It was 5 years ago that we got our driver’s licenses in Puerto Morelos. Our post from then: Getting our Mexican Driver’s Licenses in Puerto Morelos

It was time for renewal, so we went this week. The process is mostly the same, but there were a few documentation / copy things to be aware of.

Location

The location is the same – at the Police Station in Puerto Morelos. It’s on the highway, on the southbound side, just South of the Puerto Morelos rotary / glorieta.

Paperwork and Requirements

Here’s what we had and needed:

• Copy of our old Puerto Morelos driver’s license
• Copy of resident card, as well as the original in hand.
• Copy of our CURP (Clave Única de Registro de Población). You can download a copy from https://www.gob.mx/curp/
• Copy of proof of address. I had a printout of my CFE bill, and one of my Aguakan bill. I’m glad I did, as we needed one copy per person, so CFE was good for me, and Aguakan was good for Elizabeth. The name on the bill does not have to match your name. So odd.
• Blood test, showing your blood type. They wanted the original, not a copy. They don’t keep the original, they just view it.
• We did not need our passports, probably because we had our resident cards.

A few notes about copies

For our copies, I had taken a picture of my resident card, front and back, added it to a PDF, and printed that. That wasn’t acceptable (even though I’ve used that exact same print out for other government items). They wanted an actual copy, from a copier, not a printout of a picture. A copy, front and back, on the same piece of paper.

They do have a copier at the police station. It’s a separate room, and they charge you a few pesos per copy. So that’s what we did. But, there’s no guarantee the copier will be working, or that there will be someone there, so it’s better to walk-in with copies in hand.

Process

Here was our process:

• Go to the desk for licenses (really just a table with a laptop and a printer)
• They check your paperwork, and give you an application to fill out
• Since we had printouts of photos, and not actual copies, we went to the copy room, and they made copies of our old licenses and resident cards. The cost was less than 20 pesos.
• Fill out application form (name, address, emergency contact, type of license, duration (1-5 years), etc.)
• Back to the licenses desk – check paperwork again – all good. They give you a printout to take for payment
• To the Caja for payment. They accept cash or credit cards. Cost was about $3000 pesos for a 5 year automobile license.
• To the Medico office for vision and blood type. Since we had our blood types already (from our previous license, and our blood test printout), we didn’t have to have a blood test. Which is good. The hygiene in there is a bit sketchy. She also didn’t make us take an eye exam. Maybe because we did before – no idea. She simply signed our medical form.
• Back to the licenses desk. They check everything again, and put together your stack of papers. Receipt from payment, signed medical form, application, copies (resident cards, old licenses, proof of address, curp). They staple it all together, and then you wait in the lobby/garage.
• About 10 minutes later, they call your name, and you head into the office where they make the actual licenses. They take your picture with a webcam, and take a digital fingerprint. 5 minutes later, they hand you a shiny new license.
• Head to closest bar for a cerveza to celebrate successfully navigating another Mexican government process.

Cost

We chose a 5-year license, for autos, so the cost was $3041.92 pesos.

We also had to pay a Medical Service charge (Servicio Medico) of $127.01 pesos. Which is a bit of BS, as they didn’t actually provide any medical services (no blood test, no vision test). But whatevs. I wasn’t about to argue with them over $6 USD.

We were able to pay using a credit card. They also take cash, but we observed that they don’t always have change (which is typical around here). So if you’re planning on paying with cash, be prepared.

Discounts

They do offer discounts at different points in the year. We missed the big 50% discount in November, but our licenses were expired, and we just wanted to get this done while we were on vacation. Certainly it’s better to get the discount, if you can.

Blood Test

If you don’t have documentation for your blood type, I would recommend going to one of the local clinics (years ago we went to Medico Xpress, which is next to the Chedraui on the highway).

Yes, they will do a blood test at the police station, but I wouldn’t recommend it, from a hygiene standpoint. You probably won’t die, but…

Good for another 5 years

And that’s it – we’re good for another 5 years. The entire process took about an hour or so. Not too bad, for a Mexican government process. All the folks at the police station were helpful and friendly.

Hope this helps you to be prepared and to navigate the process.

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Update: 2023-01-02 – Licenses are cheaper in PdC!

Interesting data point- I just noticed that licenses are cheaper in PdC! the cost of a 5-year automobile license in Puerto Morelos is $3041. In Playa del Carmen, it’s $1798. WTH?

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Credits

Volkswagen Photo by Dan Gold on Unsplash