Somewhere past a one-lane bridge, with a river brown from the afternoon rain below and a motorcycle slipping past on the right, most drivers in Costa Rica ask themselves whether this was a good idea. It usually is, as long as you arrive with the right documents, a patient pace and a plan for the roads that lead to the places you most want to see. A U.S. driver needs to know about the license, the roads and what happens if something goes wrong.
Can you drive in Costa Rica with a U.S. license?
Yes, a valid U.S. driver’s license is enough to drive in Costa Rica, as is an international driving permit, as long as you also carry a valid passport. Those are the two things to have in the glove box or the day bag every time you get behind the wheel. A photocopy of the passport tucked in your wallet is a common habit, but the rule itself is the passport plus the license or the permit.
The counter is where the paperwork gets checked, so keep the license in a place you can reach without unpacking the suitcase. If your license is close to expiring, deal with it before the trip rather than at the rental desk.
The documents to carry
Two things matter here: your passport and a license that is still valid. The license can be your regular U.S. one, or an international driving permit if you have one. Either works, so there is no need to buy a permit just for the trip if your home license is in order.
Keep the documents together and separate from the car keys. If you park at a beach and swim, leave nothing valuable visible in the car, and decide in advance who carries the passport. Carry your valid passport and your valid U.S. driver’s license or international driving permit whenever you drive.
| Document | Accepted for driving |
|---|---|
| Passport | Valid passport required |
| U.S. driver’s license | Valid license accepted |
| International driving permit | Accepted instead of the U.S. license |
Fines and rental company charges
Fines for routine traffic violations can be over $500, so treat every sign and painted line seriously. Treat every sign and every painted line as something that matters, even when the cars around you seem relaxed about them.
The bill does not always reach you on the spot. U.S. citizens have reported that car rental companies charged their credit cards for unpaid tickets after they got home, and the embassy cannot help in such cases. Ask the rental company at drop-off whether anything is outstanding, and keep your own record of where you drove and parked, so a charge that shows up on a card statement later does not come as a surprise.
Driving yourself or taking another route
A rental car gives you the freedom to stop at a roadside fruit stand, a soda (small family restaurant) serving casado at lunch, or a lookout over the coast. It also makes you responsible for everything that happens on the road, from reading signs in Spanish to finding parking in a busy town.
Travelers are strongly advised to avoid public buses because of pickpocketing, which is one reason many visitors choose a rental car or a pre-arranged ride instead. If you do not want to drive the steep stretches yourself, a private transfer for the longest legs lets you keep the car for the easier parts of the trip.
What are the roads like?
Costa Rican roads are a mix of smooth highway, narrow two-lane routes and rough rural tracks, and the drive often takes longer than the map suggests. Plan fewer stops per day than you would at home, and leave room for a slow truck, a washed-out shoulder or a long wait at a bridge.
Single-lane bridges and blind corners
Bridges, even on heavily traveled roads, may be only a single lane. Bridges, even on heavily traveled roads, may be only a single lane. Take your time and do not assume the oncoming driver will stop.
Visibility at intersections may be blocked by vegetation or other obstacles, so drive with extreme caution. In the green parts of the country, a hedge or a wall of tropical growth can hide a side road completely. Creep forward at junctions, look twice, and be ready for a vehicle that appears faster than you expected.
Motorcycles and local traffic
Motorcyclists may not follow road rules, often passing on the right or weaving through traffic. In town, check your mirrors before you turn or open a door, and leave space on both sides when you stop at a light.
On the open road, you will share lanes with trucks, bicycles and the occasional slow farm vehicle. Patience matters more than speed. Pulling out to pass on a curve is the move that causes the worst problems, so wait for a long, clear stretch, or accept the slower pace and enjoy the view of the coffee slopes.
Rain, landslides and four-wheel drive
During the rainy season, some roads may be blocked due to landslides. The green months bring afternoon downpours, and in the mountains they can close a road with little warning. Start early, keep your plans flexible, and have a second route in mind if your day depends on one mountain pass.
Some places, especially beaches and rural areas, may only be accessible with a four-wheel drive vehicle. If your list includes a remote beach or a lodge at the end of a dirt road, choose the car with that in mind when you book. Choose the car with the roads to your destination in mind when you book.
