which cars can circulate and which rest on May 23

A new Saturday Today No Circula day is launched this weekend, a measure coordinated by the Environment Secretariat of Mexico City (SEDEMA) whose objective is to mitigate pollution levels in the Valley of Mexico.

Those who plan to travel in their private vehicles must carefully verify the last digit of their license plate and the verification hologram before going out on the street. It is worth remembering that this ordinance not only restricts mobility in the 16 municipalities of CDMX, but its obligation extends to various metropolitan municipalities of the State of Mexico. The program operates in:

• 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

Also, remember that if your route passes through any of these locations, the Saturday No Circulation Day also applies.

Which vehicles and license plates are affected by Hoy No Circula Saturday?

The objective is to reduce the volume of cars in circulation to reduce polluting emissions; However, Saturday sessions operate under particular guidelines that complement the rules in force from Monday to Friday. Not all units must stop on the same weekend: the hologram, the completion of the license plate and whether Saturday corresponds to an even or odd week will determine which driver must leave their car parked and who has the option of transiting.

Likewise, it is mandatory to consider that the Saturday Hoy No Circula does not remain active during the entire day. The hours of application go from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., so outside of that period—during the night and early morning—the regulations do not limit road traffic, unless the authorities dictate an environmental contingency or another extraordinary measure with added restrictions.

For the specific date of May 23, 2026it is established that as we are talking about the fourth Saturday of the month, it is the vehicles with hologram 1 and license plates whose ending is an even number that will have to suspend their activities and not circulate for the duration of the program.

If your car has these characteristics, it will be mandatory to keep it motionless until the regulatory deadline ends after 10:00 p.m. In contrast, those cars that have a 0 and 00 hologram retain the authorization to move freely under the guidelines of Today No Circula Saturday. Meanwhile, the units identified with hologram 2 cannot circulate under any circumstances on Saturdays.

Apart from the previous categories, it is necessary to take into account that there is a list of exempt vehicles that enjoy the benefit of circulating without being compromised by the restrictions current. These include:

• 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

Motorists who do not comply will face significant financial penalties. The fine for violating the program ranges from 20 to 30 times the Measurement and Update Unit (UMA), which is equivalent to approximately 1,924.40 pesos at the minimum and up to 2,886.60 pesos at the maximum. Along with the direct monetary impact, the potential retention of the unit in a warehouse and the setbacks linked to clearing the corresponding procedures with the authorities are contemplated.

In short, if you plan to make trips in your car this Saturday through CDMX or through the suburban municipalities of the State of Mexico that are included in this regulation, it is advisable to carefully check before starting what hologram your vehicle has, what the ending of your license plate is and if the calendar shows an even or odd week.

Photo | Sunira Moses

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