Por ESENDOM
16 de diciembre de 2025
Lea en español: Ley 63-17: ¿Cuándo un vehículo deja de ser útil en República Dominicana y por qué importa?
Santo Domingo. Between carros (cars) conchos, guaguas, and motoconchos, Dominicans get around. But at what point is a vehicle considered unfit to circulate? That’s the question Listín Diario asked. It is not just about age—the law combines utility, mechanical condition, and status with insurance and registration.
Years Matter… But It Is Not Everything
Article 41 of Law 63-17 establishes maximum life periods of utility for public transportation and cargo vehicles, counted from the year of manufacture. Once these limits are exceeded, they cannot obtain a registration sticker or operate as public transportation:
Light vehicles (up to 4 passengers): 15 years
Microbuses (5–20 passengers): 17 years
Minibuses (21–36 passengers): 20 years
Buses (37+ passengers): 25 years
Heavy cargo vehicles: 30 years
Motorcycles (1 passenger): 10 years
Inspection By Expert Is Mandatory
INTRANT requires annual Vehicle Technical Inspection to guarantee that vehicles do not pose a danger or exceed permitted emissions. Only vehicles less than 3 years old from manufacture are exempt.
If a vehicle loses safety conditions—regardless of age—its registration is revoked and it cannot circulate until repaired. Without valid registration and active insurance policy, the DGII cannot issue or renew license plates.
When Insurance Declares “Total Loss”
The law is categorical: a vehicle liquidated as a total loss can only be sold for parts or demolition. The insurance company must notify the DGII to remove it from the National Motor Vehicle Registry. There is no going back—none of that “little fix for the street.”
Import restrictions
Law 63-17 prohibits importing:
Light vehicles older than 5 years
Salvage or total loss vehicles (absolute prohibition)
What you need to know
It is not just number of years: a vehicle can be removed from circulation for failing technical inspection or losing safety conditions.
Useful life in public transportation: Exceeding the limits of Art. 41 means no registration, no operation.
Total loss is final: What insurance declares as total loss only serves for parts—period.
Informed purchase: Before buying, verify the registration, inspection, policy, history, and actual condition.
In a market where many buy “on the fly” out of necessity, the law pushes us to look beyond price. It is about safety on the road… and dignity on Dominican roads.
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