The theory driving exam is part of the first official evaluation for your first licence in Guatemala. It is not a separate step and it is not taken at Maycom: it happens at a Centro de Evaluacion de Conductores de Vehiculos (CECOVE) authorized by the PNC Departamento de Transito, in one evaluation that grades your knowledge of transit law and your driving skills. It costs Q700, takes 1.5 to 2 hours and is passed with 72 points.

The Departamento de Transito does not publish how many questions the theory part has or how they are split. What it does publish is that if you fail you get a second chance without paying again, and that on test day you must bring your original DPI, current and in good condition. With the passed certificate you go to Maycom, where you pay the licence separately: Q100 (1 year) to Q320 (4 years) for a first licence.

Summary: The CECOVE evaluation (theory + practical) costs Q700, takes 1.5-2 hours and is passed with 72 points; the second attempt is not charged again. The licence is paid afterwards, only at the Banrural agencies inside Maycom: Q100 (1 yr) / Q185 (2) / Q260 (3) / Q320 (4) for a first licence — the 5-year option (Q390) is sold only on renewal.

Verified 24 September 2026 at transito.gob.gt. See the exchange rate page for USD/GTQ conversion.

Requirements and CECOVE sites at transito.gob.gt

Official Departamento de Transito page with the first-licence requirements; the list of authorized CECOVEs is on the same site.

Before you click, prepare:

  • Original DPI, current and in good condition (required on test day)
  • Q700 for the CECOVE evaluation
  • The Transit Law and Regulations to study (legislation section of transito.gob.gt)
  • 1.5 to 2 hours available
  • Minimum age 16 (Type C and Type M, with the minors' requirements) or 18

Go to transito.gob.gt/primera-licencia

CECOVE evaluation: Q700 · Licence (first time): Q100 – Q320 · Duration: 1.5 to 2 hours · Transito phone: 2315-2600 · Verified September 2026

What is the theory driving exam

The theory part checks that the applicant knows transit law. Topics worth mastering:

  • Road signage (warning, regulatory, informational, transit)
  • Transit laws (speed limits, right of way, breathalyzer, fines)
  • Defensive driving (safe distances, overtaking, anticipation)
  • Basic mechanics (lights, brakes, tires, fluid levels)
  • Basic first aid (what to do in an accident)

It is not a separate procedure from the practical driving exam: according to the Departamento de Transito, the CECOVE evaluation grades your knowledge of the law and your driving skills in the same test. The order: study → CECOVE evaluation (theory + practical) → eye exam → licence at Maycom.

Who must take it

You DO need the theory + practical evaluation:

  • First-license applicants (any category)
  • People who never had a license in any country
  • People upgrading to Type B or Type A (transferencia): Maycom asks for the CECOVE digital certificate
  • Foreigners requesting the Transito driving permit with no foreign licence or an expired one

You DON’T need theory exam:

  • People with a valid foreign license requesting the driving permit for foreigners: Transito asks for the CECOVE certificate only if you have no foreign licence or it has expired
  • People renewing their GT license, even if it has expired: they pay the late fine, but renewal does not require a CECOVE certificate

Pre-exam requirements

  • Original DPI, current and in good condition (16 for Type C and Type M with the minors’ requirements; 18 for the others)
  • Evaluation fee: Q700, paid at the CECOVE. The licence is paid afterwards and separately: Q100 (1 yr) / Q185 (2) / Q260 (3) / Q320 (4) for a first licence, only at the Banrural agencies inside Maycom
  • Valid eye exam from an optical clinic or ophthalmologist meeting the Departamento de Transito’s requirements, with its invoice — not required for the evaluation but required for the final licence
  • Criminal background certificate: not on the published first-licence requirements of the Departamento de Transito or Maycom (checked 24 September 2026)

Step-by-step theory exam

Where it happens: at a CECOVE

  1. Study the law — the Transit Law and Regulations are in the Legislacion en materia de transito section of the Departamento’s site. Simulators and apps are useful practice but not official.

