From the information we have read regarding Mexico border crossing stations and from the US Customs it does not list that proof of auto insurance is required to be shown. We have contacted the US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), an agency of Homeland Security, for clarification and will update this if we receive a response back to our request on information on this topic.
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The CBP site notes that since January 31, 2008, U.S. and Canadian citizens 19 years and older who enter the U.S. at land and sea ports of entry from within the Western Hemisphere will need to present government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license as proof of identity, along with proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or naturalization certificate, or a passport.
Children age 18 and under will be able to enter with proof of citizenship. Verbal claims of citizenship and identity alone will not be sufficient to establish identity and citizenship for entry into the United States. Travelers who do not present one of the documents listed below may be delayed as U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers attempt to verify their identity and citizenship.
The revised date in which a passport will be required for land or sea travelers returning from Mexico is June 1, 2009. There is Passport card in the works that will be credit-card sized and cost less than a passport, which will allow travel in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda.
As part of your inspection at the Mexican border when you drive back into the United States, you may be asked questions on
- the nature of your citizenship
- your trip, and
- about anything you are bringing back to the United States that you did not have with you when you left.
The CBP may also need to examine your baggage or your car, which we have the legal authority to do. If they are checking your baggage, you will need to place it on the exam station and open it.
A valid driver's license and registration on the vehicle are normally required to be shown to the CBP officer however there is no mention that proof of auto insurance most be shown. The financial responsibility laws vary from state to state within the US so it may be difficult for Customs to have to know what proof if needed.
When you return, you will need to declare everything you brought back that you did not take with you when you left the United States. The duty-free exemption, also called the personal exemption, is the total value of merchandise you may bring back to the United States without having to pay duty. You may bring back more than your exemption, but you will have to pay duty on it.
In most cases, the personal exemption is $800, but there are some exceptions to this rule. Depending on the countries you have visited, your personal exemption will be $200, $800, or $1,600. There are limits on the amount of alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, cigars, and other tobacco products you may include in your duty-free personal exemption. You can read about all of this on the CBP site.
Currently, the duty-free exemption for items brought back from Mexico is $800 per person as long as the items are in your possession. For any amount in excess of $800 (up from the old amount of $400), you will be required to pay the appropriate duty.
While the US does not appear to require proof of insurance from US citizens returning in their vehicle other countries do require proof of auto insurance at the border. For instance, in most of Canada, you must carry at least $200,000 in liability insurance, and Mexico requires that, if vehicles do not carry theft, third party liability, and comprehensive insurance, the owner must post a bond that could be as high as 50 percent of the value of the vehicle. If you are under-insured for a country, auto insurance can usually be purchased on either side of the border.
Mexican customs authorities enforce strict regulations concerning temporary importation into or export from Mexico of items such as trucks, and autos, trailers, antiquities, medications, medical equipment, business equipment, etc. It is advisable to contact the Mexican Embassy or one of the Mexican consulates in the United States for specific information regarding customs requirements.
Even though customs at the border crossing may not require you to show proof of auto insurance (as of yet, as you know laws regarding the US borders currently are being updated) it is advisable that you have insurance on the vehicle that would cover you driving in the United States. A certificate of insurance may be asked for in a comprehensive questioning about you and your vehicle at the border so it would be better to have it and not need it then to not have insurance and thus have problems crossing back into the US.
Even if you are not mandated to show proof of insurance as part of your border crossing it does not mean that once you come into the US you will not be stopped by police for violation and asked for proof of auto insurance. If you do not have insurance when you are stopped the penalties are usually harsh such as driver's license suspension, registration suspension, impoundment of the vehicle, etc.
Get free online auto insurance quotes here with us so that when you are driving in the United States you will be properly covered by car insurance.