which cars can circulate and which rest on March 7

This Saturday the vehicle restriction scheme is activated again in the Metropolitan Area of ​​the Valley of Mexico, known as Hoy No Circula Sabatino, with which the Ministry of the Environment of Mexico City (SEDEMA) seeks to contain pollution spikes by cutting the number of cars on the street.

Before starting the engine, it’s time to calmly check what hologram your car has, how the license plate ends and what type of Saturday the calendar marks, because it depends on whether you can drive or have to leave the vehicle parked.

The scope of the program is not limited to the 16 municipalities of Mexico City: it also extends to 18 municipalities of the State of Mexico integrated into the metropolitan area. Among them are:

• Atizapan of Zaragoza
• Coacalco de Berriozábal
• Cuautitlan
• Cuautitlán Izcalli
• Chalco
• Chicoloapan
• Chimalhuacan
• Ecatepec de Morelos
• Huixquilucan
• Ixtapaluca
• Peace
• Naucalpan de Juárez
• Nezahualcoyotl
• Nicolas Romero
• Tecámac
• Tlalnepantla de Baz
• Tultitlan
• Chalco Valley

If your route crosses any of these points, you must assume that the Saturday No Circula Today restrictions also apply throughout the journey.

What cars and license plates does Hoy No Circula Saturday affect?

The spirit of the scheme is simple: take a portion of the most polluting cars off the road to reduce total emissions, but different rules are combined on Saturdays than those from Monday to Friday. The filter is defined taking into account three variables: the verification hologram, the last digit of the license plate and whether Saturday corresponds to an even or odd week, which distributes the breaks throughout the month between the different groups of drivers.

It is also worth remembering that the Saturday Hoy No Circula does not operate 24 hours a day: The valid hours are from 05:00 to 22:00, so that outside this interval there are no restrictions derived from this program, unless an environmental contingency or other extraordinary measure is decreed.

For March 7, 2026, the calendar places the date as the first Saturday of the month, which classifies it as an “odd week” within the scheme. In this scenario, vehicles with hologram 1 whose license plate ends in an odd number are the ones that must remain out of circulation between five in the morning and ten at night, which is when the measure applies.

If your car fits that combination of hologram and license plate finish, the recommendation is to leave it stored until the restriction hours end and look for mobility alternatives for your trips that day.

On the other hand, cars with hologram 0 and 00 maintain a green light to circulate without limitations within the rules of Today Not Circulating on Saturdays, while vehicles with hologram 2 cannot circulate on any Saturday, regardless of whether the week is even or odd.

Beyond these assumptions, there is a list of exempt vehicles that can move normally despite the program:

• Electric, natural gas or hybrid technology vehicles
• Units registered with plates for people with disabilities
• All those intended for urban public transport services (including funeral services)
• Those dedicated to school or passenger transportation
• Those assigned to public security and/or civil protection

Those who decide to ignore the provisions of Today No Circula Saturday risk a significant financial penalty. The fine for driving when it does not correspond is 20 to 30 times the Measurement and Update Unit (UMA), a figure that translates into around 1,900 and almost 2,900 pesos, to which could be added the immobilization of the vehicle and the time lost to recover the unit and regularize the situation before the authority.

Looking ahead to this Saturday, if you plan to drive through CDMX or through any of the Edomex municipalities that are part of the program, the most prudent thing is to confirm in advance what hologram your car has, how your registration ends and what type of week you are in.

Today No Circula on Saturday is designed to leave the most polluting cars at home, but at the same time it forces you to better plan your trips and always take into account other mobility options when your car has to rest

Photo | Noah Katz

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