Guatemala Government Services

The main portal is transito.gob.gt — Departamento de Tránsito de la Policía Nacional Civil (PNC) under MINGOB. Handles personal driver’s licenses (Types A, B, C, E, M), renewals, traffic fines (remisiones), licenses for foreigners and minors. Phone: 2315-2600. Address: 3a Avenida 6-44 Zona 1, Guatemala City. Hours Mon-Fri 8:00-16:30. Do NOT confuse with DGT.gob.gt (Dirección General de Transportes-MICIVI) which is for commercial transport.

Five types under the Reglamento de Tránsito (art. 23): A (cargo vehicles over 3.5 tonnes, school and public transport), B (cars and vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes, may be paid to drive), C (cars, panels, microbuses and pick-ups up to 3.5 tonnes, not paid — the private-driver licence), M (motorcycles) and E (agricultural and industrial machinery only). Types C and M can be issued from age 16 with a parent’s or guardian’s written authorisation (art. 26). Moving up to B takes age 23 and two years with a C; to A, age 25 and three years with a B or C (Tránsito). A first licence costs the CECOVE evaluation (Q700) plus Maycom’s fee by validity: Q100 (1 year), Q185 (2), Q260 (3), Q320 (4), Q390 (5); replacement or change of type is Q100. See full table: Guatemala Driver’s License.

Yes, for the vehicles it covers and for as long as your immigration authorisation is in force (Reglamento de Tránsito, art. 24) — there is no 30-day rule. Once you are resident, art. 24 makes transferring it to a Guatemalan licence of the same or a lower type obligatory, and the Departamento de Tránsito decides whether you sit a theory or practical test. Tránsito publishes no fee for this homologación, and its requirements are written for domiciled foreigners (they ask for the foreign-resident DPI), so a Guatemalan citizen should ask the Departamento (2315-2600) which route applies. See guide: Foreign License Conversion.

At transito.gob.gt/remisiones-y-multas/ — you enter your license number or vehicle plate and all pending fines appear. Lookup is free. Payment is at authorized bank or online. CRITICAL: You CANNOT renew your license if you have pending fines. See guide: Traffic Fines Lookup.

The transfer (traspaso) is done at SAT, not transit. Cost: Q120 processing fee (form SAT-8611) + the transfer IVA (form SAT-2311), which is a fixed tariff by model year — Q1,000.00 two to three years older than the current year, Q500.00 four or more years older, Q300.00 or Q200.00 on motorcycles — and 12% only on the current, next and previous model year. There is NO 5% transfer tax. Time: 5-15 business days. Both seller and buyer must be present (or with notarial power). They need: notarized purchase contract, valid DPIs, current SAT sticker, vehicle invoice (if available). See guide: Vehicle Transfer Guatemala.

Not from Guatemala: SAT publishes no exit permit for Guatemalan vehicles (its vehicle and customs requirement lists, checked 24 September 2026). The paperwork is the destination country’s. Mexico requires its own temporary vehicle import permit (TIP) from Banjercito — US$45 + IVA online or US$51 + IVA at a CIITEV module, plus a refundable deposit — and insurance covering third-party damage on its federal roads. Belize charges US$15 per vehicle at the border. Carry your circulation card and ownership certificate. See: Driving a Guatemalan vehicle abroad.

For a car of up to five seats: 0% import duty (DAI) + 12% IVA + 20% IPRIMA, both on the same taxable base (about 32%), + ~Q1,500 procedure. Age lowers the base, not the rate. Example: 2018 Toyota Camry with a $12,000 taxable base → IVA $1,440 + IPRIMA $2,400 + procedure $200 = ~$4,040 USD total. (Corrected 24 Sep 2026: earlier versions said a 20-40% tariff by age plus 5% ISO.) You CANNOT import vehicles with US theft or salvage history. See: Import Used Car from USA.

Three separate steps: 1) Report a theft to the PNC or the Ministerio Público, 2) SAT: for a stolen vehicle, SAT’s inactivation for theft (form SAT-452; the printout is free, a certification costs Q30), 3) Replacement: a licence is replaced at Maycom for Q100 (Maycom no longer asks for a police report); plates are replaced at SAT for Q75 (vehicle with two plates) or Q30 (one plate). See: Lost License Plates | Vehicle Cancellation | License Replacement.