Do traffic police in Mexico have the right to take away your driver's license if you violate traffic laws? Many are convinced that no, it does not. This issue is often discussed on social networks, where there is an opinion that all traffic police in Mexico are corrupt, and foreigners are stopped solely to extract money. Sometimes it is acceptable to hear advice never to give up your license at the request of a police officer, since it is illegal.
In fact, foreigners are stopped no more often than Mexicans, and the traffic police (Policía de Tránsito) have the right to confiscate not only your driver's license, but also your car as a guarantee of your obligations to pay the fine. At least that's the case in Cancun. You can resolve the issue on the spot by paying cash without a receipt (you know what it's called). You have the right to protest against the confiscation of your driver's license and challenge the police officer's actions later. But Article 178 of the Traffic Regulations of the Municipality of Benito Juarez (Cancun) says that if you have a license plate of a foreign country, other states of Mexico or the state of Quintana Roo, the municipal traffic police have the right to seize:
- driver's license or temporary driving permit,
- vehicle registration certificate,
- license plates, provided that the car is parked in a prohibited place and the driver is absent or refuses to remove the car,
- the car itself
as a guarantee of payment of a fine for a violation. If you speak Spanish, you can independently study this article on Cancun traffic regulations.link.
Other states and municipalities (there are 2,448 of them in Mexico) may have their own rules that delegate authority to federal, municipal or state traffic police officers. But police officers of many administrative units in Mexico have the right to confiscate driver’s licenses, registration certificates and license plates, except in Cancun.
Unfortunately, the right to confiscate a driver's license is often used by police as a method of intimidating inexperienced drivers in order to extort a bribe. Here you need to understand that the amount of money requested by the police for a quick resolution of the issue is not always significantly lower than the official fine. In the state of Quintana Roo, the maximum fine for traffic violations is now 2,112 MXN, and only increases by 2 times if damage or injury occurs. If a fine issued in Cancun is paid within 15 days, its amount is reduced by 50% if before the 30th day — the amount will be 20% lower. But the discounts don't apply if you park in a handicap space, drive a car with tinted windows, engage in road racing, cause bodily injury or property damage, or get caught drunk driving. If the fine is not paid within a month, its amount will increase by 8% every month.
Forceful resistance to the actions of a traffic police officer will cost the violator an additional almost MXN 3,000, not to mention detention. Therefore, you should never deal with police officers from a position of strength.
Based on materialsqroo.us