Concealed carry in mexico?

[phathom]

My wife and I are thinking of taking a vacation in Mexico and I have searched (google) on what concealed carry laws are in Mexico. I can't find anything on it.

Basically I want to know if I'm able to carry my Glock 19 in Mexico. I mean come on,
1:It's Mexico and a lot of shady things happen there, a lot of people get kidnapped, robbed, or murdered just from taxi cabs down there.
2:I definitely don't want to break any laws and be thrown in Mexican jail down there for it.

But regardless the wife wants to go to Mexico and I'd feel better if I could carry there just as I did at home. I'd feel naked without it, especially in another country.

So does anyone know what the laws or requirements are, or if there's any restriction like capacity or caliber so I could pick up something that meets it at least for the trip?

BTW: planning to go to Puerto Viorta if it matters.

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[DerekF]

I seriously doubt foreigners are allowed to carry. I don't think even Mexicans are allowed to carry.


Found this info in the link below. I am no expert so please take it with a grain of salt.

http://www.davekopel.com/Espanol/Mexican-Gun-Laws.htm

"Temporary gun licenses for sporting purposes may be issued to tourists. Mexican law provides penalties of at least five to as many as 30 years in prison for tourists who attempt to bring a firearm, or even a single round of ammunition, into Mexico without prior permission. In the past, the law was enforced stringently, even in cases where the violation was accidental. In December 1998, however, the Mexican Congress enacted legislation relaxing the law for first-time, unintentional violations involving only a single gun. Now, first-timers will be fined $1,000, but not imprisoned. The exemption does not apply for military weapons or calibers - which by Mexican law means any handgun above .380 in caliber, as well as a wide variety of rifles."

 

[phathom]

I seriously doubt foreigners are allowed to carry. I don't think even Mexicans are allowed to carry.


Found this info in the link below. I am no expert so please take it with a grain of salt.

http://www.davekopel.com/Espanol/Mexican-Gun-Laws.htm

"Temporary gun licenses for sporting purposes may be issued to tourists. Mexican law provides penalties of at least five to as many as 30 years in prison for tourists who attempt to bring a firearm, or even a single round of ammunition, into Mexico without prior permission. In the past, the law was enforced stringently, even in cases where the violation was accidental. In December 1998, however, the Mexican Congress enacted legislation relaxing the law for first-time, unintentional violations involving only a single gun. Now, first-timers will be fined $1,000, but not imprisoned. The exemption does not apply for military weapons or calibers - which by Mexican law means any handgun above .380 in caliber, as well as a wide variety of rifles."

So basically I'd have to bring a .380 in and pay them $1,000 if I was to do it without any "serious" concequences. Hmmm, probably just going to keep my carry knife on me instead then and leave the 9mm at home, or convince the wife to go someplace in the U.S. I can carry. I already hate that we're going to California (worse than mexico for that matter) to visit some family this summer too.

 

[aslinged]

Dude if you want to go to Mexico you need to fly way south, avoid everything on the border and in the middle areas of the country. We're talking pretty much Puerto Vallarta.

And if you've flown that far, might as well just go to Belize or Costa Rica and actually enjoy yourself rather than spend the time watching over your shoulder. All due respect, 'the wife' needs some help to reevaluate on this one. Seriously.

 

[phathom]

Dude if you want to go to Mexico you need to fly way south, avoid everything on the border and in the middle areas of the country. We're talking pretty much Puerto Vallarta.

And if you've flown that far, might as well just go to Belize or Costa Rica and actually enjoy yourself rather than spend the time watching over your shoulder. All due respect, 'the wife' needs some help to reevaluate on this one. Seriously.

Honestly the only place I would want to go in Mexico is the Yucatan Peninsula, just because of the culture there, but she's young and turning 21 soon so she wants to go to the spring break type of places *facepalm* I'd like to go someplace far south like you said Costa Rica or something, but you know how the saying goes, "Happy wife, happy life." I will try to convince her to go to Costa Rica or Buenos Aires, Brazil, or something further south, but not to the areas that I have to worry about "American Kidnappings" for ransom.

 

[aslinged]

I know what you mean. And from what I've heard (which is hardly high speed) the Yucatan is actually one of the safer places as long as you stay in the tourist areas. No wandering off to meet the Zapatistas, don't go to bars off the main drag at night and you'll do fine I'm sure. Remember you pay off the police down there, even if you've done nothing wrong, so keep some cash on your person--hidden.

 

[RobertJ.]

Dude, forget Mexico. Talk her into going to Aruba! It's a great place to vacation!

 

[DERGLOCKINMEISTER]

Go to infinitybay.com . Not much further , much better politics and much less crime. Guy from Eugene are the developers . Looks like a gorgeous place.

 

[mpmax]

Why don't you and the wife spend a week in Hillsborrow or Woodburn? Parts are safer, same food, same people.

 

[Doubletap]

 

[ar57]

legal carry in mexico, only for bad guys or enough $$$ to pay the cops of.

