Our last post from our Tropicasa Tips series explained how to pay your Puerto Vallarta property taxes and take advantage of early payment savings. This week, we have another important item for your 2025 to-do list: the annual registration on your vehicle’s license plates.
If you own a car in Puerto Vallarta and you pay to renew your license plates (“placas” in Spanish) early in the year, you will qualify for an early payment discount of 5%. And don’t worry, the registration fee is very affordable and is calculated based on the value and age of your vehicle.
There are two ways to pay your vehicle registration in Puerto Vallarta in 2025:
ONLINE PAYMENTS
Visit: https://gobiernoenlinea1.jalisco.gob.mx/serviciosVehiculares/
The website is in Spanish but is simple to navigate.
- Enter your license plate number (placa)
- Enter the serial number (número de serie) which is listed on your Tarjeta de Circulación (registration card)
- Enter your full name as it appears on your registration card
- Enter the motor number (número motor). Note that this can be confusing. If your vehicle is American made, your motor number will not be an actual number, but “Hecho en U.S.A”. You will find this information on your registration card as well.
- Your amount due will be calculated and you’ll be directed to the payment screen.
PRO TIP: The payment screen has a reputation for generating several error messages before successfully accepting a payment. However, you can print the bill created by the website and then pay it at most convenience stores or banks to save yourself any worry or frustration.
If this is your first time renewing your registration, hold on to your receipt and then visit the UNIRSE office in Fluvial Vallarta to pick up your new Tarjeta de Circulación (your registration card) by the end of March. If you already have one of the more recent cards with a QR code, then your payment information will be automatically updated and there will be no need for any further action.
PAYING IN PERSON
The other option is to make your payment in person at the UNVIRSE building located in Fluvial on Grandes Lagos 236, from Monday to Friday, 830am to 230pm, where your Tarjeta de Circulación will be issued or updated for you all in one visit.
If you are in Nayarit, you will visit the tax office located at José María Morelos 2 in Bucerias.
Keeping your registration current is mandatory for insurance or to sell your vehicle and not paying on time will result in fines, but it’s an easy thing to tick off your 2025 to-do list.
Check in next week when our How-To Series will have helpful tips for paying your utilities bills in Puerto Vallarta.
Click here for more Puerto Vallarta real estate and lifestyle tips from Tropicasa Realty.