Costa Rica Driving Rules for Americans (2026 Guide)

Which Side of the Road — and Whose License?

Costa Rica drives on the right side, with left-hand-drive cars — mechanically identical to home for Americans. The paperwork rule is the part most visitors get wrong:

• Your US license is valid for up to 90 days from entry — exactly as long as the tourist stay stamped in your passport.
• You must be able to show your passport with the entry stamp (officially the original; many officers accept a clear copy of the photo page plus stamp page) alongside your license.
• If you overstay your entry stamp, your license is no longer valid — police treat it as driving without a license, one of the most expensive tickets in the country (about ₡342,000, roughly $670).
• An IDP is not legally required, but it is a standardized Spanish translation of your license. At rural checkpoints where officers speak no English, it answers every question before it's asked. Get one for ~$20 from AAA or AATA.

Police and How Enforcement Works

• Policía de Tránsito (traffic police) — the officers in reflective vests with radar guns and motorcycles. Only they can issue traffic tickets.
• Fuerza Pública — the national police. They run general security checkpoints and can inspect documents, but traffic citations come from Tránsito.
• Enforcement is officer-based, not camera-based: handheld radar on Ruta 27, Ruta 32, and the Interamericana, plus routine checkpoints (retenes) near beach towns on weekends and holidays.
• Tickets are written against the car's plate and paid later at Banco de Costa Rica or online — never roadside.

Mandatory Rules and Equipment

• Seatbelts: required for every occupant, front and rear. Fine around ₡114,000 (~$225) per unbelted person.
• Child restraints: children under 12 (or under 1.45 m tall) must ride in an appropriate child seat or booster in the back. Rental agencies rent seats — reserve ahead.
• Phones: hands-free only. Holding a phone — even for Waze — is one of the most commonly issued tourist tickets at about ₡228,000 (~$450). Mount it before you move.
• Motorcycles and scooters: helmets and reflective vests are mandatory.
• Emergency kit: every car must carry reflective triangles and a spare tire — your rental agency's responsibility, but verify at pickup because the fine lands on the driver.
• Right turn on red: not permitted unless a sign explicitly allows it — the reverse of the US default. This is the reflex most likely to earn an American a ticket in San José.

Right of Way: Bridges, Roundabouts, and the Tico Wave

• One-lane bridges (the signature Costa Rica rule): hundreds of rural bridges take one car at a time. The side with the CEDA sign yields; if you face "PUENTE ANGOSTO" with no CEDA, oncoming traffic yields to you. In practice: whoever arrives first goes, and a headlight flash from the other side means "come ahead."
• Roundabouts (rotondas): traffic already inside the circle has the right of way. San José has several large ones — signal on exit, not entry.
• Unmarked intersections: yield to the right, but assume nothing — Ticos negotiate with eye contact and a hand wave (adelante = go ahead).
• Uphill priority: on steep single-track mountain roads, the vehicle climbing has informal priority; descending drivers pull over.
• Pedestrians, cyclists, dogs, and cattle share rural roads everywhere. Slow down through villages — always.

Costa Rica Quirks That Surprise American Drivers

• Beach driving is illegal. Beaches are protected public land; driving on them (outside a handful of designated crossings) brings a fine plus potential environmental charges.
• Addresses don't exist. Directions are given as "300 meters west of the old mango tree." Navigate by Waze pins and business names, not street addresses.
• "Tico time" applies to the road: locals are unhurried but improvisational — expect passing on hills, sudden stops for a chat, and turn signals used as decoration. Leave following distance.
• Rainy-season washouts (May–November): roads and bridges can close after storms, especially Ruta 32 through Braulio Carrillo. Check conditions before mountain drives — the detour can be 3 hours.
• Fog on high passes: the Interamericana over Cerro de la Muerte (3,300 m) can drop to near-zero visibility by early afternoon. Cross in the morning.
• Headlight flashes from oncoming cars usually mean: police radar ahead, hazard ahead, or "go ahead" at a bridge. Context tells you which.

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