With the return to functions in the public sector, this Monday, January 6, the Road Safety Council (COSEVI) recalled the need to make an appointment on the website www.csv.go.cr, for the procedures for the return of vehicles and license plates seized during the end-of-year and beginning-of-year recess.
As has been the case since April 2020, it is necessary to make an appointment in advance to remove the license plates, and thus avoid crowds, especially during these days when many people may need to remove their vehicles or license plates, after committing an offense that merited that seizure, during the aforementioned recess.
Carlos Rivas Fernández, the Council’s legal director, explained that it is important to remember the need for an appointment, so that potential new offenders who are not familiar with the measure can manage, without wasting time, their appointment remotely, instead of losing part of their work day, for example, by traveling to a Council headquarters, and having to return, for not having an appointment.
Likewise, the official reminded offenders that the respective amounts must be paid for towing the seized vehicle and for custody, for each day. These amounts must also be paid in order to withdraw the vehicle in the Council’s custody.
The amounts to be paid, in the case of towing the seized vehicle, are ¢7,417.94, for the first 6 km or less, and ¢1,236.32 for each additional kilometer or its fraction. For custody, the amount is ¢3,522.13 per day.
Likewise, we remind you that, since November 11, the return of license plates can be managed through Correos de Costa Rica. The process must be done from the COSEVI website itself. In this case, too, all fines must be paid in advance.
Procedures
Until the offenders have paid the fines, they must go to the nearest Council Appeal Unit and request the order to return the vehicle (based on the appointment they made). At that time, the calculation of the money they have to pay for the tow truck and for each day of custody is made. Only registered owners or with an authorization made by a lawyer can do the procedure.
Rivas clarified that, in the calculation of days to pay, according to the regulation, the number of calendar days elapsed between the day after the arrest and the day before the day its return is requested is counted. The person, once he pays, must pick up the vehicle immediately on the set date, otherwise he must pay for the additional days that the vehicle is left in the place. In the case of the plates, as explained, whether they pick them up personally, or through Correos de Costa Rica, the fines must be paid first.
Challenges
As reported last December, the alleged offenders have 10 business days to appeal a ticket, if they deem it appropriate, so in that count the days in which COSEVI was closed should not be added, that is, the days between December 21, 2024 and January 5, 2025, both dates inclusive, do not count.
If a person was registered with the system for a fine on December 20, which was the last working day of last year at the Road Safety Council, or until yesterday, January 5, they will have 10 working days to appeal, that is, they can appeal even on January 17. The 12 Impugnation Units in the country are working normally as of today, but users are urged to use the email or fax options.
The available email [email protected] fulfilling the requirement that the person manually signs the document, which can then be scanned, if it does not have a digital signature, and attach an image of the identity card and indicate an email address as the ONLY means to receive future communications. Likewise, it can be sent by fax, to the number 2010-4701 in San José, or to the fax number of any other office.
Rivas added that additional documents, such as a copy of the identity card and evidence, must be listed and submitted as attachments or scanned into a single document. Images cannot exceed 10 megabytes in size if sent by email.
Since there is the option to appeal remotely, if a person appealed during the year-end recess, it is also valid, although their case will be analyzed at the appropriate time, starting today.
