Baja California’s state tax administration agency has suspended all vehicle inspection patrols across the border region since January 2026, the agency’s director confirmed this month. Jesús García, head of SAT-BC (Servicio de Administración Tributaria de Baja California), said the pause came after a wave of complaints against the patrol units.
García said any SAT-BC patrols still visible on the streets of Tijuana, Mexicali, Ensenada, Tecate, and Rosarito are performing only administrative duties. They are not stopping or inspecting vehicles. The agency is now designing a new operational plan before enforcement resumes, though García did not provide a timeline for the restart.
Drivers Left in Limbo After Regularization Decree Closed
The suspension is particularly significant for owners of so-called “chocolate cars,” foreign-plated vehicles that were in the process of being legalized under a federal regularization decree. That decree has since closed, leaving many drivers with vehicles that were never fully processed.
García acknowledged that these vehicle owners were left in limbo through no fault of their own. He said SAT-BC will seek a way to assist them, though he did not specify what form that assistance would take or when it might come.
The regularization program, launched by the federal government in 2021, allowed owners of foreign-plated vehicles already in Mexico to register them legally by paying a fee of roughly 2,500 pesos (about $125 USD at current rates). Thousands of Baja California residents took advantage of the program, but many others missed the deadline or had their paperwork stall in bureaucratic delays.
Customs Inspections for Goods Still Active
While vehicle enforcement patrols are on hold, SAT-BC retains full authority to inspect goods entering Baja California by air, land, or sea. Payments for those customs processes still go through BANJERCITO (Banco Nacional del Ejército, Fuerza Aérea y Armada), the federal institution that handles customs fees and temporary vehicle import permits at the border.
The distinction matters for anyone bringing merchandise or household goods into the state. Those inspections and related fees remain fully active despite the vehicle patrol pause.
Baja California’s state government confirmed in December 2025 that there would be no new taxes or increases to existing state taxes for the 2026 fiscal year. The vehicle inspection suspension appears to be an operational decision rather than a policy change tied to the state budget.
No date has been set for the return of vehicle enforcement patrols. García said only that a redesigned operational plan must be completed first. This story was first reported by The Baja Post.