A
Guide To Retrieving Confiscated Vehicle
License Plates
If you are one of the hundreds of drivers
pulled over by the Policía de Tránsito, for
not having paid the 2010 Marchamo and in
addition to the ¢13.000 colones fine and had
the vehicle's license plate confiscated,
here is a guide to getting the plates back.
First off, only the registered legal owner
of the vehicle can make a request for a
return of the license plates.
In many cases, the driver or current "owner"
of the vehicle is not the "registered"
owner, the name that appears on the
vehicle's title provided by the Registro
Nacional.
This happens when the buyer, to avoid having
to pay the transfer tax and process of
changing over the registration, keeps the
vehicle in the name of the seller. Although
there may be a contract of sale involved, in
many cases there isn't, it is not sufficient
proof of ownership until a lawyer files the
forms and transfer documents.
If the vehicle is in the name of a
corporation, as many foreigners do, the
process involves the obtaining of a "personeria"
from the Registro or your lawyer that proves
you have the "legal right" to act on hehalf
of the corporation.
Now, with your passport or cedula and
personeria (if such is the case) the first
step to to visit the Consejo de Seguridad
Vial (Cosevi) office after paying the fine
at the local bank. The best is the Banco de
Costa Rica (BCR).
In San José it is located in La Uruca,
across from the Mercedes Benz dealership. If
you reside in smaller towns, check with the
MOPT website to locate the nearest Cosevi
office.
At the Cosevi you will have to obtain a
certificate that indicates there no
outstanding fines against the license plate,
as well as a certificate that there are no
outstanding fines or orders against the
drivers license of the registered owner of
the vehicle, again may not necessarily be
the driver of the vehicle when the plates
were confiscated or the current "holder
owner".
The next step to visit the Juzgado de
Tránsito (Traffic Court) in the jurisdiction
where the plates were confiscated. Along
with the Cosevi certificate, the title of
the vehicle and your passport or cedula, you
need to obtain an order from the court for
the Cosevi to return the plates.
After having done all that, a process can
take hours to days, you need to go back to
the Cosevi, this time to the "Unidad de
Placas".
With the court order and your identification
documets, you can now retrieve the plates.
That is provided you had the Riteve - annual
vehicular inspection - done. If you did not,
the process complicates even further, for
before you can visit the Cosevi office and
the courts, you must get the vehicle
inspected and passed. Of course, without a
license plate, you need to have the vehicle
towed to and from the Riteve station. If you
decide to drive the vehicle without the
plates, you now run the risk of having the
vehicle confiscated, another time consuming
and tedious process that is best solved by
paying the cost of a tow.
But be prepared to stand in line at the
Cosevi and the courts as currently there
more than 2.000 vehicle owners in the
process, taxing a sytem that is not equipped
to handle that many requests at any one
time.
The line up at "Licensias" (Licensing)
offices in La Uruca yesterday was more than
500 people deep, all obtaining some document
or other from the licensing office.
And the lines will be even longer, as the
Instituto Nacional de Seguros (INS) reports
that some 290.000 vehicles or some 30% of
all vehicles in circulation have yet to pay
their 2010 Marchamo.
Some of the reasons told by drivers are in
this predicament for simple idiocy, that is
paying the Marchamo and then not placing the
sticker and more important the circulation
permit in the vehicle.
Tránsito (traffic) officials have heard this
story over and over, and though it may be
true, there is no way for the officer of
knowing it for a fact, there is no database
that can be checked.
In fact, if you visit the INS website to
consult the cost of the Marchamo, you will
note that the amount is still outstanding,
only with a note to warn that if you paid,
to disregard the amount.
In fact, if you were to go into your local
bank or authorized INS agent or INS offices
itself, you could effectively pay the
Marchamo again, even though it has already
been paid.
We are not sure why the INS has not
corrected this problem, probably bearing on
the fact that one in the right mind would
pay the road tax twice.
Our advice, check to ensure that the 2010
circulation permit is with the vehicle at
all times, the 2010 sticker is fully visible
through the front windshield. As well, keep
the title certificate with the vehicle at
all times and don't drive without a driver's
license, as this will insure an additional
fine.
If you are one of the tens of thousands who
have not paid the 2010 Marchamo, do it as
soon as possible, as the INS began adding
interest and later penalty charges beginning
on January 1.
PS. there is no cost involved in the
process, save for the cost of any
outstanding fines and Riteve inspection,
towing and photocopies for court documents.
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