Your 2027 marchamo can be checked and paid starting Monday, Nov. 2. If your vehicle has a windshield, it’s also the last year you’ll need a new sticker for a while. The National Insurance Institute (INS) opens its marchamo lookup at 8 a.m. on Nov. 2. You have until Dec. 31 to pay without penalties.
The paper sticker is being replaced by an electronic tag that goes on the inside of your windshield and is designed to last up to 10 years. You still pay the marchamo every year. You just stop replacing the sticker. The tag uses passive radio-frequency identification, the same kind of chip found in many access cards. According to the INS, it has no battery and no GPS, so it can’t track where you drive. It only responds when an authorized reader scans it at close range to confirm your vehicle is cleared to circulate.
Clean the glass before you apply it, and get it right the first time. The tag is built to break apart if it’s peeled off, so it can’t be moved to another vehicle. If you apply it incorrectly or replace your windshield, you’ll need a new one from the INS. Cars, buses and trucks get the electronic tag first, and the INS has ordered 1.6 million of them. Motorcycles keep the traditional sticker for now while the INS tests how the tag holds up under harsher conditions.
Your proof of payment is going digital too. The circulation document will be emailed to the address you give when you pay, and you can also download it from the INS website or the INS Móvil app. Keep it on your phone, because you still have to show it if an officer asks. The mandatory insurance included in your marchamo, known as SOA, rises 5.4% for private vehicles, 4.5% for motorcycles and 12.4% for buses. It drops for taxis, light and heavy cargo vehicles and special equipment.
Across all vehicle types, the weighted average SOA premium rises about 4% to ₡46,700 ($102), an increase of ₡1,811 ($4), according to the Superintendency of Insurance (Sugese). That average isn’t what every owner pays. Your amount depends on your vehicle type. Superintendent of Insurance Tomás Soley linked part of the increase to a 15% rise in the number of people injured in traffic crashes between 2024 and 2025. The SOA pays for medical care and disability benefits for people hurt in crashes, not for repairs to your vehicle. Coverage stays at ₡6 million ($13,100) per injured person.
Don’t expect your total bill to rise by the same percentage. The SOA is only one part of the marchamo, which also includes the vehicle property tax, any unpaid traffic fines and other charges. You can pay on the INS website, at INS branches and service points, through authorized agents or by phone at 800-TELEINS.
The electronic tag was first planned for 2024. It was delayed by procurement problems, including a tender that was declared void, and by privacy and cybersecurity concerns raised by experts. Every vehicle owner in Costa Rica has until Dec. 31 to pay. Checking your amount soon after Nov. 2 gives you time to spot unexpected charges, such as unpaid fines, before the deadline.