  2. Pick a CECOVE from the Departamento de Transito’s list of authorized sites.

  3. Pay the evaluation (Q700) and show up with your original DPI, current and in good condition.

  4. Take the evaluation — it grades your knowledge of transit law and your driving skills and takes 1.5 to 2 hours. The CECOVE provides a vehicle or you can bring yours, automatic or manual.

  5. Result — the pass mark is 72 points. If you fail, you get a second chance without paying again.

  6. With the passed certificate (and the certificate’s fiscal invoice, original and photocopy), go to Maycom to have the licence issued.

What about online?

We found no official online option: the Departamento de Transito describes the evaluation only as a test at a CECOVE (checked 24 September 2026). Maycom does not give exams either; it only issues the licence.

Exam question types

The Departamento de Transito does not publish how many questions the theory part has or how they are distributed by topic. These sample questions show the kind of knowledge worth mastering:

Sample questions

Question 1 — Signage: A triangular sign with red border means:

  • a) Regulatory
  • b) Warning (preventive)
  • c) Informational
  • d) Construction (Answer: b — warning)

Question 2 — Speed: In an urban area with no specific signage, the maximum speed on a main arterial road is:

  • a) 30 km/h
  • b) 50 km/h
  • c) 60 km/h
  • d) 80 km/h (Answer: c — 60 km/h. Article 112 of the Transit Regulations also sets 90 km/h on urban motorways, 80 on expressways, 50 on secondary arterials, 40 on local roads and 30 on residential streets and school zones)

Question 3 — Distance: At 60 km/h, the minimum safe distance from the vehicle in front should be:

  • a) 5 meters
  • b) 15 meters
  • c) 25 meters
  • d) Equivalent to reaction time (~3 seconds) (Answer: d — 3-second rule)

Cost and timing

ItemCostNotes
CECOVE theory + practical evaluationQ700Departamento de Transito published fee; the second attempt is not charged again
Licence — 1 year of validityQ100Departamento de Transito published fee
Licence — 2 yearsQ185
Licence — 3 yearsQ260
Licence — 4 yearsQ320Cap for a first licence
Licence — 5 yearsQ390Renewal only
Replacement / category transferQ100
Eye examNot publishedIssued by an optical clinic or ophthalmologist meeting the Departamento’s requirements; its invoice is required

The evaluation fee and duration are the ones the Departamento de Transito publishes at Donde examinarse para sacar la licencia; licence fees are its “Inversion” table (Informacion general para licencias de conducir), paid only at the Banrural agencies inside Maycom (Primera Licencia). The 4-year cap for a first licence is shown by Maycom. All read 24 September 2026.

TimingDetail
Evaluation length1.5 to 2 hours (theory + practical)
Pass mark72 points
If you failSecond attempt without paying again; no published wait between attempts
Certificate validityNot published; the Departamento processes extensions (prorroga) of the certificate

Common mistakes and tips

  • Studying only YouTube videos — videos are useful but the Transit Law and Regulations have the exact information. Combine them.

  • Not practicing sample questions — without practice, the question format catches people off guard.

  • Trusting “tricks” or internet answers — some sites sell “leaked exams” that are often fake or outdated. Study the official material.

  • Not reviewing before handing in — check your answers before you finish.

  • Confusing warning signs with regulatory — warning are triangular with red border (upcoming danger). Regulatory are circular with red border (prohibition or obligation). Learn this distinction.

  • Studying old material — the Transit Regulations have been amended several times. Study the version the Departamento publishes, not borrowed notes.

Official (free):

Unofficial but useful:

  • YouTube videos searching “examen teorico conducir Guatemala 2026”
  • Practice apps and simulators (Android/iOS)
  • Lessons at driving academies (not mandatory; each academy sets its own price)

After passing the theory

Once you pass the CECOVE evaluation (theory + practical), your next steps are:

  1. If you need practice before the evaluation, get it with an instructor or a learner permit; the evaluation includes the practical part.

  2. Pass the eye exam at an optical clinic or ophthalmologist, and keep the invoice.

  3. Keep the certificate and its fiscal invoice — Maycom asks for the invoice in original and photocopy.

  4. Pick up your driver’s license at Maycom — the type depends on the certificate you passed (for example, Type C or Type M).