Each year you have to renew the registration for your vehicle. If you pay early in the year the fees are discounted. If you don’t pay, the fees accrue and will need to be paid off before you can sell and transfer the car out of your name. The registration card needs to remain in your car for the year.  

When to Renew 

You must renew your vehicle registration annually by March 31 to receive a discount.  

In Jalisco if you pay in January it’s a 10% discount and in February and March it is 5%. The cost is $590 pesos for vehicles and $150 pesos for motorcycles, which are not eligible for the discount. There is also a 50 peso charge that is collected and divided between the Red Cross  (30 pesos) and Casa Hogar Cabañas (20 pesos). 

Interesting to note that electric vehicles receive a 100% discount and hybrids 50% but both must complete the necessary paperwork.  

In Nayarit, no one answers the phone and the website gives no information, which isn’t surprising to anyone that lives in Nayarit. A quick poll of Facebook users shows that the cost is $580 pesos to renew. Best thing to do is to go in person to the office in Bucerias located at José María Morelos 2, next to the Gecko Bar, for the most up to date information. 

How to Renew Online 

You can renew (theoretically easily) online by going to the following websites: 

Jalisco: https://gobiernoenlinea1.jalisco.gob.mx/vehicular/ 

Nayarit: www.hacienda-nayarit.gob.mx/tenencia.php  

You will need your old vehicle registration card — called tarjeta de circulación in Spanish — for this part. On the screen, enter the tag number (placa) and the car’s VIN number. 

Print out the receipt of payment and keep it in your car in case the police stops you. After March you can go your respective office to pick up the new registration card.  

While paying online is likely the easiest option, you can go in person in Vallarta to the tax collection office at the UNIRSE building in Puerto Vallarta located at Av. Grandes Lagos 236, Edificio A, in Fluvial. They are open from 8:30am – 2:30pm Monday through Friday.  

On the north shore the office is located at José María Morelos 2, in Bucerías, next to the Gecko Bar.  

You can also pay at your bank or through one of the convenience stores that accepts payments, remember to hold on to your receipt for proof of payment and to pick up your new card when it’s ready (usually after March).