Is it legal to drive in California using a driver's license issued in Mexico?

If the driver is a Mexican citizen, is here legally and the license is valid, the answer would be yes," says Steve Haskins at the DMV headquarters in Sacramento.

California does recognize a valid driver license that is issued by a foreign jurisdiction such as country, state, territory of which the license holder is a resident. However, unlike Europe, California does not recognize an international driving permit as a valid driver license.

The driving of commercial vehicles also complicates the matter. When it comes to impounding a car, the law gets laid down fairly similarly, whether the licensee is a U.S. or Mexican citizen.

As long as they have a valid Mexican license, and the vehicle is currently registered in Mexico and everything else is 'legit,' then they are allowed to drive here and we aren't going to impound anything.