New Jalisco License Plates 2026: Who Must Swap, Costs, and Where to Do It
🚨 EXTENSION — Deadline May 29, 2026. The 3×1 plate exchange is still free through that date if you paid the 2025 refrendo during 2025. After May 30, the exchange costs ~$4,000 MXN.
Your plates say Maguey, Gota, or Minerva — and Jalisco is replacing them with the new Collage and Cabañas designs. The 3×1 swap is still free through May 29, 2026, as long as you paid your 2025 refrendo during 2025. After May 30: ~$4,000 MXN.
Here's everything: cost, documents, and where to do it in Puerto Vallarta without an appointment.
2026 Cost
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| 3×1 swap (through May 29, 2026) | Free |
| 2026 car refrendo (prerequisite) | $1,100 MXN ($1,000 + $40 Red Cross + $60 Hogar Cabañas) |
| 2026 motorcycle refrendo (prerequisite) | $600 MXN |
| Swap after extension (from May 30, 2026) | ~$4,000 MXN |
| Emissions check with paid 2026 refrendo | Free |
For the swap to be free, you need two prior payments: 2025 refrendo paid in 2025 + 2026 refrendo. Without those two, the full fee applies.
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 silhouette of Hospicio Cabañas), you don't have to do anything — you're on the current design.
Not sure which plate you have? If your registration card was issued before 2024, you almost certainly have Maguey, Gota, or Minerva.
"Canje 3×1" changes the physical plate design only. It's not the same as a new vehicle registration (alta) or an ownership transfer.
What to bring
Original and copy of each:
- 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 yet, sign a commitment letter at the counter.
- Physical old plates (yes, you hand them back)
Foreign residents: valid temporary/permanent resident card, FM2, or FM3.
Motorcycles do NOT need emissions verification. Just bring the plate and basic paperwork.
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. 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 you can't verify in time, 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 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 if documentation is complete.
Counter time: 1–2 hours with complete documents.
Want Pepe to handle the swap for you?
Pepe knows the UNIRSE Fluvial Vallarta workflow inside out. Send him a WhatsApp photo of your registration card, current plates, and ID. He tells you what's missing and goes for you — no lines, no lost half-day.
FAQ
How long is the free 3×1 swap in effect? Until May 29, 2026. After that it costs ~$4,000 MXN.
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 a regular appointment at agendador-shp.jalisco.gob.mx.
My old plates were stolen or lost — can I still swap? Yes, but file a police report at the Fiscalía General del Estado (Av. Francisco Medina Ascencio at Pilaretes) first. The folio is issued same day.
Does my motorcycle also need new plates? Yes. Same process, no verification. The $600 motorcycle refrendo covers the prerequisite.
What happens if I don't swap? Fines for driving on obsolete plates, and eventually the registry stops recognizing your plate — which blocks the refrendo and any future paperwork.
I live outside Puerto Vallarta — can I do it at another office? Yes. UNIRSE serves the whole state. Guadalajara, Zapopan, and Tlaquepaque have dedicated 3×1 modules. Same paperwork.
How long does the appointment take? One visit of 1–2 hours if you have everything in order and arrive early.
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.
Based on the 2026 Ley de Ingresos del Estado de Jalisco. Last reviewed: May 2026.
Ready for Pepe to handle it for you?
Skip the queues and impossible appointments. Pepe handles your entire procedure in Jalisco. Just send photos of your documents on WhatsApp.
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