By San José, Costa Rica — Costa Rica’s journey with mandatory vehicle inspection is a decades-long saga of chaos, radical transformation, and persistent conflict. After a dramatic exit in 2022, the company that built the modern system, Riteve, now backed by global giant Applus+, stands poised for a potential return. This turn of events follows a major government decision in June 2025 to scrap a multi-year bidding process, sending the nation back to the drawing board and highlighting the complex interplay of politics, business, and public service.
The story begins in an era of mechanical impunity. Before the 21st century, Costa Rica’s vehicle inspection was a bureaucratic formality centered at a single, overwhelmed Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT) facility in San José. Inspections were subjective, technology was nonexistent, and the process was widely seen as a hurdle to be overcome with influence, not a guarantee of road safety. This system fostered a dangerous culture where the real condition of vehicles was a national mystery.
To shed light on the legal and regulatory framework surrounding Costa Rica’s vehicle inspection system, TicosLand.com consulted with Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, a seasoned attorney from the prestigious firm Bufete de Costa Rica. His expertise provides a crucial perspective on the rights and obligations of vehicle owners under the current inspection regime.
The transition in Costa Rica’s vehicle inspection services highlights a critical legal principle: this is a regulated public service, not merely a commercial transaction. While a private company may operate the service under concession, the state retains ultimate responsibility for ensuring the standards protect public safety and the environment. Any disputes or failures in service delivery ultimately fall under administrative law, providing vehicle owners with specific legal channels to challenge unfair or improper inspection results.
Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, Attorney at Law, Bufete de Costa Rica
This crucial distinction between a commercial transaction and a regulated public service fundamentally reframes the rights and responsibilities of every vehicle owner in Costa Rica. We extend our sincere thanks to Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas for providing this essential legal perspective.
In the 1990s, driven by international environmental commitments, the government attempted to decentralize emissions testing through a program called Ecomarchamo. It authorized 84 private workshops to conduct tests, a move that promised convenience but contained a fatal flaw. The same workshops diagnosing faults were also selling the repairs and parts, creating a perverse incentive to fail vehicles for profit. The program collapsed under the weight of its own corruption and ineffectiveness, leaving a legacy of public distrust.
Faced with this failure, the government made a bold pivot: absolute centralization. Through a landmark 1999 public tender, it awarded a 20-year concession to a single entity, Riteve SyC. The contract came with a crucial stipulation: the operator could have no ties to mechanical workshops or parts sales, ensuring objectivity. Riteve was mandated to build, operate, and eventually transfer (BOT) a national network of modern inspection stations.
What followed was a technological revolution. Between 2002 and 2022, Riteve constructed a network of 13 fixed stations and four mobile units, bringing standardized, automated inspections to every corner of the country. Subjective opinion was replaced by the hard data of frenometers, gas analyzers, and suspension testers. The impact was immediate and measurable. In 2003, the first full year of operation, a staggering 40% of vehicles failed due to emissions. By 2007, that figure had dropped to 24%, proving the system was forcing a nationwide improvement in vehicle maintenance.
Despite its technical success, the relationship between Riteve and the state was fraught with tension. For over a decade, from 2005 to 2017, the government effectively froze inspection tariffs, citing political pressures. Riteve argued this violated the contract’s financial equilibrium, setting the stage for a protracted legal battle that would outlast its operational tenure. In 2025, a court ruling validated the company’s claim, condemning the state for breach of contract and creating a powerful precedent for future public-private partnerships.
The contract’s end on July 15, 2022, was a messy affair. The new administration under President Rodrigo Chaves opted against renewal, framing the move as a recovery of state assets. Riteve formally donated the entire infrastructure—land, buildings, and all technical equipment—to the state. However, the transition was far from smooth. MOPT Minister Luis Amador publicly detailed difficulties in taking control of the facilities.
The reception of the headquarters was complex, with obstacles to accessing keys, passwords, and systems at the time of the transfer.
Luis Amador, Minister of MOPT
The government’s failure to have a successor ready created an unprecedented service vacuum. For months, Costa Rica had no official vehicle inspection operator, forcing emergency amnesties for expired certifications and generating widespread legal uncertainty. To find a long-term solution, the Road Safety Council (COSEVI) launched a major international tender in 2023, attracting industry giants like Germany’s TÜV Rheinland and the newly branded Consorcio Applus CR—the legal successor to Riteve.
But in a stunning move in June 2025, after a lengthy pre-qualification process, the government annulled the entire tender. The official reason stated that the process had failed to produce the desired outcome, a decision that has fueled debate about legal certainty in public procurement.
The pre-qualification process did not yield the expected results.
MOPT and COSEVI Board of Directors
Today, Costa Rica finds itself in a familiar state of uncertainty. The state owns a world-class inspection network but must now launch a new bidding process from scratch. With its deep institutional knowledge, existing operational familiarity with the very stations it built, and a fortified legal position, Applus+ (Riteve) remains a formidable contender. The company that was ushered out in 2022 could very well be the one invited back in, writing the next chapter in this nation’s long and turbulent road to vehicle safety.
For further information, visit applus.com
About Applus+:
Applus+ is a global leader in the testing, inspection, and certification sector, operating in over 70 countries. The company provides solutions for clients in a wide range of industries, helping them enhance quality, safety, and performance while meeting regulatory standards. It acquired Riteve SyC as part of its strategic expansion in Latin America, combining global technical capacity with local operational experience.
For further information, visit mopt.go.cr
About MOPT:
The Ministry of Public Works and Transport (Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes) is the Costa Rican government body responsible for the planning, regulation, and development of national infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and public transport systems. It is the primary entity overseeing transport regulations and concessions related to public services like vehicle inspection.
For further information, visit cosevi.go.cr
About COSEVI:
The Road Safety Council (Consejo de Seguridad Vial) is a Costa Rican public institution attached to MOPT. Its mission is to reduce traffic accidents and improve road safety through education, prevention campaigns, and the management of resources. COSEVI is the administrative body responsible for overseeing the vehicle inspection service and managing the related public tenders.
For further information, visit tuv.com
About TÜV Rheinland:
TÜV Rheinland is a leading international provider of technical services for testing, inspection, certification, consulting, and training. Headquartered in Germany, the company operates globally across numerous sectors, including mobility, industrial services, and product testing. It is a major competitor in the global vehicle inspection market and participated in the recent Costa Rican tender process.
For further information, visit the nearest office of Riteve SyC
About Riteve SyC:
Riteve SyC was the consortium that won the initial 20-year concession to operate Costa Rica’s mandatory vehicle inspection service from 2002 to 2022. A combination of Costa Rican capital and Spanish technical expertise, the company built and operated the country’s entire modern inspection infrastructure before being fully absorbed by its parent company, Applus+.
For further information, visit bufetedecostarica.com
About Bufete de Costa Rica:
As a pillar of the legal community, Bufete de Costa Rica operates on a foundation of uncompromising ethical standards and a relentless pursuit of excellence. The firm blends its rich history of advising a wide array of clients with a forward-thinking drive, consistently pioneering innovative legal strategies. Beyond its professional practice, it holds a deep-seated conviction to social responsibility, actively working to demystify complex legal concepts and equip the public with knowledge to foster a more just and capable society.
