information for driving a car into Mexico and obtaining Mexican Auto Insurance on-line. From your Mexico Auto Insurance place in San Diego.

They say Mexico is dangerous.

New York reported 540 killings in 2005.
Las Vegas reported 145 killings in 2005.

A recent press report sited that more Americans were arrested by Tijuana police than in any other foreign destination city. Of course! Tijuana was
the #1 foreign city visited by Americans, simply because of the ease of it. More than 60 million persons crossed the border into Baja California last year. That is more than 1500 times more than the number who visited London.

In 2007 352 people were murdered in greater Tijuana. However, compared to US cities of about the same population, Tijuana falls in the 'also ran' category with 17.5 murders per 100,000 people.
This compares to a safer San Diego, on the other side of the line with 5 murdered per 100K.However, a great number of US cities have higher murder rates; like Philadelphia, Houston, Dallas, Las Vegas and New Orleans with more than 3 times the murder rate of Tijuana. Yet there is no travel warning for these cities?

Is it safe to go to Philly or Las Vegas?
We think so. We think it is just as safe to go to Mexico then to Vegas!

Must be just easier for the News to talk about other countries problems versus our own.

They say don't drive in Mexico.

We know driving into Mexico is fine.

When driving in Mexico with Car Insurance you will have nothing to worry about other than getting lost. So find a picture map of Rosarito or Ensenda here.

But if you drive to Rosarito, Ensenada it is only one freeway. There are only 3 turns that you should know about. That's about it.

Other maps are available at local book stores and auto clubs.

I have insurance in the US
so why would I need to get Insurance for my car to drive in Baja California Mexico or any other state south of the Border?

Well, Mexico insurance laws are different than the in the US.
In case you get in an accident in Mexico both parties are at fault until proven otherwise.

That is when Mexico Driving Insurance kicks in and basically leaves a deposit with the Police (you will not have do anything, the agent will) until everything is settled.

If personal injuries occur you might be subject to Police detainment until further action is taken.

Buy your Mexico Car Insurance here in San Diego, online.

I heard stories about getting arrested into Mexico.

Most stories are true.
I myself heard two true stories like this with 3 of my friends. They got arrested, but they both don’t remember that part, only the waking up in jail part. I wonder if it was the cerveza and tequila or the bad Mexico Police.
In a total of 15 years of driving an estimated 150, 000 miles in Mexico, that is the only story I can tell you about.

Another was drinking a beer in the back of a pick up truck doing down the road with a Police car behind him.
He was jailed...and out.

Driving a rental car into Mexico.

Most companies allow you to drive in Baja Mexico but suggest not to.

Well, if you had the choice to get a car back from a US location like San Diego or Los Angeles, versus crossing into Tijuana by car and driving into Ensenada to recover a car that might have broken down on a client...what would you suggest to your costumer?

Police, 2 kind's.

Federal Police in Mexico (and Baja).
Referee to Fedarales below.

Regular Police in Baja California.
Respect them. They are the official law enforcement. No matter if you make 10 times the money they do, and you might think that your nationality is superior to theirs, you are wrong and are a guest in their country. So act that way...with RESPECT.

At times the Police like to fix little problems on the spot. The official way is to follow them to the Police station to receive your citation and pay it at the bank of cashier in at the station. I suggest not to pay any fine on the side of the road. Which has happened at times.

Federales.
we hear it all the time....What about the federales?
They are on YOUR SIDE....

Federales are a special Police force that is employed directly from the capital of Mexico City (the biggest city in the world).
They drive black / white cars (Dodge Avanger) not Expeditions or things as such! Do NOT offer money and such funny things. They are the real deal. ...like Sheriffs or SHP. Usually Federales are very well educated and friendly.

They are always willing to help.

Stolen cars...

The fact is that I have had more things stolen here in San Diego than in all my years in Mexico.
Many people share the same experience. I would advise you to park you car in public places such as hotel parking lots, and just use common sense when parking your car.

Military guys with machine guns.

There are some military check points on the drive from Tijuana via Rosarito to Ensenda.
They are set-up on the side of the road and conduct random vehicle searches.
So I suggest you LEAVE YOUR GUN'S AND DRUGS AT HOME. So you will have again nothing to worry about.

Toll Road...

Toll roads are common in the north of Baja from Tijuana to Ensenada and Tijuana to Mexicali.

They are nice Free-way like roads that cost about 2.50 per 20 miles. To go to Ensenada you will have to pay 3 times about US$ 2.50.

They come with an insurance. In case of an accident.
Important note: Nobody is allowed to stop you on it other then the Federal Police that always has Black and White Cars.

On the Toll-Road Don't just stop for anybody with a Blue/Red light flashing behind you. Consider to keep going to the next Toll Booth or Exit into a Big Town with lots of people.

No Passport / Visa required!

No passport is required if you stay in Baja within a 40 mile range.

If you are a US citizen, you are not required to have a passport to re-enter the US. All you will need is a state ID, DL, or School ID and birth certificat if you enter by land.

You will not need a visa if you go no further than 40 miles south of the USA border, or stay under 3 days in Mexico.

If you have a passport, take it. If you are not a US citizen than you must have a passport with a I-94 card to re-enter the USA.

If you stay more than 3 days in Mexico, or travel further south than Ensenada, you must get a Mexican Tourist Visa for about US$ 20.00 at the border or in Ensenda as you enter the town.

Mainland.
Mexico Insurance San Diego knows about Mainland Mexico. It has special rules for driving a car deeper then 40 miles from the US-border.

You must get a temporary import permit for you car. Registration, Passport and a credit card are required to get this permit as you cross into the Mainland Mexico. Not required in Baja California at all.
The mainland has so much to offer. You find some pictures here.