 

[Stomper]

Not to mention you could get into the shiz coming BACK into the USA without the proper paperwork... I brought back an AR15A2 and a Beretta 92F from my tour in Germany and I had to fill out several forms PRIOR to leaving, and had the firearms compared to the paperwork at my port of entry.

 

[Riot]

Quick question...if you knew that there was a slight possibility of you getting mugged or kidnapped in a bar, would you go to that bar? And if so, would you carry a firearm into that bar (knowing full well that it was illegal to do so)?

Just do what I did for vacation...go on a cruise. It's awesome, they have their own security, you can get PLASTERED and walk to your room without a second thought about getting robbed and for less than you would normally spend overseas in a hotel room!

FYI, I would just avoid buying anything on the boat...they are WAY overpriced on EVERYTHING!

<broken link removed>

 

[Frog]

And here is the perfect cruise............

http://www.isamansworld.com/2009/05/cruise-coast-of-somalia.html


Frog

 

[phathom]

1: Already live in Hillsboro, so we're trying to get out of here, and trust me, it's not for the people. But that is funny.

2: Her grandparents have a timeshare membership for anywhere in the world that they don't use, you just have to pay like $100 for the cleaning of it before and after for the week, so that's why we're looking at places, rather than cruises. Aruba sounds very nice.

3: I tend to stay out of that situation and keep everyone else out of those situations anyway, that I wouldn't end up going to a bar or something where I had "that" feeling. Last thing I want is my vacation to turn out like the movie "Hostel".

For instance whenever we go down to California, when my wife and cousins get together they tend to get a little drunk and a little crazy and do stupid stuff and I'm always the sober one keeping them out of trouble. I'm always on guard more when I'm someplace I'm not normally around, especially downtown type areas.

4:

http://www.isamansworld.com/2009/05/cruise-coast-of-somalia.html
Frog

Isn't that where you're most likely to have the cruise liner taken over by pirates? Hmmm, could be interesting...

 

[Member 5605]

I have NO advice on the carry in Mexico.

I will tell you that the guys I worked with... told me stories of the "Real Mexico" and I won't ever go there unless I'm with them. Regardless if it's a tourist town etc.

Peeeeples gettn' killed all over Mexico, not just natives..

 

[ar57]

Dyjital,
Last month we drove to visit family, but left my wife and kids here.
Once we cross the border (El paso Tx) sun went down, you could hear the Aks going @ full blast
You need to know what areas to stay away and times.

 

[eraumon]

no, no, no, no, not ever "allowed" by law in Mexico. Puerto Vallarta is very safe from being robbed or mugged or anything against tourist. I have spent a lot of time in Mexico and the border states are bad. The cops are actually the ones who in their off time will put on the mask and put a gun in your face and take your money or take you and sell you to the guys who hold you and ask for the ransom. I have ran into narcos up in the mountains with AK's and if it their business to take or kill you they will but some of the cartels are purely drug transaction oriented and not into all the other stuff unless it affect's the transaction. That would be the Sinaloa cartel.
But anyways, it would be smart to have a gun on you in many parts of Mexico though it is illegal. Puerto Vallarta, Cabo, Cancun/Cozumel, Huatulco, Veracruz are not the areas where you need to be concerned. I would stay away from Acapulco and Puerto Penasco(rocky point). they are starting to have problems that where staying just outside of town that are starting to make there way into town where the tourists are.
Though I did run into the narcos in the mountains, I was not bothering their operation and they told me to just keep heading down the road. The only place I have had a gun in my face and a knife to my buddies throat for my watch and wallet and backpack was in Costa Rica in a small quiet town back in 1997. That was the only time if you don't count the uniformed Nogales police with an M4 that took me to the chief of the local police station who hit me up for what ever I had in my wallet except for $1.
I have a lot of friends from all over Mexico who I visit often and I can truly say that the whole country and culture is F'ed up the A. If you go and really experience it, you will really appreciate everything about America, even the idiots with different political and social views than yours no matter how misguided they are, this is a better country than any other in the world.

 

[phathom]

The cops are actually the ones who in their off time will put on the mask and put a gun in your face and take your money or take you and sell you to the guys who hold you and ask for the ransom. I have ran into narcos up in the mountains with AK's and if it their business to take or kill you they will.
Though I did run into the narcos in the mountains, I was not bothering their operation and they told me to just keep heading down the road. The only place I have had a gun in my face and a knife to my buddies throat for my watch and wallet and backpack was in Costa Rica in a small quiet town back in 1997. That was the only time if you don't count the uniformed Nogales police with an M4 that took me to the chief of the local police station who hit me up for what ever I had in my wallet except for $1.

Maybe I'll convince her to go to Hawaii again, I hear Maui's nice in the summer, and it's still in the Good Ol US of A.

 

[tionico]

The reason you can't find anything about concealed carry in Mexico is that there isn't any. Mainly because private parties are debarred the use of arms. Only military, police, or narcitraficantes are able to have guns..... and, at bottom, most times, they are all the same group. Private citizens, foreigners, may NOT have guns... which, in MY view, is why the three groups mentioned above have been able to continue with their terrorist activities. FIFTEEN THOUSAND people have died in Mexico since 2006 from drug-related violence. Those guys are so crazy they shoot people just because they see them. Or because they can't shoot straight and miss.. hitting the person behind them

Puerto Vallarta seems to be in a region of fairly heavy drug traffic. Sometimes these thugs just kill people because they can...... and killing tourists for fun has occurred.

