The vehicle registration plates of Costa Rica have been issued since at least 1923. The current plate size is the North American standard of .
History The letters "CR" on plates into the early 1940s indicated the country name. The country name has been spelled out since at least 1944. In 1959 the legend "Centro America" [Central America] began appearing on the plates. Annual plates appear to have been issued through at least 1954. For a time the plate's first two characters indicated what city where the vehicle was registered. Multi-year plates began to appear in 1955, but their use was not consistent until the mid-1960s.
+Early platesImageFirst issuedDesignSloganSerial formatSerials issuedNotes1961White numbers on a dark blue backgroundSJ-12345SJ is the city code for San José.
2013 series New plates for all vehicles were issued starting in mid-2013 and was completed in early 2015. The design included additional security features, such as a hologram at the left side, a security strip running across the plate, and additional elements. ImageTypeSerial formatSerials issuedNotesPassenger automobile123456ABC-123Interprovincial bus 123412345City and interurban bus123412345Commercial vehicle123456Commercial limited light load truck123456Disabled/handicapped driverD-123D-1234Electric vehicleABD-123First available in 2019. Hybrid vehicles are excluded.Motorcycle123456Taxi123412345City and interurban taxi123412345Historical vehicle121231234 ImageTypeSerial formatSerials issuedNotesConsular Corps1-23Diplomatic Corps1/2 - 123International mission1/2 - 123Official vehicle12-3456Power executive1/2 - 1234
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