Real Estate  /  Rentals  /  Hotels  /  Professional Services Classifieds  / Garden  Restaurants / Tourism  / Culture & Lifestyle  /  Food   / Sports   / BusinessHealth /
Wild Costa Rica

































Photo via Road Safety Council.


Costa Rica's traffic police facilities close on holidays



You Might
Also Like




















































































Published on Saturday, December 21, 2024
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff




The Traffic Police offices would be closed for in-person service until January 2025 owing to the holiday season, the Road Safety Council (Cosevi) informed.



This year's holiday season spans from Christmas Eve on December 24, 2024, to New Year's Day on January 1, 2025. During the week, practically all governmental organizations and the majority of commercial enterprises provide extensive holiday breaks to comply with the Labor Law and benefit their employees.



Cosevi agencies around the country will close on Monday, December 23, 2024, and resume normal business hours at 7 a.m. on Monday, January 6, 2024.



Anyone who has to file a claim or process related to the vehicle's license, plates, or fines should wait until the institution reopens.



Drivers can also submit claims by email at  recepcion-impugnaciones@csv.go.cr. Cosevi stated that no digital signature is required to submit a complaint.



Furthermore, drivers who are sanctioned and have their vehicles impounded, plates seized, or licenses expired over the holidays will be unable to recover them until January.



When a vehicle is impounded, the Traffic Law requires the owner to pay the fine for breaching the law, as well as two additional fees: the carrier cost and the days the vehicle is held by police.

 





 


The carrier charge is based on the distance from the area where a police flatbed truck transported a confiscated vehicle to the police station facilities. The fee is around $15 for the first three miles, with an extra charge of $8 for each additional mile.



The vehicle custody fee is a $10 fine for each day it is impounded and placed into custody at the Cosevi facilities.



Fines do not expire for seven years, therefore a vehicle owner who has been sanctioned for breaking the law must pay the current fine, transportation, custody days, and any other penalties that have not expired.



When Cosevi reopens in January 2025, drivers must make an appointment to recover their vehicle or plates. Appointments must be requested via the Cosevi website.



Penalties for breaking traffic laws would be reduced by 3% starting January 1, 2025.  The Court Superior Council approved the reduction in traffic fines based on the current Consumer Price Index.



Traffic Police ruled that there would be no restrictions on plate numbers, including cars, motorcycles, trucks, or any other sort of vehicle when moving across San José City during the holiday season.



Police warn travelers to respect the rules as they’ll be out in full force. They launched the "Costa Rica's Safe Holidays operation" to provide more surveillance and security during the holidays.



Authorities recorded 394 road deaths as of October 2024. Of the total of fatalities, 52% were motorcyclists.



In 2023, there were over 500 deaths in road accidents.



People can report any incidents of reckless driving to the 911 emergency line.



The Road Safety Council (Cosevi) is a state-owned institution and an agency of the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (MOPT) that enforces Traffic Laws.



 

---------------
How much does it cost to retrieve a vehicle impounded at a traffic police station in your country?  We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com



  


hotelrestaurant103017.jpg