How to transfer vehicle ownership in Costa Rica

The process at a glance

1. Verify the registered owner and every recorded burden.
2. Check fiscal value, annual circulation permit, tickets, inspection and mechanical condition.
3. Agree on price, payment, delivery, expenses and accepted burdens in writing.
4. Provide identity and transaction information to the notary.
5. Buyer and seller execute the public deed.
6. Pay transfer tax, Registry charges and stamps.
7. File the deed testimony with the National Registry.
8. Correct any defect and verify registration in the buyer’s name.
9. Update insurance and document physical delivery.

Payment, signatures and handing over keys do not alone change the registered owner. The process is complete when the Registry records the transfer.

1. Run a Registry check first

Obtain a current plate search or certification from the National Registry and verify:

• Registered owner and identification.
• Make, style, year, color, VIN/serial, engine and other characteristics.
• Liens, attachments, lawsuits, annotations, collisions and tickets.
• Pending or defective prior transfers.
• Registered use, such as private, taxi or bus.
• Customs restrictions, exemptions or special status.

Do not rely on a screenshot supplied by the seller. Get a recent search and ask the notary to check again on signing day.

2. Check obligations and physical condition

Independently verify the current annual circulation permit (marchamo), tickets, technical inspection, mandatory insurance, fiscal value and any unpaid customs tax for an exempt or specially imported vehicle.

Obtain a mechanical inspection when the value or risk warrants it. Physically match VIN/chassis and engine numbers to the Registry record and look for crash damage, alterations, inconsistent mileage or structural repairs. Registration does not guarantee mechanical condition.

3. Agree on payment and allocation of costs

Set out the real price and currency, deposit and balance, condition for release, delivery date and place, allocation of tax/stamps/notarial fees, treatment of a newly discovered burden, included keys and accessories, and responsibility for prior or later fines and damage.

Do not understate the price. Tax uses the lawful assessment base, and a false amount creates tax, contract and evidence risks. For a significant purchase, coordinate final payment with execution and proof of filing, using a traceable bank method or other safe arrangement agreed with the notary.

4. Prepare documents

Buyer and seller need valid original identification and the personal details required for the deed. A legal entity needs valid representation and sufficient authority; an attorney-in-fact needs an appropriate current power. Foreign documents may require apostille/legalization and translation.

For the vehicle, provide plate and Registry characteristics, current circulation-permit information, a fresh Registry search, lien cancellation or acceptance details, and customs or exemption evidence in special cases.

Official form DIO-011 requires a public deed and the notary’s security voucher. Private bills of sale have only a historical exception for documents predating April 22, 1993 with legally certain date.

5. Execute the public deed

The testimony identifies the parties, price and vehicle. The Registry examination guide requires characteristics including make, VIN/serial, model year, body type, capacity, engine and plate.

Before signing, verify all identification, VIN and engine numbers, real price and payment terms, burdens being cancelled or accepted, ownership fractions for multiple buyers, expenses and delivery date.

Some burdens can be expressly or tacitly accepted, while others cannot. The notary must determine whether prior cancellation, creditor consent or another instrument is required.

6. Calculate tax, stamps and fees

The base uses the highest applicable amount between contractual estimate and registered fiscal value. Published charges include:

Item	Published rate
Vehicle transfer tax	2.5% of the assessment base
National Registry fee	₡5 per ₡1,000 or fraction; ₡2,000 minimum
Agrarian stamp	₡3 per ₡1,000 or fraction
National Parks stamp	₡500
National Archives stamp	₡10 or ₡20 depending on value
Fiscal and Bar Association stamps	Applicable value-based schedule
Notarial fees and VAT	Professional tariff, value and service

Other stamps and special rules can apply. Ask for a plate-specific itemized calculation. The 2.5% tax is not the total cost. The parties may agree who pays, but full payment and a compliant filing are needed for registration.

7. Pay and file promptly

Transfer tax and Registry stamps are paid through authorized channels, including Banco de Costa Rica under the official requirements. Keep receipts correctly tied to the vehicle and transaction.

DIO-011 warns that if more than 30 business days pass after execution without full transfer-tax payment, penalties and interest must be assessed by the Tax Administration. Do not leave the testimony unfiled.

The notary usually submits the physical or digital testimony with required security. Obtain the filing number, a copy of the instrument, itemized receipts and the expected review date.

8. Follow the filing through registration

The status may be submitted, under review, defective, cancelled or registered. For a defect, determine what is missing, who must provide it, whether new signatures or payment are needed, and when filing priority expires.

“Submitted” does not mean registered. Continue until a fresh search identifies the buyer as owner and accurately reflects any agreed lien.

9. Document delivery and next steps

Use a delivery receipt stating date and time, mileage, condition, keys, accessories and documents. The buyer should verify final registration, arrange insurance, retain the deed and inspection, and address any separate characteristic correction. The seller should keep proof of payment, delivery and final registration; until the owner changes, the vehicle can continue causing complications for the seller.

Special cases

Obtain tailored review for a vehicle with a lien, attachment, estate, co-ownership, minor owner, dissolved company, taxi/bus permit, free-zone or diplomatic status, tax exemption, total loss, lease, trust or temporary import. A donation, exchange, capital contribution, court award or marital-property distribution is not necessarily a simple sale.

Common mistakes

• Paying in full before checking Registry and VIN.
• Treating a private document as a substitute for a public deed.
• Understating the price to try to reduce tax.
• Ignoring liens, tickets or tax exemptions.
• Budgeting only the 2.5% tax.
• Allowing 30 business days to pass before tax payment.
• Confusing submitted with registered.
• Failing to document the exact delivery time and condition.
• Buying from someone who is not owner and lacks authority.

Frequently asked questions

Can I transfer without a notary?

No for a current sale of a registered vehicle. A public deed and notarial security are required.

Who pays the transfer expenses?

The parties can allocate them by agreement. Put that in writing and obtain the full calculation before fixing the final balance.

Can I buy a vehicle with a lien?

Only after understanding the debt, creditor consent and cancellation or assumption mechanism. Paying the seller does not automatically cancel the lien.

When do I become the owner?

The deed creates obligations between the parties, but Registry recording is essential against third parties. Verify the recorded change.

Official sources

• Movable Property Registry
• DIO-011 transfer requirements
• Official vehicle-transfer fees
• Movable Property Registry examination guide

This guide is informational and does not replace notarial, legal, tax or mechanical advice.