Roads to Monteverde and Santa Teresa
The last stretch of road to Monteverde and Santa Elena is steep, bumpy and partly unpaved, so the drive is slower than the distance on the map suggests. Cloud forest roads often have mist in the morning and rain in the afternoon, and you will want daylight for the final climb. Arrive with a full tank and time to spare.
Getting to Santa Teresa takes most of a day from San Jose by road and car ferry from Puntarenas to Paquera, followed by a long drive on partly unpaved roads, or a short flight to a nearby airstrip. Once you are in town, the dirt road gets dusty in the dry season and muddy in the green season. Surfers and beach-hoppers there often leave the car parked and walk.
Driving after dark
Travelers should try not to drive outside of urban areas at night. Unlit curves, pedestrians on the shoulder, slow trucks and the bridges described above are all harder to see once the sun goes down. Darkness falls early near the equator, so a drive that starts in the afternoon can end in the dark faster than you expect.
Build your schedule around daylight. Aim to reach your lodge by late afternoon, and save the long transfer days for the morning. If a delay catches you on the road, stopping for dinner in a town and waiting for the next day is better than pushing on through the dark.
What should you do after an accident?
After a traffic accident, do not move the vehicle, and wait for the authorities. Both the traffic police and an insurance investigator must make accident reports before the vehicles can be moved. It can feel wrong to leave a car blocking a lane, but moving it early can cause trouble later.
| Situation | What the rules say |
|---|---|
| Traffic accident | Do not move the vehicle until the traffic police and an insurance investigator have made their reports |
| Traffic fatality | A judge must come to the scene to pronounce a person dead, which could take several hours |
| Ongoing investigation | You may be unable to leave the country for months |
At the scene
Stay calm, check that everyone is safe, and keep the cars where they stopped. Turn on your hazard lights and, if you can do it safely, step out of the traffic lane.
While you wait, take photos of the cars, the road and the surroundings, and write down the other driver’s details. These are common habits after any collision, and they help later with the rental company. Keep the rental agreement handy.
If someone dies
In the event of a traffic fatality, a judge must arrive at the scene to pronounce a person dead, which could take several hours. That is a long time to spend on a roadside, so it helps to have water, a charged phone and some patience in the car, especially on a rural road far from the nearest town.
Ongoing investigations may prevent you from leaving the country for months. This is the reason to drive conservatively from the start: a serious crash can change the rest of your trip and the dates of your flight home. If this happens, contact your airline and your family early, and ask the rental company what it needs from you.
Afterward, with the rental company
Tell the rental company about the accident as soon as it is safe to do so, and keep copies of every report and receipt. U.S. citizens have reported that rental companies charge credit cards for unpaid tickets, and the embassy cannot help in such cases.
Even a small scrape in a parking lot is worth documenting. Photograph the car when you pick it up and again when you return it, and keep the pictures with your trip records until the card statements arrive. It is a simple habit that saves arguments after you are back home.
Good to know before you go
The U.S. State Department rates Costa Rica Level 2, ‘Exercise increased caution,’ due to crime; it says petty crime is common throughout Costa Rica and that violent crime also affects tourists, including armed robbery, homicide and sexual assault.
A few habits make a Costa Rican road trip smoother. Keep the passport and license within reach, fill the tank before the long rural stretches, and leave nothing visible in a parked car, whether at a trailhead, a beach or a roadside stand.
Download an offline map before you lose the signal in the mountains, and allow extra time for every leg, because the slow bridges, the rain and the mountain curves add up. A driver who is rested and unhurried handles all of it better than one chasing a schedule.
Sources
- U.S. Department of State, Costa Rica Travel Information, Traveling and transportation (https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/CostaRica.html), checked October 8, 2026
- U.S. Department of State, Costa Rica Travel Advisory, issued April 1, 2026 (https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/costa-rica-travel-advisory.html), read via the State Department open data API on October 8, 2026
To plan your stay
- Best Time to Visit Costa Rica: Dry and Green Seasons, Weather by Region and Festivals
- Where to Stay in Costa Rica: Beach Towns, Cloud Forest, Volcano Views and Which Base Fits Your Trip
- Costa Rica Airports: San Jose or Liberia? Beaches, Drive Times and Getting to Your Hotel
- Know Before You Go to Costa Rica: Entry Rules, Money, Getting Around and Local Customs