If you own a vehicle and live in the State of Morelos, stop what you are doing and check your vehicle’s paperwork (especially the refrendo as shown above) for irregularities. If any of the information is incorrect, you may be stopped by the police and threatened with your vehicle being impounded if you do not pay a mordida (Spanish for bribe or bite). Also, if you attempt to get it corrected at the office of the Directorate of Mobility and Transportation (Dirección de Movilidad y Transporte), they may attempt to charge an enormous fee.
Numerous reports indicate that there is a significant, widespread, and ongoing corruption and irregularities within the Directorate of Mobility and Transportation in Morelos, México, which includes the issuance of incorrect documentation and issues with vehicle registration. The acts have been occuring since at least June of 2025 and continue to grow in numbers with the latest report coming in this past week.
It is important to check all paperwork provided by the Directorate of Mobility and Transportation for irregularities, such as the Address (Domicilio) and ensure that all information is correct. If there are any irregularities there is a high chance that your car will be pulled over and impounded as illegal. Also, understand that your vehicle may be impounded or due to corruption the police may attempt to impounded the vehicle unless a payment is made to the police officer. See Impounded Cars Are Difficult or Impossible to Recover.
The largest number of irregularities have been an incorrect address (domicilo). The address will often be a vacant lot in Morelos, such as the one on the refrendo at the top of this article, and shown below, which was on refrendo issued in December 2025. The police have access to your refrendo, and if they pull up the address in Google Maps and it is a vacant lot like the one below, they claim that your vehicle is illegally registered and must be impounded unless you pay a bribe to the officer.
Key Information regarding Incorrect Documents in Morelos
Systemic Issues: Citizens have denounced widespread irregularities, including the use of “fixers or facilitators” (Gestión o Tramites Servicios) or other third-party agents that provide vehicle paperwork management and are supported by officials to process documents improperly, as reported in 2025 (See Corruption at the Morelos Directorate of Mobility and Transportation). Federal officials have recommended that citizens cease using facilitators due to the inherient and possible involvement in the corruption.
Office Closures & Investigations: Due to severe corruption, including issues with license plates and registration, some mobility offices in Morelos have been closed, with the Comptroller’s office investigating.
Corruption & High Costs: Reports mention that obtaining correct documents sometimes involves bribery, with costs ranging from 800 to 2,500 pesos, making the process unreliable for the general public.
Address/Validation Issues: For document validation, especially for licenses issued before May 2019, users must visit the SMyT (Secretaría de Movilidad y Transporte) in person.
New Location: The Coordination General of Mobility and Transportation has changed its main location to Calle Cuauhtemotzin Número 01, Colonia Club de Golf, in Cuernavaca.
Steps to Take for Incorrect Documents
Given the reported corruption, it is advisable to handle corrections in person rather than through third-party agents.
Visit the New Location: Go to the updated headquarters in Cuernavaca to rectify the documentation.
Use Official Channels: Federal officials have issued warnings to avoid use of “fixers or facilitators” (gestores) and deal directly with the authorities to avoid fraudulent documents.
Verify Licences: Use the “Sistema de Validación de Licencias de Conducir del Estado de Morelos” online to check if your license is valid if it was issued after May 2019.
