Psychological Exam
Mandatory For New And Renewal Licenses Come
March 1
First time drivers and those renewing their
drivers license after March 1, 2010, will
have to provide an additional document, a
psychological evaluation. That is the new
requirement under the new Ley de Tránsito
for obtaining or renewing a drivers license
in Costa Rica.
The reforms to the 1993 law were passed in
December 2008 and it's full implementation
was to have taken effect on September 23,
2009. However, legislators postponed the
implementation date to March 1, 2010 and are
now debating a number of changes that
include reducing fines.
Notwithstanding the debates that are
expected to be completed this week, the new
law will go into effect on March 1.
Currently, new drivers and those renewing
their licenses have to provide, among other
items, a medical exam that includes a blood
test.
Article 68 of the new legislation, which has
sparked heated discussions between
legislators and the medical profession, also
requires a psychological evaluation.
The psychological provisions were pushed
forth by Grettel Ortiz of the Partido Acción
Ciudadana (PAC) in getting the law approved
in 2008. Ortiz says that she pushed for the
inclusion after meetings with members of the
Colegio Profesional de Psicólogos de Costa
Rica.
What this means is that the cost of
obtaining a drivers license now jumps to
¢85.500 from the current ¢37.000.
However, this could all change in the coming
days as legislators are under the deadline
of February 25 to approve the amendments to
the reforms if they are to be included in
the March 1 implementation.
The requirment has also sparked a debate
between medical doctors and psychologists.
Doctors feel they are equipped to provide
such an evaluation, while the Colegio de
Psicólogos says that only its 7.000 member
strong group can do so.
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