Vehicle permit (permiso de circulación) in Linares: requirements, deadlines and online payment

Every year, thousands of people in Linares pay the permiso de circulación (vehicle permit) for their car, pickup or motorbike. It is compulsory: without an up-to-date permit you can't legally drive on the country's roads, and if you are stopped you can be fined or even have the vehicle impounded. In this guide we explain what the vehicle permit is, when it is due, which documents you need in Linares, how to pay online and what to do if you have outstanding fines or your vehicle won't be used during the year. The information is based on what the Municipality of Linares publishes.

What the vehicle permit is and how much it costs

The vehicle permit is a municipal tax that authorises a motor vehicle to use the roads. It is collected by municipalities, and the money raised stays in the commune where it is paid and in the Common Municipal Fund. Its amount depends on the vehicle's value: every year the Internal Revenue Service (SII) publishes the official valuation of vehicles, which is used to calculate how much each one must pay. You can check your vehicle's valuation on the SII website.

The permit can be paid at any municipality in the country, but if you live in Linares, paying here helps fund local services: streets, street lighting, waste collection, health and education. The second instalment, however, must be paid at the same municipality where you paid the first.

When the vehicle permit is due

For private vehicles such as cars, pickups and motorbikes, the general deadline to pay the vehicle permit is 31 March each year. You can pay it in full or in two instalments: the first in March and the second by the end of August. Public transport vehicles, such as taxis and buses, and goods vehicles have other deadlines during the year, so if you work with your vehicle confirm your date with the Traffic department.

At the busiest times, the Municipality of Linares opens additional payment points, which are announced through local media. Even so, the easiest option is to pay online or go early rather than leaving it until the last day of March, when the queues are longest.

Documents to renew the permit for a used vehicle

If your vehicle already had a permit last year, to renew it in Linares you need last year's permit, valid mandatory personal accident insurance (SOAP) and a valid roadworthiness certificate (revisión técnica) or type-approval certificate. If the vehicle has changed owner, also bring the registration certificate (padrón) in the new owner's name. Taxis must also present the taximeter receipt.

Check the expiry date of your roadworthiness certificate in good time, because without it you won't be able to pay the permit. SOAP insurance can be bought online or from insurers, banks and supermarkets, and it is quite cheap compared with the cover it provides. You'll find more information in our guide to car and home insurance in Linares, and you can get your inspection at the Linares vehicle inspection centre.

If you are buying a used car, ask to see this year's vehicle permit, the SOAP and the roadworthiness certificate before closing the deal, and check the certificate of current records (certificado de anotaciones vigentes) at the Civil Registry, which shows who the owner is and whether the vehicle has fines or liens. Once the transfer is done, the new owner must renew the permit in their name the following year by presenting the updated registration certificate. That way you avoid inheriting someone else's debts or ending up with a car you can't renew.

Vehicle permit for a new vehicle

If you have bought a new vehicle and are getting the permit for the first time, in Linares you must present the purchase invoice, the Civil Registry registration application, the type-approval certificate and the mandatory insurance. Dealerships usually give you all these documents or handle the process for you; check that the permit is in your name and in the commune where you live.

Electric and hybrid vehicles get special reductions on the vehicle permit for a period of time, under the electromobility law. The Municipality of Linares publishes instructions for online payment and for these vehicles on its vehicle permit page: if you own one, ask the Traffic department how much you need to pay.

How to pay the vehicle permit online

The Municipality of Linares lets you pay the vehicle permit online from its website corporacionlinares.cl, in the "Tu municipio en línea" (your municipality online) section, which takes you to the municipal payment platform. You normally enter the vehicle's licence plate, check that the SOAP and roadworthiness details are registered and pay by card or bank transfer. When you finish, download and print the permit or keep it on your phone.

If you have questions or the system doesn't recognise your documents, contact the vehicle permits section of the Linares Traffic department, Manuel Rodríguez 754, on (73) 256 4659 or (73) 256 4749, or by email at pclinares@corporacionlinares.cl. You can also find the details of all municipal offices on our offices and services in Linares page.

Unpaid fines, vehicles off the road and late payment

You can only get the vehicle permit if your vehicle has no unpaid traffic fines. If you have outstanding tickets, you must pay them at the treasury of the commune where they were issued or at the centres authorised to issue the permit; tickets issued in Linares are handled by the Local Police Court at Maipú 201. In addition, people listed on the Register of Offending Passengers, for example for fare evasion on public transport, can't get the permit for vehicles in their name.

If your vehicle was not used, or will not be used, for the whole year, you must pay a municipal fee and explain the reason in a simple sworn statement, whose form is on the Municipality's website; the deadline is 30 November each year. And if you don't pay the permit on time, you are in arrears: besides the risk of fines and having the vehicle impounded at a checkpoint, when you renew you will be charged a fine of 1.5% of the permit's value, plus the CPI adjustment.

Vehicle permit in Linares: frequently asked questions

When is the vehicle permit due? For private vehicles, by 31 March, or in two instalments: March and August.

Where do I pay in Linares? At the Traffic department (Manuel Rodríguez 754), at the payment points opened in March, or online at corporacionlinares.cl.

Can I pay the second instalment in another commune? No. The second instalment is paid at the same municipality where you paid the first.

What if my roadworthiness certificate has expired? You won't be able to pay the permit until you renew it. That's why it pays to check the dates of your inspection and your SOAP in advance: with your papers in order, renewing the vehicle permit in Linares takes just a few minutes.