As of January 1, 2026, the 'Hoy No Circula' (Today You Don't Drive) program began to be enforced with sanctions in the metropolitan areas of the Toluca Valley and Santiago Tianguistenco after a previous period of socialization, reported the Secretariat of the Environment and Sustainable Development of the State of Mexico. The 'Hoy No Circula' is a vehicle restriction program that aims to reduce air pollution by limiting the days certain cars can circulate, based on the verification hologram, the color of the sticker on the license plate, and the plate's ending. State authorities informed that, with the program's entry into force, sanctions are applied to those who fail to comply with the provisions. Driving on a restricted day implies a fine of 20 Measurement and Update Units (UMA); performing the vehicle verification late carries a sanction of 30 UMA. Also, exceeding the maximum limits of pollutant emissions, detected by remote sensors, can result in a fine of 24 UMA, in addition to the confiscation of license plates. Vehicles with a Double Zero and Zero hologram are exempt from the program, as well as those intended for emergency services, school transport, public services, and those with a Disability hologram. The authority specified that these exceptions are maintained to not affect essential activities or people in a situation of vulnerability. The 'Hoy No Circula' program has been operating for years in the Metropolitan Valley of Mexico, where it applies in municipalities such as Ecatepec, Naucalpan, Nezahualcóyotl, Tlalnepantla, and Cuautitlán Izcalli, among others. The Secretariat of the Environment urged the population to verify their vehicles on time and in form, respect the circulation calendar, and avoid using cars that emit visible smoke, in order to prevent sanctions and reduce the levels of atmospheric pollution in the region. In these two areas, the restriction applies to vehicles with a verification hologram One and Two, from Monday to Saturday, from 5:00 to 22:00, in a total of 22 municipalities. In the Toluca Valley, the program operates in Almoloya de Juárez, Calimaya, Chapultepec, Lerma, Metepec, Mexicaltzingo, Ocoyoacac, Otzolotepec, Rayón, San Antonio la Isla, San Mateo Atenco, Temoaya, Tenango del Valle, Toluca, Xonacatlán, and Zinacantepec. In the Santiago Tianguistenco area, it applies in Almoloya del Río, Atizapán, Capulhuac, Texcalyacac, Tianguistenco, and Xalatlaco. The vehicle restriction calendar states that on Mondays, cars with a yellow sticker and plates ending in 5 and 6 do not circulate; on Tuesdays, a pink sticker and plates 7 and 8; on Wednesdays, a red sticker and plates 3 and 4. On Thursdays, a green sticker and plates 1 and 2; and on Fridays, a blue sticker and plates 9 and 0.
