Driving and getting around Mexico City as an American

Your US license is fine while you're visiting. Once you're a resident, plan on a Mexico City license, and frankly, plan on driving a lot less than you did back home.

The short version

A valid US driver's license is generally accepted for visitors driving in Mexico. Residents are expected to get a Mexican license from their state of residence [1].
A Mexico City (CDMX) type A license is handled by SEMOVI. The permanent version costs MXN 1,500 (about USD 80) in 2026, and first-timers need a road-rules exam certificate [2][10].
Hoy No Circula keeps many cars off the road one weekday a week from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., and on some Saturdays. Cars with out-of-state or foreign plates get no pass unless they register for the free Pase Turístico [3][4].
The Metro costs MXN 5 a ride and the Metrobús MXN 6 in 2026 [5]. You pay with the rechargeable Movilidad Integrada (MI) card [6].
Uber, DiDi and app-based taxis are everywhere. They're safer than hailing a cab on the street.

Your US license: visitor vs resident

Like the US, Mexico issues driver's licenses state by state, and Mexico City has its own version of the DMV. For visitors, a valid foreign license in good condition, with a name that matches your passport, works for your stay. Car rental companies take US licenses routinely [1].

Once you become a temporary or permanent resident, the expectation changes: you should start the process for a Mexican license [1]. In practice, plenty of residents keep driving on a US license for a while, and traffic officers may or may not care. But an expired US license, or a crash with injuries, is where the gray zone gets expensive. Your Mexican insurer may also ask what license you held.

What about the International Driving Permit? It's a translation of your US license, not a license on its own. It isn't required in Mexico, but it can help if you're stopped by an officer who doesn't read English [1]. AAA issues them in the US.

Getting a CDMX license

The Mexico City license for private cars is the type A, issued by SEMOVI (the Secretaría de Movilidad). The process in 2026 [2]:

Create a Llave CDMX account online. It's the city's digital ID.
Start the license request on the SEMOVI portal and generate the payment slip (línea de captura). The permanent type A license costs MXN 1,500.
Take the road-rules exam (examen de conocimientos viales) if this is your first CDMX license. You need the certificate.
Pay at a bank or online.
Book an appointment at a Módulo de Control Vehicular y Licencias.
Show up in person with official ID, a CDMX or State of Mexico proof of address no more than three months old, the paid slip, the exam certificate and your appointment confirmation. They take your photo and fingerprints.

As a foreigner, your official ID is your passport, and you should bring your resident card too. Requirements change, so check the SEMOVI site before your appointment. Your CDMX license won't replace your US one, so keep your stateside license renewed if you'll drive on trips home.

Hoy No Circula: the one rule that catches newcomers

Mexico City limits driving to cut air pollution. Under Hoy No Circula ("today it doesn't drive"), most cars stay off the road one weekday each week, from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., across the city's 16 boroughs (alcaldías) and 18 neighboring municipalities in the State of Mexico [3]. Which day depends on the sticker color and last digit of your plate. Exempt cars include those with a 0 or 00 emissions hologram, hybrids and electric cars [3][4].

Day off	Sticker color	Plate ends in
Monday	Yellow	5 or 6
Tuesday	Pink	7 or 8
Wednesday	Red	3 or 4 [9]
Thursday	Green	1 or 2 [9]
Friday	Blue	9 or 0 [4]

Saturdays have their own rules. Cars with a hologram 1 sit out some Saturdays based on whether the plate is even or odd. Cars with hologram 2, and out-of-state plates without a pass, sit out every Saturday covered by the program [3]. On bad air days, the city can declare an environmental contingency (contingencia ambiental) and widen the restrictions.

Fines run from 20 to 30 UMA, the federal unit for fines, and your car can be towed to a corralón (impound lot) [3]. That's a heck of a way to spend a Saturday.

US plates and the Pase Turístico

If you drove down in a US-plated car, it has no CDMX hologram, so it's treated like a hologram 2 car [4]. The fix is the Pase Turístico, a free online permit for foreign and out-of-state plates. You apply through your Llave CDMX account with the car's registration, print it and keep it in the car. It gives you a limited number of days per semester (14, according to a 2026 guide), and it doesn't apply on contingency days [7].

The pass is for visits. If you live here with a US car, that's a bigger question about temporary import permits and which residents can keep foreign plates at all; see our guide below.

Insurance

Your stateside auto policy generally won't cover you in Mexico. Buy Mexican liability insurance at a minimum. If you're in a crash without coverage, things get complicated fast.

Public transport: cheap, big and busy

Mexico City has one of the largest transit networks in the hemisphere, and it costs pocket change. 2026 fares [5]:

System	Fare (MXN, 2026)	About in USD
Metro (12 lines)	5	USD 0.27
Metrobús (bus rapid transit)	6	USD 0.32
Metrobús Line 4 to the airport	30	USD 1.60
Cablebús (cable cars)	7	USD 0.37
Tren Ligero (light rail)	3	USD 0.16
Trolebús lines 1 to 9	4	USD 0.21
RTP buses (ordinary)	2	USD 0.11

USD conversions use the Banco de México FIX rate of 18.7147 pesos per dollar (November 5, 2026) [8].

The MI card

Paper Metro tickets are gone. Since March 1, 2024, the Movilidad Integrada (MI) card is the only way into the Metro [6]. It costs MXN 15 plus your first fare, holds up to MXN 500, and works on the Metro, Metrobús, Cablebús, Tren Ligero, Trolebús, RTP buses and the Ecobici bike-share. It also works on the Tren Interurbano to Toluca [6]. Buy and top it up at Metro ticket windows or machines at Metrobús, Cablebús and Tren Ligero stations, or reload it from the App CDMX or Mercado Pago by tapping it on an NFC phone [6]. Metrobús transfers are free as long as you don't exit through the turnstiles [6].

Tips for riding

Rush hour is intense. Think New York at its worst, then add more people.
Women and children's cars. The front cars on the Metro and front sections of the Metrobús are reserved for women, children and people with disabilities during busy hours.
Watch your phone and wallet. Pickpockets work crowded cars.
Ecobici is great for level, leafy neighborhoods like Roma, Condesa and Polanco.

Uber, DiDi and taxis

Uber and DiDi both operate in Mexico City, alongside other ride-hailing apps. Most Americans use them for night rides and anything involving luggage. The standard local advice is to skip hailing taxis on the street and use an app or an official taxi stand (sitio) instead. At the airport, buy a ticket from an authorized taxi booth inside the terminal.

Distances look short on a map but aren't in traffic. The roughly 10 km (6 miles) from Polanco to Coyoacán can take 20 minutes at 6 a.m. and over an hour at 6 p.m.

Should you even own a car?

Many Americans in Roma, Condesa, Juárez or Polanco never buy one. Between walking, the Metro, Metrobús and app rides, life works fine without one. Families in Santa Fe, Lomas or the south of the city often do want a car for school runs and weekend trips. If you buy one, expect yearly paperwork: emissions checks (verificación) for the hologram, the annual vehicle fee (tenencia or refrendo), and keeping insurance current. Ask around in our community group for Americans in Mexico about which mechanics and verification centers people trust.

Getting around Mexico City: your US license, Hoy No Circula and a 5-peso Metro ride