Vehicle Emissions Verification in Mexico City: Calendar and Rules
The sticker-color calendar, what each hologram means for Hoy No Circula, how to book a verificentro and what happens if you miss your window.
Cars registered in Mexico City must pass an emissions inspection (verificación vehicular) every six months at an authorized inspection center (verificentro), in a two-month window set by the color of the circulation sticker and the last digit of the plate. The result is a hologram, 00, 0, 1 or 2, which decides how often the car can drive under Hoy No Circula.
When does your car need verification?
The calendar repeats every semester. Each sticker color (engomado) matches two plate digits and gets a two-month window in each half of the year. The city’s environment ministry (SEDEMA) publishes the program for each semester in the Mexico City official gazette, and the windows below have been used in recent semesters, as of November 2026.
| Sticker color | Last plate digit | First semester | Second semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow | 5 and 6 | January and February | July and August |
| Pink | 7 and 8 | February and March | August and September |
| Red | 3 and 4 | March and April | September and October |
| Green | 1 and 2 | April and May | October and November |
| Blue | 9 and 0 | May and June | November and December |
In November 2026, green-sticker cars are finishing their window and blue-sticker cars are in theirs. Confirm the dates in the current program before booking, because SEDEMA can adjust them.
What do holograms 00, 0, 1 and 2 mean?
The hologram grades how clean the car is, and it decides which Hoy No Circula restrictions apply:
- 00 and 0: newer and cleaner cars. They are exempt from the normal Hoy No Circula program and can drive every day outside environmental contingencies.
- 1: the car rests one weekday and two Saturdays a month.
- 2: the car rests one weekday and every Saturday.
Our guide to Hoy No Circula rules has the full weekday and Saturday chart. During a Phase I or Phase II environmental contingency, stricter limits apply, including to some 0 and 00 cars; see our explainer on air quality contingencies. Electric cars and some hybrids have their own exemptions, so check the program text for your model.
How do you book and what do you bring?
Verification is done only at authorized verificentros in Mexico City, or in the State of Mexico for cars registered there. The usual process:
- Book an appointment through SEDEMA’s online booking system for verificentros, choosing a center and a time inside your window.
- Bring the vehicle’s circulation card (tarjeta de circulación) and the certificate from the last verification.
- Pay the verification fee at the center. The fee is set in the program for each semester and updated with the official unit of measure (UMA), so check the current amount before you go.
- Present the car with the check-engine light off and no visible smoke or leaks. Cars that fail can be repaired and taken back for another test.
- Keep the certificate and check that the new hologram is attached to the windshield.
What if you miss your window?
A car that misses its window needs a late verification (verificación extemporánea). The owner must first pay a fine set in the semester’s program, then book a regular test. Until the car is verified, it also faces the same driving limits as an unverified car under Hoy No Circula, and police can fine it.
The fine amount is published in the program and expressed in UMA, which changes every February. Check the SEDEMA program or the city’s finance portal for the current figure rather than relying on amounts quoted in the press.
What about foreign plates and cars from other states?
Cars with foreign plates or plates from outside the Megalopolis do not follow the Mexico City calendar, because they are not registered there. They are treated as foreign (foráneos) under Hoy No Circula, with restrictions on weekday mornings and Saturdays unless they carry a tourist pass or a hologram from a voluntary verification at a Mexico City or State of Mexico center.
The Megalopolis Environmental Commission’s Hoy No Circula guide explains these options. If you plan to keep a US car in the city for a long time, read our guide to bringing a foreign-plated car to Mexico City first.
This is a general summary of the program, not legal advice; SEDEMA and traffic authorities apply the rules.
Bottom line
Check your sticker color and last plate digit, put both semester windows in your calendar, and book a verificentro early in the window, since slots fill up near the end. If the car fails, fix it and retest before the deadline to avoid the late-verification fine.
FAQ
How long is a verification valid?
One semester. Each car is tested twice a year, once in each half of the year, according to its sticker color.
Can I verify a Mexico City car in another state?
Mexico City accepts tests done at verificentros in the city and, for cars registered there, in the State of Mexico. Other states run their own programs, so check SEDEMA before testing elsewhere.
Do new cars need verification right away?
The semester program sets when a new car’s first regular test is due and which hologram it carries until then. Ask the dealer and keep the paperwork from the sale.
What happens if my car fails?
The center gives a rejection report. Repair the problem and return for a retest inside your window; if the window closes first, the late-verification rules apply.
