QCOSTARICA – Today, Tuesday, November 1, begins the collection of the 2023 annual circulation permit, known as the Marchamo.
The collection is made by the national insurer, the Instituto Nacional de Seguros (INS), and incorporates compulsory insurance and property tax, among other items.
This year there will be no discounts. The bill did not advance in the Legislative Assembly.
The collection this year is a little confusing given that, as has been for the past two decades, a vehicle needs to have its vehicle inspection or RTV in place to get the Marchamo sticker. That is, the Marchamo can be paid on any vehicle at any time, but without the RTV, the vehicle, despite having the Marchamo paid, cannot circulate since it will not have the sticker.
For this year, given that issues with the vehicular inspection service that stopped completely on July 15, when the Riteve contract came to an end and resumed last Friday with a new operator, the DEKRA company, there are exceptions to the rule of having to have the RTV to get the Marchamo sticker
With me so far? Good, because the following will make clear as mud.
Vehicles with license plates ending in 1, 2, 3 and 4 that did not get inspected in their respective months (January, February, March and April), thus do not have the RTV sticker cannot get the 2023 Marcham without the RTV inspection.
To that end, for those vehicles, an extension to November 28 (December 28 for 4) will allow those vehicles to circulate without sanctions for the intention of getting to the RTV inspection. Once they have the RTV sticker and certificate they can get the 2023 Marchamo sticker.
For all other vehicles with plates ending in 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 0 (May, June, July, August, September and October), they can pay the Marchamo and get the 2023 sticker without having the RTV inspection.
The confusion comes in that, though these vehicles have extensions – to December 28 for plates ending in 5 and 6, to January 28 for plates ending in 7, 8 and 9, and February 28 for plates ending in 0.
Click here to make an appointment for the vehicle inspection.
However, there is no word yet from the Ministerio de Obras Publicas y Transportes (MOPT) and the Consero de Seguridad Vial (COSEVI), if the extension also applies to the payment of the 2023 Marchamo.
Unless there is something to the contrary coming this way, it can be assumed that all vehicles are required to pay the 2023 Marchamo by the December 31 due date and despite that vehicles with plates ending in 7, 8, 9 and 0 have the RTV extension, that is they circulate until their extension due date without the RTV sticker, starting January 1, 2023, they could be subject to sanctions for not having the 2023 Marchamo sticker.
The recommendation is that all vehicles pay their Marchamo as usual, by the due date, extension or not, and avoid being exposed to sanctions that include a fine and/or confiscation of the license plates and/or towing fo the vehicle.
See here the 2023 Marchamo for your vehicle.
In addition, as is custom, unpaid Marchamos start accruing late payment fees and interest.
