www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Just word to the wise
I just had to renew my drivers licence here in the land of live free or die
well now up here they now mail you a new ID within 60 day of renewal
So as I sit here I have an expired license and a temp that any K*D could make the very pleasent woman at the window told me the temp was TSA aproved maybe yes maybe no We all have pasports but an additional form of ID is a nice back up I do not know if other states are using this format If I knew of this I would haved renewad early

Yep, here in WA state they give you a lame temporary but they punch a hole in your old license and let you keep it.

As long as you have your passport you are good to go in CR. A driver's license is only needed if you plan on driving. NOT RECOMMENDED!

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Women are like beers. I've never had one that I didn't like. Just some that I like more than others! --Western

But if you golf, having a local drivers license will get you the local rate instead of the gringo rate.


Cujo

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"Pain is the fuel that fans the flames of my pyre. A battle plan is only as good as the general carrying it out on the field. This is my war son, and I have the biggest bombs and the smallest conscience"...

Just to clarify: The 1st 2 posts were talking about U.S. drivers licences (which I believe allow you to drive in CR for a limited period); Brother Jadcujo was speaking about a privilege of a CR driver license. I got that right, gents?

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

A lot of people say driving in CR is bad. Let me be one of the first to say, its a cakewalk. The roads are in bad shape, but the drivers are normal, per se. Driving in Paris, and especially in Rome, now thats an adventure.

While I agree with you that there is no real problem with driving in C.R. everyone driving needs to be aware that C.R. has the worst driving record in the world. That information came by way of a US warning about C.R. driving. It is because of the number of pedestrian fatalities. The number is the highest because people walking, walk in the road and do not get out of the way of automobiles.

The problem with driving here is virtually no one actually knows how to drive. The other places mentioned have aggressive drivers who actually know how to drive. These morons drive right up behind someone and honk their horns instead of simply driving around them. There is absolutely no foresight of any kind in this country (that I have seen).

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"Believe none of what you read, and half of what you see." Old Island Woman

The problems in CR are largely ones of respect. Costa Rican drivers do not respect (or trust) other costa rican drivers. If you hesitate for a second, they will drive around you. If you you leave any room between you and the car in front they will merge right in without even a signal, even if there is no room. They stop on streets to talk to people they know, even if there is a line of cars behind them.

If there is a line of cars in a left turn lane, they will drive to the front of the line and then nudge in, in front of the lead car.

It's truly amazing how little road etiquette there is.

off topic from the driver license topic, but..

- count how many yellow painted hearts you see (big and small)
- count the number of road-side crosses you see

there are no pedestrian right-of-ways here, alto signs are ignored and cedo signs are seen as annoyances.

i have two cr liceneses, but have yet to get a vehicle. possibly this summer.

i will drive defensively and aggressive, it's the way here.

yes and if anyone is curious getting a CR DL is quite simple. you need to make a DR's appt and go down to the DMV here. it will cost you about 40 bucks between the visit and fees. no test required as far as i know, just bring your US DL.

they have motorcycle licenses as well. if you are driving a motorcycle or moped here, show them your U.S. license and tell them it is a motorcycle license as their knowledge of your state's DL class system will probably be limited (read:non-existent).

No need to make a Dr. appointment. There are clinics around the licensing office that do only license exams.

If you have a valid tourist visa, your entry stamp is no older than 90 days, and have a valid U.S. state license you do not have to take any tests.

However disagree with "their knowledge of your state's DL class system will probably be limited (read:non-existent)." You have to present your state license to a person whose only job is to authenticate that it is a valid state license. She is very knowledgeable and can spot a counterfeit license.

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Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

How thorough do they check the validity of a license from the States? What database are they accessing? What if a Gringo has a license that is 'current' (non-expired), but has been suspended in the States?

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"In a nation ruled by swine, all pigs are upwardly mobile, and the rest of us are phucked until we can put our acts together; not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely"...Hunter S. Thompson (RIP)

Right, sorry if I was unclear, you need to have a medical exam and the pharmacy is less expensive than a doctor.

I now see that I was rather unclear in my second point about the motorcycle license as well. What I meant there was that even if you have a CR DL, show the fuzz your US DL if you are driving a motorcycle. The police will know what a CR motorcycle license looks like, but probably not a U.S. one.

I have an intl driving permit so I seldom worry about it much, just trying to share some info (not successfully I see). Thanks for clearing things up

As far as I know they only have the ability to make sure the document is a legitimate one. At least this was the case when I got mine over 5 years ago. Since they have relocated to a more modern facility they may now have the ability to check further but I do not know if that is fact.

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Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

I got my original CR driver's license in 2006, along with the motorcycle license. It was a piece of cake. No appointment necessary. There's several doctors / clinics around the MOPT building that'll give you the "required" exam for about 6,000 colones. I had a local taxi driver run me through the whole process (which helped).

I arrived at the airport and told the driver that I wanted my CR driver's license. I told him that I'd need his services for about 3 or 4 hours. We went to the SL, dropped off my bags and off we went.

Simply bring 3 copies of your current USA driver's license, and 3 copies of your current passport. Get yourself the medical certificate (doctor's exam), pay the applicable fees, they take your picture and 10 minutes later, they give you the license(s). The entire process, from the time I left the SL - to the time I got my license - was about 3 hours.

The original license is good for 2 years. I renewed my CR license in April, 2008. This new license is good for 5 years. The only thing different from getting the original license - versus getting the renewal: I didn't need to show them my license from the USA. Other than that, everything else was the same.

Hope this helps.

MG

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You ALWAYS have an option ....... "NEXT" !!!