The subject of driving in Nicaragua is a popular one on social media sites. This post aims to answer most of the common questions that affect visitors to Nicaragua.
The law governing the use of public roads by private and commercial vehicles (and pedestrians) is Law No. 856 “Law of Reforms and Additions to Law No. 431, Law for the Vehicular Circulation Regime and Traffic Violations” (2014). The Consolidated Text version (as of February 28, 2023) was approved on February 28, 2023 and Published in La Gaceta, Official Gazette No. 09 of January 18, 2024.
Driving on a Foreign License
Article 144 in Chapter XIV gives the authorization for foreigners to drive on a license from other countries. They may drive in Nicaragua during the period for which that foreign license is valid.
Note: You need to be a legal resident before you can obtain a Nicaraguan Driver’s License.
See also: https://nica-biz.com/can-i-drive-in-nicaragua-with-a-foreign-license/
Driving on Foreign Plates (Temporary Importation Certificate)
Article 134 in Chapter XII authorizes the circulation or use on Nicaraguan roads of vehicles with foreign license plates. However, they must have the Temporary Importation Certificate for the vehicle issued by the General Directorate of Customs Services (Aduanas or DGA). This will state a period for which the vehicle with foreign license plates may be used, usually an initial 30 days from the point of entry.
Tourist vehicles whose owners and license plates are from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras (other CA-4 countries) do not require customs permits to enter the country. However, if the tourist vehicle has a license plate from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, but its owner is NOT a citizen of these countries, then Customs will issue a certificate for 30 days.
Extensions (actually a renewal) may be applied for if “the initial authorized time was not sufficient for your tourism plans or passage through Nicaragua”. You have to go in person to the Customer Service Center at the Central Offices of Customs (Km 4.5 Carretera Norte) in Managua. Most people get one “in country” extension/renewal of the 30 day certificate before the vehicle has to leave and come back in.
Foreign-registered motor vehicles entering Nicaragua are required to have Civil Liability Insurance for the duration of the 30 day Temporary Importation Certificate. The owner or driver must obtain a new 30 day policy if the vehicle remains more than thirty days in the national territory. They must present the new importation certificate to the insurance provider.
Note: If the vehicle happens to be of a type intended for the transportation of cargo or passengers (van, bus etc.) they must not be used in Nicaragua to provide public services.
Insurance
Article 63 in Chapter makes it mandatory for anyone driving in Nicaragua to have Compulsory Insurance called Seguro Obligatorio de Automóviles and is much the same as PLPD or Personal Liability and Property Damage insurance in North America. The fine for No Insurance is C$ 500 for a motorcycle, C$ 1,500 for a light vehicle and C$ 3,000 for heavy vehicles.
Category of License
You would be unlucky to get a ticket for this but your foreign (and/or Nicaraguan) license needs to be for the category of vehicle you are driving or riding. Fine is C$ 320. (Article 25 Classification of infractions number 50). This would apply, for example, to those riding scooters and motorbikes on a regular car license.
Also be advised that under Article 21 “Liability for damages”, if you are deemed to have caused an accident and do not have a driving license, or if you have one but the category or type of vehicle does not correspond to the vehicle driven, then you will be solely liable in civil law for damages caused to third parties.
Registering a Vehicle
Vehicles cannot be legally registered by tourists or visitors. However, they can be registered to legal residents or to an S.A. (Corporation). You can have an S.A. without being a resident.
The traffic law requires that the owners of motor vehicles must register at the Vehicle Property Registry “any changes in ownership, address of the owner or new purchaser, changes in the physical characteristics that identify the vehicle, including the mileage according to the odometer reading on the circulation license” within a term of no more than sixty days from the date of occurrence (sale).
Note: There is a requirement to prove the payment of the transfer tax on the sale of the vehicle. The amount to be paid is 1% of the cadastral value (the value they consider the vehicle to be worth), or the value stated in the Deed of Sale (whichever is the greater).
The fine for failing to register the vehicle within the 60 days will be based on the equivalent of three percent of the value of the appraisal issued by the Fiscal Cadastre of the General Directorate of Revenue.
National Police: Change of Ownership Procedure
Seat Belts
Drivers and passengers of a motor vehicle must use the seat belts. (C$ 350 fine)
Children under seven years of age must be in the rear seats and in a seat belt, child protection or restraint system. (C$ 350.00 fine)
Motorcycles
Crash Helmets – In the case of the driver and passenger of motorcycles, they must wear the appropriate protective helmet and other protective elements. The “Full Face” type of helmet has been deemed by the National Police to be the “appropriate helmet” for use in Nicaragua. (C$ 500 fine for no helmet)
Also, driving a motorcycle and having a child under 8 years old as a passenger carries a C$ 200 fine.
Drunk Driving
Driving under the influence of alcohol with a concentration greater than 2 grams of alcohol per liter of blood: C$ 5,000
Driving under the influence of alcohol with a concentration of more than 1 gram and up to 2 grams of alcohol per liter of blood: C$ 4,000
Driving under the influence with a concentration greater than 0.5 grams and up to 1 gram of alcohol per liter of blood: C$ 1,000
