Your plates say Maguey, Gota, or Minerva — it's time to swap them for the new Collage or Cabañas design. Through May 29, 2026 the 3×1 swap is free if you paid your 2025 refrendo during 2025 and you pay the 2026 refrendo. After May 30, the swap costs ~$4,000 MXN.

Here's everything you need: exact cost, documents, and where to do it in Puerto Vallarta without an appointment.

2026 Plate Change Cost

ItemCost
3×1 swap through May 29, 2026Free
2026 car refrendo (prerequisite)$1,100 MXN
2026 motorcycle refrendo (prerequisite)$600 MXN
Swap after May 30, 2026~$4,000 MXN
Emissions check with paid 2026 refrendoFree
The "free" swap isn't free without the prior payments. To qualify, you need your 2025 refrendo paid in 2025 plus the 2026 refrendo. Without those two payments, the full fee kicks in.

Which plates need swapping?

  • Maguey — blue agave design, 2008–2015.
  • Gota — water-drop icon, 2015–2019.
  • Minerva — Minerva goddess design, 2019–2023.

If your plates are already Collage or Cabañas (with the Hospicio Cabañas silhouette), you don't have to do anything. You're on the current design.

Not sure which one you have? If your registration card was issued before 2024, you almost certainly have Maguey, Gota, or Minerva.

What to bring

Original and copy of:

  • Valid INE, license, or passport
  • Proof of Jalisco address (no older than 90 days)
  • 2025 refrendo payment receipt (paid during 2025)
  • 2026 refrendo payment receipt
  • Vehicle invoice or title
  • 2025 emissions certificate — Pass or No Pass, both work. If you haven't verified, sign a commitment letter at the counter.
  • Physical old plates (yes, you turn them in)

Foreign residents: valid temporary/permanent resident card, FM2, or FM3.

If a third party files: simple power of attorney + apoderado's INE.

Motorcycles do NOT need emissions verification. For a motorcycle swap, just bring the plate and basic documents.

Step-by-step swap in Puerto Vallarta

1. Check which plate design you have. Maguey, Gota, or Minerva → keep going. Collage or Cabañas → nothing to do.

2. Pay the 2026 refrendo (if you haven't yet). Online at refrendo.jalisco.gob.mx or in person at OXXO, 7-Eleven, Farmacias Guadalajara, Soriana, Walmart, or the SET kiosk at Galerías Vallarta. Save the receipt.

3. If it's a car, get the 2025 emissions verification. Book at verificacionresponsable.jalisco.gob.mx. If time runs out, sign a commitment letter at the counter. Motorcycles exempt.

4. Show up at UNIRSE Fluvial Vallarta — no appointment. Av. Grandes Lagos #236, Fracc. Fluvial Vallarta. Mon–Fri 8 AM–4 PM. During the 3×1 extension they go by walk-in number; arrive 8:00–9:00 AM for the shortest line.

5. Hand over old plates + documentation at the counter.

6. Walk out with new plates (Collage or Cabañas) + updated registration card the same day.

Counter time: 1–2 hours if documentation is complete.

Want Pepe to handle it for you?

Pepe knows the UNIRSE Fluvial Vallarta workflow inside out. Send him photos of your registration card, current plates, and ID on WhatsApp. He tells you what's missing and goes for you. No lines, no lost half-day.

👉 Message Pepe on WhatsApp

Sold your car inside Jalisco? That's not a swap — it's an ownership transfer

People often confuse these. The 3×1 swap changes the physical plate design; the car stays yours. An ownership transfer moves the car to another person.

If you sold your car and the buyer lives in Jalisco:

  • Seller brings: original invoice or carta factura, INE, CURP.
  • Buyer brings: INE, CURP, proof of address.
  • Cost: ~$1,200 MXN.
  • Time: 3–5 business days.
  • Appointment required at agendador-shp.jalisco.gob.mx.

If the buyer lives in another state, it's not an ownership transfer — it's a plate cancellation (baja).

FAQ

How long is the 3×1 swap free? Through May 29, 2026. After that it costs ~$4,000 MXN. Use the extension.

Do I need an appointment? Not during the extension. Walk into UNIRSE Fluvial Vallarta and take a number. After May 29, 2026, you'll need to book at agendador-shp.jalisco.gob.mx.

What if I lost the old plates or they were stolen? File a report at the Fiscalía General del Estado (Av. Francisco Medina Ascencio at Pilaretes) before the swap. The folio is issued same day.

What if I don't do the swap? Fines for driving on obsolete plates, and eventually the registry stops recognizing your plate — which blocks any future procedure.

Does my motorcycle swap too? Yes. Same process, no verification. The $600 motorcycle refrendo paid in advance covers the prerequisite.

Can I swap at another office if I don't live in PV? Yes. UNIRSE serves the whole state. Guadalajara, Zapopan, and Tlaquepaque have dedicated 3×1 modules.

How much does Pepe charge? The gestor fee is separate from the official payments. Send him your registration card and he quotes the total before starting.

Ready to swap

Don't wait until the last day. The line grows as May 29 gets closer. Pepe books, gathers documents, and goes to UNIRSE for you.

👉 Message Pepe on WhatsApp

Based on the 2026 Ley de Ingresos del Estado de Jalisco. Last reviewed: May 2026.