SICT Formalizes Temporary Permits

The Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications, and Transport (SICT) has authorized the use of a Provisional Permit to Circulate Without Plates or Stickers on federal roads and bridges- This move aims to guarantee the continuity of federal transport operations amid a persistent shortage of metallic license plates.

The measure, published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF), establishes that vehicles operating under federal concessions, including freight, passenger, auxiliary, and private transport, may circulate using a temporary administrative document as their identification.

Temporary Measure to Ensure Operational Continuity

According to the SICT, this temporary authorization is designed to avoid disruptions in logistics and passenger mobility while the ministry completes the delayed distribution of metallic license plates. The permit will have a validity of up to 180 calendar days from the date of issue and will serve the same legal function as traditional plates during that period.

Each provisional permit must be clearly visible and legible, include the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), and feature a QR code linked to the Federal Transport Institutional System (SIAF). The code will store information on the vehicle’s registration and circulation card to ensure administrative traceability and legal certainty.

The SICT may also add additional security elements — such as seals, emblems, or official graphics — to prevent forgery or misuse. Permittees can additionally employ the “Balizamiento” scheme (reflective markings) authorized earlier this year to reinforce vehicle identification.

The ministry says that the permit is temporary and does not replace the permanent plate registration process. The SICT will later notify operators about the procedures and dates for metallic plate delivery. Forgery or alteration of the permits will be sanctioned according to federal law.

Industry Voices Raise Concerns

While the measure seeks to maintain transport continuity, several industry actors have voiced strong criticism through the National Commission for Regulatory Improvement (CONAMER). They warn that the SICT continues to issue permits without enforcing physical-mechanical or emissions verification, which could compromise road safety and regulatory oversight.

“They are granting permits without verifications or plates, leaving both operators and users unprotected,” reads one comment submitted to CONAMER.

Stakeholders also questioned the overlapping regulatory burden, noting that vehicles carrying hazardous materials could end up displaying multiple QR codes, one from the provisional permit, another from express authorization, and a third from the Energy Ministry (SENER).

Concerns further extend to longstanding administrative inefficiencies. Critics argue that unresolved issues from the 2001 National Reorganization and Regularization Program have allowed thousands of unregulated vehicles to operate without plates, fueling corruption and extortion by some enforcement agents.

“The DGAF must ensure that these new provisional permits are later regularized to avoid repeating the same problem,” transporters demand.

Mounting Pressure Over Delays

The new authorization highlights the mounting bottleneck in plate issuance. SICT data show that in April 2025, only 14,041 federal freight permits were processed, a 21% drop compared to the same month in 2024. The shortage is especially severe in Mexico City, Nuevo Leon, and Jalisco, where demand for renewals and new permits has surged alongside nearshoring-driven logistics growth, MBN reports.

Industry representatives, including Eucario Reyes, President, National Association of Representation in Motor Transport (ANRA), warn that by October “no metallic plates will remain available” at the General Directorate of Federal Motor Transport (DGAF). Reyes says that while the sector had proposed an alternative financing mechanism to accelerate plate production, the initiative was rejected due to corruption concerns, leaving companies dependent on short-term permits that “fail to meet the long-term operational needs of the industry.”