Driving in Costa Rica
Driver's Licenses and Auto Insurance
By David Garrett
Aug 1, 2005, 11:52

Sometimes, when people are getting auto insurance, they begin talking about driving records, proffering copies of licenses, etc. Irrelevant! Auto insurance in Costa Rica covers so long as the person driving an insured car at the time of an accident has been so authorized by the owner of the vehicle, and has an “enabling” or valid driver's license (licencia habilitante, in Spanish).

Auto insurance policies are issued in the name of the legal owner of the car, a person or a corporation as appears in the National Registry of Vehicles. The name of the driver is irrelevant for insurance purposes; anyone with a licencia habilitante can drive a car, and the insurance policy automatically affords coverage. So there is no need to report to, or request permission from, anyone if you decide to lend your car to someone else. No letters to write or forms to fill out – simply ascertain that the person to whom you are going to lend your car has a valid license.

So what is a valid or enabling driver's license? Basically, it's a license in force, issued by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT) for the type of vehicle being driven. In Costa Rica, per article 68 of the Transit Law, there are five different classes and 15 types of driver's licenses. Class A is for motorcycles; class B for passenger vehicles and trucks; class C for taxis and buses; class D for tractors, bulldozers and machinery; and class E for articulated trucks and machinery.

Most readers would need a class B, type 1 (B1) license, which is for cars or passenger vehicles, or trucks with capacity up to 1.5 tons. Class A licenses are for motorcyclists: A1 is for riding motorcycles up to 90 cc; A2 for up to 125 cc; A3 for up to 500 cc; and A4 for 500 cc and up.

To apply for a Costa Rican driver's license, the applicant must be literate and must have passed a “rules of the road” test, a driving test for the appropriate type of vehicle, and a medical examination. Finally, the applicant must be 18 or older. Applicants under 18 can apply for licenses for motorcycles, mopeds, scooters and ATVs (all under 125 cc), provided they have written authorization from one of their parents and provide proof of insurance.

Article 74 allows a couple of exceptions. Its substance is that people with driver's licenses issued in foreign countries are authorized to drive the type of vehicle foreseen on their license for three months as of the date they enter Costa Rica, provided the foreign license is in force. These drivers must also carry their passports, so traffic police officers can verify that the three-month limitation has not been exceeded.

The article goes on to say that these people may obtain Costa Rican licenses by presenting their foreign license and undergoing a medical examination.

This article of the Transit Law, which I think is intended for tourists and new residents, provides a nice loophole whereby adolescents with licenses obtained in countries where the minimum driving age is lower can legally drive in Costa Rica for 90 days, and can also obtain Costa Rican licenses without a whole lot of red tape. And from the insurance standpoint, foreign licenses are valid and enabling licencias habilitantes, and INS should not reject claims stemming from accidents occurring within the 90-day limitation.

The opinions and viewpoints expressed are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent the official position of the National Insurance Institute (INS).

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