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Certified Costa Rican Vehicle Title Translation
Certified translation of the documents that record the ownership and registration of a vehicle in Costa Rica, including the registry annotations and endorsements that carry the legal effect and that a reader unfamiliar with the system will otherwise skip.
$24.95/page
Flat rate per page, up to 250 words. No hidden fees.
100% USCIS acceptance
Every certified translation is guaranteed to be accepted by USCIS.
24-hour delivery
Most 1-3 page documents are delivered within 24 hours. Same-day available.
Vehicles are in the National Registry
Costa Rica registers vehicles in the Sección de Bienes Muebles of the Registro Nacional — the same institution that registers land and companies — so a vehicle has a registry record searchable by plate.
That is a genuine title system. The registry report shows the owner, the liens, the annotations and any judicial holds, and it is the document a buyer relies on.
The marchamo, which is not a title
The marchamo is the annual circulation right, bundling the road tax, the compulsory insurance and fines into one payment, displayed as a windscreen sticker.
Clients send the marchamo receipt as proof of ownership. It proves the year is paid, nothing more, and we say which document you have.
A lawyer must draw the transfer
A Costa Rican vehicle transfer must be drawn by a notary, who is a lawyer, and filed at the Registro Nacional, and the notary checks the RTV inspection, the marchamo and any liens first.
A private bill of sale transfers nothing. We name the notary and the registry entry.
Corporate holding, and the identifiers
Vehicles are frequently held through a sociedad anónima, so the registry names a company and the shareholder book is the real question.
Owners are identified by cédula, DIMEX or cédula jurídica. See our Spanish page.
Ordering, and what the certification covers
Upload the document, choose certified translation at $24.95 per page of up to 250 words, and it comes back typically within 24 hours as a PDF formatted to mirror the original, with a signed certificate of translation accuracy on letterhead. Marginal annotations are translated in place, in the margin, and every seal, stamp and registry endorsement is translated with the text. See how we translate and certified versus standard.
Frequently asked questions
Where are vehicles registered?
In the Registro Nacional, the same institution that registers land and companies.
Is the marchamo a title?
No. It is the annual circulation payment bundling tax, insurance and fines.
Can I sell privately?
A notary who is a lawyer must draw the transfer and file it. A private bill of sale transfers nothing.
Why is a company the owner?
Common in Costa Rica. The shareholder book then matters as much as the registry.
Ready to get started?
Upload the document and receive the certified translation, typically within 24 hours.