This information may change. Always check the official source.Last verified: August 2026 by Ondřej Kadlec
Driving in Costa Rica: the three basics
Drives on the
right
The driver sits on the left and overtakes on the left. Roundabouts turn anticlockwise.
Your licence
Licence plus an IDP
Your own licence works with an International Driving Permit beside it. Get the permit at home before you fly - no country issues one for another country's licence.
Motorways
Free
There is no motorway charge for a car.
Costa Rica has few tolls but plenty of unpaved roads, and the rainy season decides whether a 4x4 is optional.
A handful of tolls, a lot of gravel, and a rainy season that makes the vehicle choice matter.
A 4x4 is worth it from May to November. The roads to Monteverde, the Osa peninsula and much of Nicoya are unpaved and cross fords that rise fast after rain.
Tolls exist on the routes out of San Jose and are small; most of the network is free.
A foreign licence is valid for 90 days alongside the passport stamp that proves the entry date.
The alcohol limit is 0.05 % with heavy fines.
Do not drive at night outside the towns. Unlit roads, no verges, and potholes that are invisible until they are under the wheel.
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