Q COSTARICA — The 2027 Marchamo (vehicular circulation permit) will undergo a dramatic change, as the national insurer, the Instituto Nacional de Seguros (INS), will move from the traditional sticker to the new digital sticker.
Without GPS, the new Marchamo uses the UHF radio frequency for traffic control, but does not have satellite tracking or monitor the vehicle’s location.
The idea is that owners of vehicles with windshields, such as cars, trucks, and buses, will no longer have to physically remove and replace the sticker annually to renew the Marchamo, as has been done since 1974 with the introduction of the ‘modern version’ of the Marchamo.
With the Digital Marchamo, following the acquisition, the registration fee can be paid online or through the usual channels, keeping the same sticker affixed to the windshield throughout its 10-year validity period.
Motorcycles were initially excluded from the project; however, a pilot program will be implemented to determine their lifespan under adverse conditions, given that the sticker is typically applied to the motorcycle’s frame and exposed to the elements.
The INS has already reviewed and approved the new digital registration sticker. The institution has verified that the samples submitted by the supplier meet the offered product and all required standards, according to the technical specifications established in the tender documents.
“The new digital vehicle registration sticker includes UHF technology, selected according to the project’s technical specifications. It also incorporates security mechanisms that improve upon the current sticker. If it peels off the windshield, the device self-destructs, strengthening the prevention of fraud, counterfeiting, or tampering,” stated the INS.
The payment process for the following year’s circulation permit usually begins on the first business day of November each year (on November 2 for the 2027 period). While it can be paid, a valid vehicle technical inspection (currently done by Dekra) is required to obtain the sticker. Included in the payment is the Mandatory Auto Insurance (SOA), which offers basic medical and hospital coverage in case of traffic accidents.
With the digital marchamo, following payment, the INS sends the vehicle owner the vehicle registration document to the email provided by the user at the time of payment, which was previously issued on paper. If it is not possible to receive it via email, other download options will be available.
The sticker will continue to be affixed in the same way as it is today, to the inside of the windshield. If it is applied incorrectly or is destroyed, the vehicle owner must go to the INS offices to have it replaced.
Starting this month, the INS will begin a campaign to explain how this system works to the public.