Weekend 'Hoy No Circula' Ban in Mexico City: Which Vehicles Can Circulate on July 4?

Coordinated by the Mexico City Ministry of the Environment (SEDEMA) and implemented to moderate pollution levels, the 'Hoy No Circula' (Do Not Drive Today) program continues to be in effect on weekends. This practice aims to preserve air quality by restricting certain automobiles from driving in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area, and it is of great importance that drivers check the hologram types and the last digits of their license plates for their journeys within the city. Not limited to the capital's 16 administrative districts, this regulation has been expanded to include numerous municipal districts belonging to the State of Mexico.

The ban is valid in municipalities such as Atizapán de Zaragoza, Coacalco de Berriozábal, Cuautitlán, Cuautitlán Izcalli, Chalco, Chicoloapan, Chimalhuacán, Ecatepec de Morelos, Huixquilucan, Ixtapaluca, La Paz, Naucalpan de Juárez, Nezahualcóyotl, Nicolás Romero, Tecámac, Tlalnepantla de Baz, Tultitlán and Valle de Chalco; passing through or being located in any of these regions subjects drivers to the same restriction rules. The main purpose of these rules is to reduce traffic density on the streets on weekends in order to reduce environmental pollution; the 'Hoy No Circula Sabatino' rules applied every weekend do not mean that all drivers must stay home, but determine which vehicles can or cannot circulate subject to a penalty.

This traffic restriction applied on weekends is not applied continuously for 24 hours; it is valid during certain major time intervals, and although free circulation is not permitted during late night and night hours, it is generally known that traffic is free late at night and in the early morning. Restrictions start every morning around 05:00 and continue until 22:00 in the evening; outside this time period, vehicles can circulate unless the competent authorities declare an extraordinary environmental contingency. Competent authorities have the authority to change these hours in case of unexpected pollution or an emergency, so drivers need to follow any kind of change.

Looking at the date July 4, 2026, it is noteworthy that this date is the first Saturday of the month and is therefore classified as an 'odd week'; this classification is one of the most important factors determining which vehicles can and cannot circulate that weekend. Under these rules, private automobiles with hologram number 1 and odd last digits on their license plates are prohibited from circulating within the specified time interval, and their owners are asked to keep their vehicles in the garage during the specified hours and hit the road after the restriction period ends. Conversely, vehicles with holograms 0 and 00 can travel freely within the metropolitan area without facing any penalty, while vehicles with hologram 2 do not have permission to circulate on any Saturday.

Certain groups are exempt from these restrictions and are free from eco-friendly measures; electric vehicles, those running on natural gas or with hybrid technology are not affected by this ban. In addition, vehicles registered with plates belonging to persons with disabilities, city public transport (including funeral services), school buses or passenger transport vehicles, and vehicles allocated to public security and civil protection officials can use the roads without any restriction. Failure to comply with these rules has serious financial consequences; violating drivers can be fined between 20 and 30 Units of Measurement and Update (UMA), which amounts to approximately between 1,924.40 and 2,886.60 Mexican Pesos. Furthermore, drivers who do not comply with the rules may also face the risk of having their vehicles officially impounded.