Most of Costa Rica’s traffic laws are familiar to drivers from anywhere even if the tendency to treat the laws as suggestions is not so familiar.
A valid driver’s license from nearly any other country in the world allows you to get behind the wheel in Costa Rica. Like the U.S. and all of Central America, Costa Ricans drive on the right hand side of the road (except when they don’t feel like it) and most signs are either universal symbols or fairly simple Spanish, “ALTO”
A few of the laws are humorous and others surprising, for example a new law makes it a punishable offence to crash into a train…if there’s anything left of you to punish.
It may help you avoid some hassle and expense (fines of ~ $500) if you skim over the list of consequences.
Traffic Fines in Costa Rica
Although common, bribery is a very bad idea. Take the ticket.
- No usar el cinturón de seguridad ¢94.000
- Circule sin luces después de las 6 de la tarde hasta las 6 de la mañana ¢94.000
…Driving without headlights between 6 pm and 6 am is a $157 fine. If they started enforcing this the national debt would be paid off in a month. We asked our Tico friends why no one turns on their lights until it’s absolutely pitch black dark and we were told it’s because they don’t want them to wear out – replacement bulbs are expensive and hard to find. - Circular sin parabrisas ¢20.000
…Driving around without a windshield will not only fill your teeth with bugs (there are a lot of insects in the tropics) and soak your upholstery (why do you think they call it the rain forest…) but may cost you a $33 fine. - Hablar por celular mientras conduce ¢280.000
…Speaking on a cell phone while driving will set you back $467. There’s no mention of “hands free” or texting, surfing the web or posting to instagram vs talking but discretion is advised. - Virar en U donde no es permitido ¢280.000
- No respetar la restricción vehicular ¢20.000
…Driving in San José with an odd number license plate on an even numbered day or vice versa is a $33 fine. - Circular con 20 km/h o más de exceso sobre el límite de velocidad ¢47.000
- Circular con 40 km/h o más de exceso sobre el límite de velocidad ¢189.000
- Ofrecer transporte público sin autorización ¢280.000
…Getting caught driving an UBER or a LYFT will cost you at least (there are other laws against this too) $467 and the police have generally been confiscating vehicles/license plates of suspected (yes, without a trial or hearing) ride share operators. - No guardar distancia con el vehículo que va adelante ¢20.000
- Golpear tren o vogones ¢320.000
…Driving into a train was just declared illegal with a new law in mid 2019. If someone has their heart set on crashing their car into a train I’m not sure the $530 fine is really going to deter them. - Motocicletas y bicimotos que adelanten en medio de las filas de vehículos a una velocidad superior a veinticinco kilómetros por hora (25 km/h) ¢189.000
…We always joked that the double yellow line is really a teeny tiny motorcycle lane. Turns out it’s true! The law says you can zoom and weave between lines of stopped or slow moving cars at will as long as you keep it under 25 kph. - Irrespetar una señal de alto o un semáforo en rojo ¢189.000
- Rebasar por el lado derecho en vias con doble sentido de circulación ¢180.000
…Passing on the right will cost you $300 but don’t worry, it’s almost impossible to pass at all since the signs stating “tráfico lento mantener a la derecha” are almost uniformly interpreted to mean “slow traffic should maneuver to block all attempts to overtake” - Circular un vehículo en la playa ¢47.000
…Driving on the beach not only crushes sea turtle nests and annoys sunbathers it will result in a $78 citation. - Al conductor que transporte basura y la arroje en la vía pública ¢20.000
- Usar indebidamente la bocina ¢20.000
…Literally “using a speaker improperly” so, a $33 fine if they don’t like your music? - Tener las escobillas o luces del carro dañadas ¢20.000
- Usar altoparlantes sin permiso ¢20.000 o usar luces rotativas sin permiso ¢20.000
…$33 each for using flashing lights or a siren without permission. - El motociclista o ciclista que no use el chaleco reflectivo ¢47.000 o no usar el casco de seguridad (ciclista y motociclista) ¢94.000
…Helmets and reflective vests are required for all motorcycle and bicycle riders and passengers – fines from $78 to $235 - Circular sin el marchamo al día ¢47.000
- Circular sin revisió técnica ¢47.000
- Evadir el pago de peaje ¢20.000
- A quien, con licencia extranjera, circule por más de tres meses, sin obtener la licencia nacional ¢94.000
…Foreign driver’s licenses are valid but after 90 days you must obtain a Costa Rican license or face a $157 fine. You can also reset your three months by crossing an international border. If you have an “expired” foreign license you may want to consider “losing” it and paying the fine for driving without a license since the fine is half as much (see next infraction) - Conducir a más de 120 kilómetros por hora ¢280.000
- Circular a 150 kilómetros por hora o más ¢280.000 Juez puede sentenciarlo a una pena de cárcel de entre 1 y 3 años. Retiro de vehículo y suspensión de la licencia durante 2 años.
…Driving faster than 90 MPH regardless of the posted speed limit costs $467 and may get you thrown in jail for 3 years. They also take your car and suspend your license for 2 years (not sure what good it does to get the license back a year before release from jail…). - Participar en piques ¢280.000 Juez puede sentenciarlo a una pena de cárcel de entre 1 y 3 años. Retiro de vehículo y suspensión de la licencia durante 2 años.
- Irrespetar prioridades de paso ¢47.000
- Alterar, no utilizar o no portar el taxímetro ¢144.000
- Irrespetar paso peatonales ¢47.000
- Irrespetar carriles exclusivos ¢47.000
- Motocicletas y quadriciclos que transporten menores de 5 años ¢189.000
…It’s a longstanding tradition that dad and all the siblings pick up mom and the new baby from the hospital on a single 125cc Yamaha but technically it’s illegal to have riders under 5 years old… or any age without helmets… or six riders on a single motorcycle… - Adelantar en curvas o doble línea ¢280.000
…Passing on double yellow lines or on a curve may lead to a $467 fine per vehicle that is passed. Payable by the driver or any family member who survives the head on collision with a semi. - Transportar menores de 12 años que midan menos de 1.45 metros sin utilicar dispositivos especiales de seguridad (sillas para niños) ¢144.000
- Conducir sin portar la licencia ¢47.000
- Circular sin extintor de incendios, dos triángulos y un chaleco reflectivo ¢20.000
- Conducir sin portar los documentos del vehículo ¢20.000
- Conducir ebrio entre 0,5 y 0,74 gramos de alcohol por litro de sangre ¢280.000
- Conducir ebrio por encima de 0,75 gramos de alcohol por litro de sangre ¢280.000 Juez puede sentenciarlo a una pena de cárcel de entre 1 y 3 años. Retiro de vehículo y suspensión de la licencia durante 2 años.
- Conducir sin estar inscrito como conductor ¢280.000 y se retira el vehículo de circulación.
- Conducir con la licencia suspendida ¢280.000 y se retira el vehículo de circulación.
- Conducir con licencia vencida ¢280.000