Hoy No Circula

Hoy No Circula (literally in Spanish: "today it [your car] does not circulate", though known abroad academically as One Day Without a Car) is the name of an environmental program intended to improve the air quality of Mexico City. A similar coordinated program operates within the State of México, which surrounds Mexico City on three sides. Mexico City and Mexico State have reciprocal agreements with surrounding states that also have emissions testing programs to permit their residents to travel freely without restriction.

The following restriction below is applicable to vehicles that have other than 0 or 00 sticker (permits driving every day without restriction) and are plated in Mexico City, Mexico State and surrounding states that have an agreement with Mexico City and Mexico State. It is based on the last digit of their license plate. There are other restrictions that are applicable to non-local vehicles, including foreigners, that are presented in the remainder of this article.

Weekday	Plate's last digit	Sticker color
Monday	5 or 6	yellow
Tuesday	7 or 8	pink
Wednesday	3 or 4	red
Thursday	1 or 2	green
Friday	9 or 0 and those with letters only or temporary plates	blue

The hours of the program are from 5 A.M. to 10 P.M.

Emissions testing is conducted every 6 months.

History

Hoy no Circula was started in late 1989, and consisted of prohibiting the circulation of 20% of vehicles from Monday to Friday depending on the last digit of their license plates (see table). The program was planned to apply only during the winter, when air pollution is at its worst. Winter follows the rainy season when thermal inversion, an atmospheric condition which traps smog and pollution close to the ground, increases air pollution noticeably. However, the program was made permanent at the end of the 1990 winter season.

Emissions testing

Hoy No Circula is coupled with an exhaust monitoring program, known as verificación in Spanish, whereby a car's pollutant emissions are analyzed every six months. A sticker is affixed to each vehicle following an emissions test, indicating whether a vehicle is exempt from the program or not. Based on the result of their emissions test, vehicles are assigned to four classes. Class "00" (for certain new vehicles that exempt from emissions testing for up to 2, 4 or 6 years depending on gas mileage and the amount of emissions they put out, the local environmental authorities keep a list of which vehicles are eligible). For 2008, this includes certain 2009, 2008 and 2007 model year vehicles. Class "0" (generally, cars less than 9 years old and meeting more stringent emissions requirements) are exempt from the Hoy no Circula program. Class "1" vehicles are subject to the Hoy no Circula program. Class "1" vehicles as of 2008 are now grouped under Class "2" vehicles. Class "2" vehicles (including all pre-1991 passenger cars) meet weaker emissions requirements, but are subject to both Hoy no Circula and an environmental contigency program. Class 2 vehicles also include all vehicles that are older than 8 years old and that do not have an extension as permitted under the Class 00 program. No foreign plated vehicle or vehicle from a state other than the State of Mexico or the Federal District is eligible to receive a 2 sticker per Class 2 regulations. Those vehicles must obey the hoy no circula program.

Property tax

If a Mexican vehicle's property tax (known in Spanish as tenencia) is not paid, or lapses, the vehicle will not be permitted to have the obligatory emissions testing performed. Such vehicles are then not allowed on the road, and their owners are fined if the property tax hologram is absent after the expiration date. Foreign-plated vehicles that test in a voluntary manner are not subject to this requirement.

Exemptions

In 1997, to encourage the use of newer, fuel-efficient vehicles equipped with catalytic converters, cars manufactured after 1993 became eligible for an exemption. As a result, by 2003 only 7.6% of vehicles were not allowed to circulate on the average weekday, down from 20% when the program was launched. As of 2008, only vehicles under 9 years old are allowed to receive the 0 or 00 sticker. Only locally plated vehicles may receive a 2 sticker. Emergency services, solar or electric vehicles, government and school buses are also exempt. There is under the law a special exemption for vehicles, regardless of model year, for handicapped individuals. This also includes handicapped individuals with handicapped plates not from the Federal District or the State of Mexico. Diplomatic vehicles are also exempt. Vehicles that are 30 years or older can apply for an auto antiguo (antique) license plate, that exempts them from emissions testing and hoy no circula restrictions. This requires an inspection of the vehicle by local authorities and a large fee to be paid (currently around $1000 USD) in order to receive these plates. Motorcycles are currently exempt. However, those traveling by motorcycle through the metropolitan area should keep in mind that traffic laws (unrelated to hoy no circula) prohibit motorcycles to travel on expressways and therefore they must use side roads, streets, avenues, etc.

Note that on certain holidays, the local authorities will permit, depending on environmental conditions, for any vehicle to circulate without restriction. This is usually noted through local media.

