The National Registry Board approved the schedule for the mandatory change of vehicle license plate, which includes a safety device, starting next July 15th. It is mandatory for all vehicles, except for those purchased from January 2012, date when the new security measures, such as the third plate (the windshield sticker), were implemented.

Requirements and processing costs

The procedure has to be done by the owner Mandatory Change of the vehicle or through a Power of Attorney, at the main branch or regional offices of the National Register (located in Limón, Pérez Zeledón, Puntarenas, Liberia, Alajuela, San Carlos and Paseo Colón), Correos de Costa Rica and/or Banco de Costa Rica, with the corresponding form , as well as the other requirements and bank payment. Also, the procedure will be available through electronic means starting on July 15th 2013, with the following steps:

a) Enter the National Register website: www.rnpdigital.com, complete the request form for the license plate.
b) Pay the corresponding fees.
c) The system will generate the date and place where the plates may be picked up.
d) The owner has to personally appears at the place indicated in the previous section, with the old plates and pick up the new ones. Otherwise, his authorized representative has to present a special power of attorney. Whomever performs this procedure must present a valid and original identity card; if it is a foreign person the passport must be presented. In cases of joint ownership of the vehicle, both owners shall attend together. In case of vehicles belonging to a deceased person, the procedure should be performed by the executor, who must be duly registered.

Personalized plates: Alphanumeric option.
For those interested, the Registry opened the possibility of choosing an alphanumeric plate or the last number of the plate. The interested party may proceed personally or electronically (through the website: www.rnpdigital.com) according to the schedule dates set for the mandatory change (see chart below). A major requirement is that the vehicle be free of any lien or encumbrance. The steps are the following:
a. Request the vehicle data plate.
b. Complete the form for the change of plates, available on the National Registry website starting on July 15th, 2013.
c. Submit the notarized application in the National Registry offices.
d. Once the above-mentioned form is received, the Registry will assign the new plate number and also a new ownership title.
e. To receive the new ownership title up, the old plates must be turned in.

The cost varies according to the type of plate and process. Vehicles which already have an alphanumeric plate and want to customize it, must pay ¢20.000 colones to request the reservation of the alphanumeric plate and then ¢15.000 colones for the new metal plates and the sticker, for a total of ¢35.000 colones per vehicle. If the vehicle plate is numeric, only ¢20.000 colones must be paid to request the reservation, then ¢15.000 colones for the new metal plates, for the sticker and ¢2.000 colones for registry stamps, for a total of ¢37.000 colones per vehicle.

Below is a schedule for completing the change to new plates::

The terms were assigned according to the last number of the current plate, as follow:

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