And as to carrying anyway, IF you could get it onto the airplane and safely back onto your waist once there, (highly doubtful, with today's security), and you are caught with a firearm obviously knowingly being carried on your person, you are guaranteed a lengthy tour of one of the government prison facilities. Let me assure you, NOTHING you have seen or heard of here would prepare you for that experience. And bear in mind, Mexico has what is known as "Napoleionic Law", meaning you are guilty until you can prove your innocence. Nor is there such a things as a "speedy trial" AND, the jails do not provide food, necessities. That is YOUR problem to arrange. From inside. AFTER they have taken ALL your possessions when they dump, er, book you. To get an idea of how things might go, find a copy of Franz Kafka's book "the trial"...... its a short read. The ONLY difference that is likely is that you would have a pretty good idea of the actual charges laid against you, whereas Mr. K did not.

I would particularly stay away from heavy tourist areas that have sprung up in older cities, such as Puerto Vallarta, and particularly at times such as Carnaval, Spring Break, Samana Santa...... things often get pretty wild and crazy, undesirables mix in easily, and the law (such as it may be in good times) often looks the other way, not wanting to stir up riots, or deal with unpleasantries.

Also bear in mind the narcotraficantes are rather prone to kidnappings, and American tourists are prime targets... they fetch far more than the local guajiros.

No, Puerto Vallarta at spring break is a BAD idea. I'd sooner travel into the northern Kurdish areas of Iraq... far safer.

Someone mentioned Hualtulco, way down in Ozxaca state. This is an incredibly beautiful coastal town, gorgeous bay, cheap, off the beaten path, quiet, VERY friendly. About forty miles to the north is another quiet coastal town, Puerto Escondido, a world-renknown surfer paradise. I haven't been to either in ten years, but back then we felt totally safe anywhere we went. I drove a car from Washington all the way to Guatemala along the west coast route..... this area was the best we saw, excelt for Tepic, the capitol city of Nayarit... but, given what's been going down with the druggies, I'm not sure about Tepic anymore. PPretty remote, we saw NO other gringos the two whole days we were there. Huge, ancient city. real life in old Mexico. We loved it. I doubt there is one western style hotel in the whole city, though.... and the locals like it that way.

Costa Rica has come a long way in the past ten years... safety, amenities. particularly down toward the coast, and in the northern parts. I'd go there in a heartbeat. It has a well earned reputation for being modern enough gringos are comfortable, yet native enough it is truly a different culture. Americans are welcomed and safe there, LE do a pretty good job of keeping things in order, and so do the locals. They "get" that when gringos don't feel safe, or come away with bad experiences, they not only don't come back, they tell others not to as well. They've learned to think and act long term. I know American Airlines, and I think Alaska, fly nonstops from many west coast cities toSan Juan. Rent a car (cheap).. Its likely your timeshare thing will have something available in Costa Rica, it is a world-class tourist destination, tropica, beaches and mountains..... a;sp check to see if there are any facilities in Nicaragua. Yes, that scumbag Daniel Ortega snuck one past the people and got himself elected president again.... illegal, but he did. He's working hard at restoring the corruption he had going during his Sandinista reign, but so far the country itself has remained stable and peaceful, and the whole place is gorgsous (I've seen most of the Pacific Coast two-thirds). See if there are any facilities in that country.Again, American Airlines serves the Augusto Cesar Sandino Aeriopuerto Internacional, there outside Managua. The people are amazingly friendly, generous, hospitable. My favourite place to just go and relax was San Juan del Sur, an incredibly beautiful bay on the Pacific Coast a couple of miles north of the border with Costa Rica. There are some western style resorts there.

Until the government of Mexico manages to tame the narcotraficantes (and bring their corrupt police and military in line) I won't be going into Mexico. And, as mentioned, I drive a car the length of the country ten years ago, so its not like I'm a wimp or have no sense of adventure. After that trip, I was seriously considering taking the same trip by bicycle....... alone. )(time and funds precluded that venture). NO WAY would I even think of making that trip today, given the out of control situation throughout the whole country. And it affects every state in Mexico, nowhere is really safe these days. The civilians are unarmed, by law, and this have no ability to gain the upper hand. Snitch to the police, you are dead. As often at the hands of the police as the druggies (if not the same hands in both cases)

Google "shooting in Mexico" and see how many news stories you can find in the first ten pages..... them place the sites on a map of Mexico. Hardly anywhere is exempt. If you're wanting to play Indiana Jones and his cute sidekick whatsername, go for it. Otherwise, try Costa Rica, Nicaragua, even Panama or El Salvador. NOT Mexico, or Guatemala. Belize might be another option to consider, Honduras was recently involved in heavy flooding from tropical storms, may also have damaged Belize extensivey. Check.