Vehicles with Foreign License Plates and those vehicles not from Mexico City, the State of Mexico or states that have reciprocal agreements with the government of the Federal District (Monday to Friday)

Foreign-plated vehicles (mostly affecting those from Belize, Canada, Guatemala and the United States) and those from Mexican states that do not have a reciprocal agreement with Mexico City and the State of Mexico are not exempted from the license plate restrictions. In order to be exempted, they must submit to voluntary emission-testing in Mexico City and their vehicle must not be older than 8 years old. This testing is done every 6 months. Should they pass and receive a 0 or 00 stickers, they will be allowed to travel freely though Mexico City and Mexico State, even in the case of an environmental contingency. Like locally plated vehicles, they must continue to test every 6 months until their vehicle turns 9 years old after which they must follow the rules below.

If a vehicle owner chooses not to test voluntarily or is no longer eligible for a 0 or 00 sticker, they are subject to a set of rules separate from locally plated vehicles.

The first restriction, begun on July 1, 2008 and fully enforced as of September 1, 2008, is they are not permitted to drive from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. from Monday to Friday.

The second restriction is similar to that of locally plated vehicles, being not allowed to drive one day from Monday to Friday from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. based on the last digit of one's license plate.

Weekday	Plate's last digit	Sticker color
Monday	5 or 6	yellow
Tuesday	7 or 8	pink
Wednesday	3 or 4	red
Thursday	1 or 2	green
Friday	9 or 0 and those with letters only or temporary plates	blue

Example: A vehicle from Texas has their last digit being a 3. Thus under the rules above from Monday to Friday, they cannot drive between 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. However, on Wednesday, they have the additional restriction that they cannot drive between 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. The only way they can get around this is to obtain a 0 or 00 sticker should their vehicle be 8 years old or newer.

No foreign-plated vehicle or vehicle not from the State of Mexico or the Federal District is eligible for a 00 sticker.

Currently, Mexico City and Mexico State have reciprocal agreements that recognize emissions stickers from the Mexican states of Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Michoacan, Morelos, Puebla, Queretaro and Tlaxcala.

However, one must also keep in mind the next category, the Saturday restrictions that also apply.

Saturday Restrictions

A new restriction that began on July 5, 2008 applies only to locally plated vehicles with a 2 sticker and non-local vehicles that do not have a 0 or 00 sticker.

Depending on the last digit of one's license plate, vehicles are not permitted to circulate in Mexico City or Mexico State on Saturday between the hours of 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. on one Saturday a month.

Weekday	Plate's last digit	Sticker color
First Saturday of the month	5 or 6	yellow
Second Saturday of the month	7 or 8	pink
Third Saturday of the month	3 or 4	red
Fourth Saturday of the month	1 or 2	green
Fifth Saturday of the month (if it exists)	9 or 0 and those with letters only or temporary plates	blue

Example: A vehicle from Texas has their last digit being a 3. Thus under the rules above from Monday to Friday, they cannot drive between 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. However, on Wednesday, they have the additional restriction that they cannot drive between 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. And on the third Saturday of the month they cannot circulate between 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. The only way they can get around this is to obtain a 0 or 00 sticker should their vehicle be 8 years old or newer.

Example: A vehicle from Mexico City has a 2 sticker and the last digit of their license plate is a 3. Thus under the rules they cannot drive on Wednesday from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. and the third Saturday of the month from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Environmental contingency

Under certain conditions, an environmental contingency is declared. This affects vehicles that do not have a 0 or 00 sticker or are subject to some other exemption. Although rarer in previous years, it is important to check with local authorities and pay attention to local news outlets to understand what restrictions (hours) and to whom it affects. Such restrictions are often changed every 6 months and are related to the levels of ozone and particulate matter in the air, which are measured hourly.

Special Pass for Tourists and Programa Paisano

If one has a vehicle that is from a Mexican state or foreign country without a reciprocity agreement with either Mexico City or Mexico State, one can obtain a tourist pass known as Pase Turistico, that allows one to drive in Mexico City and Mexico State for up to 2 weeks and be exempt from the Hoy No Circula program. One does not need to do a voluntary emissions test with this special pass. However, one can only receive this pass if one's vehicle is a 1993 model year or newer, http://www.paseturistico.df.gob.mx/pasetur/

During part of early December to early January, Mexico City and Mexico State participate in a special program with the federal government called the Programa Paisano. One part of this program permits, without any special pass, for foreign-plated vehicles regardless of model year (those with plates from other than states in Mexico) to pass freely through the metropolitan area without regard to the Hoy No Circula program.

See also

• Car Free Days

References

• http://www.sma.df.gob.mx
• http://www.sma.df.gob.mx/sma/links/download/biblioteca/progveri1sem2009.pdf
• http://www.hoynocircula.com.mx
• http://www.sma.df.gob.mx/pasetur/

• Alva-Gonzáles,, Miguel-Ángel (2008). Environmentally unfriendly consumption behaviour : theoretical and empirical evidence from private motorists in Mexico City .... Göttingen: Cuvillier. ISBN 9783867275965. http://www.gbv.de/dms/zbw/568925491.pdf.