In the coming days Costa Rica will have a new traffic law that replaces the traffic law of March 2010 (that was approved in 2008).

Among the major changes is the term of the validity of the drivers license, and the point system.

Article 92 of the new law states that a license, when first issued, is valid for three years and upon first renewal if the driver has accumulated four points or less, the renewal shall be for six years and at a cost of only 50% of the renewal value.

If the driver has accumulated between five and eight points, the renewal shall be for only four years and must complete the driver education course.

With the accumulation of between 9 and 11 points, the renewal shall be only for three years and the driver-ed course. The new law states points accumulated during the validity of the license will be reset to none at the start of each renewal.

In a nutshell, a driver with a good record (four points or less during the validity period) is rewarded with a longer renewal period and at half the cost, while “bad” drivers will have less time between renewals and must be “re-educated”.

The major change in the point system as compared to the current system, is that the driver accumulates points rather than lose them. Under the current system, every driver on March 1, 2010 started out with 50 points, losing 5, 10, 20 or all with each infraction.

For simplicity sake, under the new system, each driver starts with no points with a new license and each renewal. The law allows that up to one half of accumulated points can be reduced with community work, while the accumulation 12 points during the validity period, a license is suspended for 12 months the first time, 24 months the second and 36 months the third time around.

If you weren’t confused enough here is even more, the new point system will actually go into effect six months following the enactment (effect) of the law.

Thus, during the first six of the new law, the “old” point system applies, which COSEVI will then have to make an adjustment from.

Source: TrafficLawCostaRica.com