which cars can circulate and which rest on February 28

This Saturday the Hoy No Circula Saturday scheme is back in operation, the mechanism with which the Environment Secretariat of Mexico City (SEDEMA) restricts the circulation of certain vehicles to try to contain pollution in the Valley of Mexico. Once again, anyone planning to use the car should carefully check its license plate finish and verification hologram before driving off.

The restrictions are not limited to the 16 municipalities of CDMX, but also extend to a series of suburban municipalities in the State of Mexico included in the program. Today No Saturday Circulation also applies to:

• 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, keep in mind that if your route crosses any of these demarcations, the Saturday No Circulation Day will be equally applicable to your vehicle throughout the journey.

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

The logic of the program is to reduce the number of cars in circulation in order to reduce emissions, but Saturdays are governed by their own rules that are added to the scheme from Monday to Friday. Not all drivers rest on the same weekend: it is the combination of hologram, license plate finish and whether Saturday corresponds to an even or odd week that determines which cars must remain stopped and which can leave.

It is also worth remembering that Hoy No Circula on Saturdays does not operate 24 hours a day. The application schedule goes from 05:00 to 22:00; Outside of that period—that is, at night and early morning—the program does not limit vehicle traffic, unless an environmental contingency or another extraordinary measure is decreed that adds additional restrictions.

For February 21, 2026, the calendar indicates that it is the third Saturday of the month, which is why it is classified as an “odd week.” Under this scenario, vehicles with hologram 1 and plates whose ending is an odd number are the ones that must remain out of circulation during the entire official program schedule.

If your car falls into that category, you will have to keep it parked until after 10:00 p.m. On the other hand, vehicles with hologram 0 and 00 retain permission to circulate without restrictions within the framework of Today No Circula Saturday. Cars with hologram 2, for their part, cannot circulate on Saturdays under any circumstances.

Along with the previous cases, there is a group of vehicles exempt that can circulate without being affected by these rules. Among them are:

• 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

Whoever decides to ignore the provisions of Hoy No Circula risks a considerable financial penalty. The fine for failing to comply with the program ranges from 20 to 30 times the Measurement and Update Unit (UMA), which translates into approximately 1,924.40 pesos at the minimum and up to 2,886.60 pesos at the maximum. Added to this blow to the pocketbook is the immobilization of the vehicle and the time lost in resolving the problem before the corresponding authorities.

In short, if you are going to use the car this Saturday in CDMX or in one of the suburban municipalities of the State of Mexico included in the program, it is advisable to verify before leaving which hologram your vehicle carries, what the ending of your license plate is and if the calendar shows an even or odd week. Today No Circula on Saturday seeks to take the most polluting cars off the road, but at the same time forces people to better plan trips and consider mobility alternatives when the vehicle has to stay at home.

Photo | Osmany M Leyva Aldana

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