Discovering Costa Rica

Supplemental Material

License Plates

The car dealership where you bought the car will handle all the procedures to get the license

plates for your vehicle. However, the procedure taken is below.

A new car will initially be issued a provisional license plate, which must be affixed to the front

windshield. Because they fade in the sun, it is advisable to place a photocopy in the windshield

and the original in the glove compartment. There is an expiration date shown on the provisional

plate. If you are caught driving the vehicle beyond this date, you could be issued a traffic ticket.

The car dealership will be in charge of getting the plates for you.

To renew the paper license plate (if metal plates are still not available) it must be taken to the

Public Registry in Zapote, and they will put a seal to extend it. There is no charge for this

service. The license cannot be renewed until the day it expires.

When metal plates are ready for pickup, you must go to the Public Registry in Zapote with the

following documents: (The dealership will pick up the plates for you)

Provisional plate, the original will have to be turned in

Title deed to the car (Título de propiedad)

Yellow registration card (Tarjeta de circulación)

Resident ID Card or passport (Cédula or carnet)

Helpful Hint:

It is illegal to operate a vehicle without a valid

cédula

or passport, a valid

driver’s license either Costa Rican or foreign, and the original provisional plate if metal

plates are not on the car. It is possible for the transit police to impound the vehicle if

any of the papers mentioned are not valid, or not present in the vehicle. If you are

driving a rented car, the rental agreement needs to be carried.

Insurance Companies in Costa Rica

INS (Instituto Nacional de Seguros)

Telephone: (506) 2287-6000

Mapfre Costa Rica

Telephone: (506) 2010-3000

ASSA Compañia de Seguros

Telephone: (506) 2503-2700

BMI (Best Meridian Insurance Company

Telephone: (506) 2228-6069