Driving and Owning a Car in the Dominican Republic: The Complete Guide for Foreign Owners — Licences, the Marbete, Insurance and Buying a Vehicle (September 2026)
Updated 28 September 2026
Whether to keep a car decides a lot about daily life on the North Coast, and the paperwork behind it is new to everyone. Here's the real picture: driving on a foreign licence, getting a Dominican one, buying and registering a vehicle, the annual marbete, compulsory insurance, and where you can live without a car at all.
Quick Answers
Can I drive on my foreign licence?
Visitors drive on a valid foreign licence during their tourist stay.
Owners who settle here, and residents, move to a Dominican licence.
How do I get a Dominican licence?
Through INTRANT, the Instituto Nacional de Tránsito y Transporte Terrestre, which issues driving licences.
Foreign licence holders with residency apply with their passport, residency documentation, foreign licence and a medical certificate; requirements are set by INTRANT.
What is the marbete?
The annual vehicle circulation sticker — proof the vehicle's yearly road tax is paid — displayed on the windscreen and renewed each year through DGII.
Driving without a current marbete is an offence.
What is the matrícula?
The vehicle registration document showing the registered owner, issued through DGII.
It is the vehicle's title; ownership transfers on it.
Is insurance compulsory?
Yes. Third-party liability insurance is compulsory for every vehicle; comprehensive cover is optional and advisable.
Insurers and brokers operate in Puerto Plata, Sosúa and Cabarete.
How do I buy a used car?
Agree the sale, sign a notarised sale contract, and transfer the matrícula into your name at DGII, paying the transfer tax.
Check that the seller is the registered owner on the matrícula and that the marbete is current.
Can a foreigner own a car?
Yes, with a passport or residency identification and a tax registration.
Your RNC or cédula is used for the DGII transfer.
Can I bring my car from home?
Yes, under two conditions set by Dominican law: the vehicle must have been registered in your name for at least one year, and it must be no more than seven years old. Qualifying residents under Law 171-07 import one vehicle duty-free; otherwise imports carry duties and ITBIS.
A vehicle that meets both conditions can be shipped with the household goods. For most owners, buying locally on the North Coast is simpler, and service is local.
What is driving like on the North Coast?
The coast road links Puerto Plata, Sosúa, Cabarete and Río San Juan; motorcycles are everywhere and driving is defensive.
Daylight driving and patience are the local norms.
Do I need a car?
Not in El Batey or Residencial Hispaniola in Sosúa, where town and beach are on foot. Yes in Casa Linda, the hills above Cabarete, La Boca and Cabrera.
Many snowbirds keep a modest vehicle at the property, run by management between seasons.
The Paperwork, in One Table
The four documents: A licence to drive, a matrícula proving ownership, a current marbete proving the annual tax is paid, and compulsory third-party insurance.
| Document | What it is | Issued by |
|---|---|---|
| Driving licence | Foreign licence for visitors; Dominican licence for residents | INTRANT |
| Matrícula | Vehicle registration and title | DGII |
| Marbete | Annual circulation sticker, renewed yearly | DGII |
| Insurance | Compulsory third-party liability; comprehensive optional | Private insurers |
Buying a Vehicle
1. Check the matrícula
The seller should be the registered owner shown on the matrícula, and the vehicle should carry no registered lien.
2. Check the marbete
Current, and for the correct vehicle.
3. Sign a notarised sale contract
Buyer and seller identified, vehicle described by plate and chassis number, price stated.
4. Transfer at DGII
Present the contract and matrícula, pay the transfer tax, and receive a matrícula in your name.
5. Insure it
Compulsory third-party cover before driving; comprehensive advisable.
Bringing Your Car From Home
The two conditions: Dominican law requires an imported vehicle to have been registered in the importer's name for at least one year, and to be no more than seven years old.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Ownership | Registered in your name for at least one year |
| Age | No more than seven years old |
| Law 171-07 resident | One vehicle duty-free |
| Everyone else | Duties plus 18% ITBIS on the assessed value |
| After arrival | Cleared by a licensed customs broker, then registered at DGII for a matrícula and marbete |
Bring the title or registration showing at least a year of ownership in your name, and confirm the model year before shipping. A vehicle that meets both conditions travels with the household goods; one that does not is better sold at home and replaced here.
Where You Need a Car
| Where | Car? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| El Batey, Sosúa | No | Beach, restaurants, banks and supermarkets on foot |
| Residencial Hispaniola | No | Walk to town and Sosúa Beach |
| Cabarete Bay and Kite Beach | Optional | The town is walkable along the beach |
| Casa Linda | Yes | Between the towns |
| The hills above Cabarete, La Boca | Yes | Out of town |
| Costambar | Useful | Ten minutes from Puerto Plata's services |
| Cabrera | Yes | Low density |
A car-free life is realistic in Sosúa and on Cabarete Bay; motoconchos and taxis cover short trips and the bus runs along the coast road. For owners who keep a vehicle and leave for the season, Blue Sail Realty's in-house management team keeps it started and run.
Methodology
INTRANT as the licensing authority, DGII as the authority for vehicle registration (matrícula), the annual marbete and ownership transfer, and compulsory third-party insurance reflect Dominican law and published procedure. Law 171-07's duty-free vehicle import for qualifying residents per the statute; vehicle import conditions — at least one year registered in the importer's name and no more than seven years old — per Dominican vehicle import rules. Licence requirements are set by INTRANT and change; confirm current documents before applying. Area characterisations reflect Blue Sail Realty's local knowledge. Reviewed quarterly.
Questions worth asking about driving here:
- "Will I drive on my foreign licence or apply to INTRANT?"
- "Is the seller the registered owner on the matrícula?"
- "Is the marbete current?"
- "What insurance does the vehicle carry?"
- "Do I need a car where this property sits?"
- "Who runs the vehicle while I am away?"
Sources and further reading:
Instituto Nacional de Tránsito y Transporte Terrestre (INTRANT), driver licensing. Dirección General de Impuestos Internos (DGII), vehicle registration, marbete and transfer. Law No. 171-07 on duty-free vehicle import for qualifying residents. Dominican vehicle import conditions: at least one year of ownership in the importer's name; vehicle no more than seven years old. Compulsory third-party motor insurance under Dominican law. General information; requirements change.
More from Blue Sail Realty: Moving to Cabarete · The Snowbird Owner's Guide · Shipping Goods and Pets · Casa Linda Guide · Cabarete Real Estate Guide
About the author: James Oosterman, CIPS (Certified International Property Specialist), is Broker/CEO of Blue Sail Realty, headquartered in Cabarete on the Dominican Republic's North Coast, with nearly 20 years of experience and a 5.0 Google rating. Read real client stories.
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