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Mexico Ends Temporary Program to Legalize 'Chocolate' Cars

Officials direct would-be importers to use the definitive import process now in effect.

Overview

  • As of January 1, 2026, there is no legal basis to continue regularizing used foreign vehicles under the prior scheme, the SSPC and SESNSP announced.
  • The Diario Oficial de la Federación published an amendment on December 31, 2025 that explicitly ended the extraordinary program without extension.
  • Authorities at all levels and private individuals must abstain from initiating, receiving, promoting or processing any regularization related to that decree.
  • REPUVE reports that 2,987,839 vehicles were regularized by November 2025 under the now-concluded program.
  • People seeking to import used vehicles must follow the decree on definitive importation published November 4, 2024 and renewed November 5, 2025, meeting technical and environmental requirements and paying tariffs, and the public is warned to avoid fraud by agents offering non-existent regularizations.