Moon Insurance Managers, Inc. · TDI license #5595
Mexico Car Insurance for Texas Drivers
Mexico does not recognise an American auto policy. That is the Texas Department of Insurance’s own wording, and it is the whole reason this page exists: the cover you already pay for is not the cover Mexico asks you to carry.
So a trip across the border needs a second policy, written by an insurer licensed in Mexico, for the days you are there. We quote it by hand and sell it to you directly.
Texas · Mexico
- In Texas
- Your Texas policy — 30/60/25
- In Mexico
- Liability from a Mexican insurer
- Your Texas policy there
- Not recognised
- Bought by
- The day, for the trip
- 41years in Houston
- 20+markets compared
- Same dayDPS filing
- #5595TDI license
From the regulator
Why the policy you have is not the one Mexico wants
The Texas Department of Insurance states it in one sentence: “Mexico doesn’t recognize American auto insurance policies.” Its advice follows directly — if you are driving into Mexico, you should buy a Mexican liability insurance policy.
There is a wrinkle worth knowing, because it is the thing most likely to leave somebody wrongly reassured. Some American companies do sell an endorsement you can add for short trips into Mexico. TDI does not say it works. It says it “might not meet Mexico’s legal requirements” — which is a warning to check, not a solution to buy.
An endorsement on an American policy is not the same thing as a policy from a Mexican insurer, and only one of them is what Mexico is asking you to carry.
If you already hold one of those endorsements, bring it in. Reading what it actually says before you travel costs nothing, and it is a better use of ten minutes than finding out at a roadside.
TDI closes its own advice on this with four words that are, in effect, this page: “Ask your agent about these policies.”
Source: Texas Department of Insurance — auto insurance FAQ. Verified .
What you are buying
The parts of a Mexican policy, one at a time
These policies are sold by the day, for a named vehicle and a stated set of dates. The pieces below are what people ask us about. Amounts and inclusions vary between insurers, so treat this as the shape of the thing rather than a quote — the wording of the policy we place is what decides, and we will go through it with you.
- Liability to other people The part Mexico is asking for
- This is the reason the policy exists. It answers for injury or damage you cause to somebody else while driving in Mexico, and it has to come from an insurer licensed there. It is the piece your Texas policy cannot supply, whatever else it does.
- Limits are set per policy rather than by a single national figure, and the right limit depends on what you are driving and where. It is the first thing we will talk through, because it is the only part that is not optional.
- Legal and roadside assistance Usually bundled, not always
- Tourist policies commonly bundle legal assistance at the scene of a crash and some form of roadside help. How much of it you get, and whether it is included or an option, differs between insurers — so it is worth asking rather than assuming, and we will tell you which version you are being quoted.
- Damage to your own car, and theft Optional, and priced separately
- Physical damage and theft cover for your own vehicle is normally a choice rather than part of the required liability. Whether it is worth buying depends on the car and the trip, and it is the part of the quote most people change their mind about once they see it separated out.
- What it is not A different product
- A Mexico auto policy is not travel insurance. Trip cancellation, lost baggage and travel medical cover are a separate purchase from a different kind of company, and nothing on this page is about them.
- It is also not a substitute for your Texas policy. The Texas policy still has to be in force for the car at home, because Texas still requires it for the vehicle. You end up holding both, for the days you are away.
The one nobody warns you about
If something is on the hitch, say so
A Houston family driving south is often towing something — a boat, a utility trailer, a camper. It is the part of the trip most likely to be left off the paperwork, and it is also the part the industry is least consistent about.
Read across providers and you will find them contradicting each other outright. Some state that a towed unit is covered while it is being towed and need not be listed separately. Others are explicit that a towed unit which has not been declared is a problem across the whole policy, not just for the trailer.
We are not going to pretend there is one settled answer, because there is not one. What there is, is a simple way to not be the person who finds out: tell us what you are towing when you ask for the quote, and we will make sure it is dealt with on the paperwork rather than argued about afterwards.
Before you call
What we need to quote it
- The dates you are crossing and coming back. These policies are priced by the day, so the dates are not a detail — they are most of the quote.
- The vehicle, with its VIN. The policy is written to the car, not to you.
- Who is driving it, and whether anyone is sharing the wheel.
- Roughly where you are going, and whether you will be on federal highways for much of it.
- Anything you are towing, and what it is worth.
We place this through Bluefire, and we quote it in their system ourselves rather than handing you a link to a checkout. That is slower than buying it yourself online at midnight, and it is deliberate: somebody reads the trip before the policy is written, and you get told what you are buying before you pay for it.
Your Texas policy is a separate conversation and it still has to be in force — that is auto insurance, and nothing here replaces it.
No obligation
Tell us about the trip
The dates, the car and who is driving. That is enough for us to come back with what it costs and what the policy actually covers.
The office is on FM 1959 if you would rather come in.
Monday to Thursday, 9:00 to 5:00; Friday, 9:00 to 4:00. 360 FM 1959, Houston, TX 77034.
What people ask before they drive down
Does my Texas car insurance cover me in Mexico?
Not for what Mexico requires. The Texas Department of Insurance puts it plainly: "Mexico doesn’t recognize American auto insurance policies." Its advice is that if you are driving into Mexico you should buy a Mexican liability insurance policy.
Can I just add Mexico to the policy I already have?
Some companies do sell a short-trip endorsement you can add. TDI’s own warning about them is the reason to check rather than assume: it says such coverage "might not meet Mexico’s legal requirements." If you already have one, bring it to us and we will read it before you buy anything else.
Do I need Mexican car insurance for a short trip?
The length of the trip does not change what Mexico recognises. These policies are sold by the day, so a weekend is quoted as a weekend — there is no minimum term that makes a short crossing simpler to leave uninsured.
How far ahead should I sort it out?
Earlier than most people do. We quote it by hand rather than sending you to a checkout, so ring or send the details a few days before you travel and you will have the policy in your hand well before you are packing the car. December is our busiest stretch for this.
I am towing a trailer. Does that need saying?
Yes, say it. Providers do not agree with each other on how a towed unit is treated, and some are explicit that one which has not been declared is a problem at claim time. Tell us what is on the hitch and we will make sure it is dealt with on the paperwork rather than left to be argued about later.
Can you write anything other than a car?
This one is for cars. Motorcycles, motor homes and trailers are not on the program we place through, so if that is what you are taking down, say so when you call and we will tell you straight away rather than after you have sent the details.