Car insurance with a matrícula consular or foreign license
What Texas requires to insure a car, which documents companies accept, and how to spot a named driver policy before you sign.
- You do not need a Texas driver license or a Social Security number to buy car insurance in Texas.
- You do need a car, an insurable interest in it, and ID the company accepts.
- Ask whether a policy is named driver, meaning it covers only the people listed by name, and get that answer in writing.
You do not need a Texas driver license or a Social Security number to buy car insurance in Texas. You need a car, an insurable interest in it, and ID the company accepts. Insurable interest means you would lose money if the car were wrecked. Companies here write these policies every day.
Documents you can use to buy car insurance in Texas
- Matrícula consular
- A passport from your home country
- A foreign driver license, including a Mexican one
- An ITIN, the tax number for people who cannot get a Social Security number
- Proof of address, such as a utility bill or lease
- The car title or registration in your name
What changes without a Texas license
Not the legality of the policy. What changes is which companies will quote you, and what they charge.
Standard companies often turn these down. The nonstandard market picks them up. Nonstandard means companies that take drivers other insurers pass on, and they charge more for the same coverage. So shopping matters more here, not less.
If you are eligible for a Texas license, getting one often helps at renewal. The company can then pull your motor vehicle record, the state's list of your tickets and crashes.
Watch for named driver policies
Many low cost policies in this market are named driver policies. That kind covers only the people listed by name. Everyone else who drives the car is left out.
If your spouse takes the car to work and is not listed, a crash that day may not be covered. Ask whether the policy is named driver or named insured. Named insured is the ordinary kind, which also covers others in your house. Get that answer in writing.
Driving into Mexico
A Texas policy does not cover you in Mexico. Mexican law requires liability from an insurer authorized there. Liability is the part that pays for the injury and damage you cause to other people. If you cross regularly, buy a Mexican policy separately, and read this before your next trip. The Texas Department of Insurance says it plainly. Mexico does not recognize American auto policies.
What to bring us
- Your ID and any driver license you hold
- The car year, make and model, plus the VIN, the vehicle identification number
- How long you have driven, and any insurance you had before, including coverage from another country, which some companies will credit
We do this every week
Bring what you have. We will go through the companies that consider these applications and show you what each one quotes. Call our McAllen office at (956) 687 3334, or enter your ZIP code in the form on this page. Se habla español. If this is your first policy, see buying car insurance for the first time in South Texas.
Common follow-up questions
Is it legal to insure a car without a Social Security number?
Yes. Texas does not require a Social Security number to buy car insurance. Each company sets its own paperwork rules, so the company you apply to matters.
Can I insure a car titled in someone else's name?
Usually you need an insurable interest in the car, meaning you would lose money if it were wrecked. Some companies allow it with an explanation and the owner listed. Tell the agent the truth about who owns it and who drives it, or the claim gets complicated.
Will prior insurance from Mexico count?
A few companies will credit prior coverage you can document. Bring the paperwork, because it can move you out of the highest rate tier.
Need a quote?
Enter your ZIP code to get started. Ten questions, about two minutes.
Or call (956) 687 3334, Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM.
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Gerino Alejos
Licensed insurance agent · License 3128710 · NPN 18243381
Owner of McAllen Insurance Group, an independent agency on North 10th Street in McAllen. Works with clients across Hidalgo, Cameron and Starr counties on Medicare, Marketplace health, life and auto coverage. Se habla español.