Driving in Costa Rica
License Plates
By Staff
Jan 2, 2006, 09:55

A car will initially be issued with a paper license (placa), which must be affixed to the front windshield.  Because they tend to fade in the sun it is advisable to affix a photocopy to the windshield and to carry the original in the glove compartment.  There is an expiration date shown on the paper placa.  If you are caught driving the vehicle beyond this date the fine is from 10,000 to 20,000 colones. 

To renew the paper placa if metal plates are still not available, the paper license must be taken to the public registry in Zapote and they will put a seal on it to extend it.  There is no charge for this service.  The license cannot be renewed until the day it expires.  There are services available to do this for you for a small fee. This avoids confusion at the registry and standing in line.  The public registry in Zapote is famous for its line-ups. 

When metal plates come in, take photocopies of the following documents to the central registry in Zapote. 

            * Provisional placa (paper original)--The original will have to be turned in

                        * Title deed to the car. (Titulo de propiedad)

                        * Yellow registration card. (Tarjeta de circulación)

* Resident ID Card (Cédula or carnet) or passport 

There are companies that specifically do all this paperwork for you. It’s well worth the small cost!