The Internal Revenue Service announced that there will be no changes to the penalties established for owners who let the renewal period expire without completing the corresponding payment
SANTO DOMINGO. The General Directorate of Internal Taxes (DGII) announced an increase in the rates of the Vehicle Circulation Tax (ICV), popularly known as the vehicle registration sticker, for the 2026-2027 season, which will begin this Thursday, October 29, 2026 and will extend until Sunday, January 31, 2027.
With the update, owners of vehicles manufactured up to 2021 will have to pay RD$2,000, which represents an increase of RD$500 compared to the previous amount of RD$1,500. Meanwhile, owners of units manufactured from 2022 onwards will have to pay RD$4,000, that is, an additional RD$1,000 compared to the previous rate of RD$3,000.
The increase will be 33.3% for both categories, after ten years without changes to the established amounts for this tax. The measure was formalized through Administrative Resolution No. DDG-AR1-2026-00009, dated October 29, 2026.
Increases of RD$500 and RD$1,000 depending on the year of the vehicle
The modification establishes two different rates based on the year of manufacture of the vehicles. For vehicles manufactured up to and including 2021, the fee increases from RD$1,500 to RD$2,000, a rise of RD$500. Meanwhile, vehicles manufactured from 2022 onwards will have to pay RD$4,000, compared to the previous RD$3,000, representing an increase of RD$1,000.
In this way, owners will need to check the year of manufacture of their vehicles to determine the amount they are required to pay during the new renewal period.
Internal Revenue explained that the fixed rate scheme remains a less expensive alternative to the application of the tax equivalent to 1% of the vehicle's value, contemplated in article 15 of Law No. 253-12.
Accumulated inflation and justification for the update
The tax collection agency noted that rates have remained unchanged since 2016, while accumulated inflation between September of that year and September 2016 reached 58.1%.
According to the calculations presented by the entity, an update that fully reflected this variation would have placed the payment at RD$2,372 for vehicles in the first category and at RD$4,743 for those in the second.
However, the new amounts were set at RD$2,000 and RD$4,000, respectively. With this, the institution maintains the collection mechanism using fixed amounts, differentiated according to the vehicle's age, instead of applying the percentage of the vehicle's value stipulated in the tax legislation.
Renewing the vehicle registration sticker is one of the tax obligations that motor vehicle owners must fulfill in order to legally drive on the country's public roads.
More than two million vehicles will need to be replaced
For the 2026-2027 period, the DGII has registered 2,136,468 vehicles eligible to renew their vehicle registration sticker. To facilitate the process, 55 financial institutions, distributed across 845 branches nationwide, will be available.
The process can also be carried out at the institution's collection offices located in Villa Vásquez, Montecristi province, and Sánchez, Samaná province.
In addition, taxpayers will have the option to manage the renewal through the official portal www.dgii.gov.do and the DGII Móvil application. However, these two methods will only be available until Sunday, January 17, 2027, while the general deadline will be January 31 of the same year.
To complete the procedure at authorized establishments or to collect orders placed online and through the application, it will be necessary to present a legible, up-to-date and in good condition copy of the vehicle registration.
Given these deadlines, the institution urged owners to make their payments well in advance to avoid surcharges and other penalties for non-compliance.
Penalties for late renewals remain in place
The DGII reported that there will be no changes to the penalties established for owners who let the renewal period expire without completing the corresponding payment.
In that regard, vehicles that do not renew their registration before January 31, 2027, will have to pay a surcharge of RD$2,000. For those who did not regularize their registration during the 2025-2026 season, the penalty amounts to RD$2,100, comprised of RD$2,000 for non-compliance and RD$100 for administrative cessation.
In the case of cars that have pending renewal corresponding to the 2024-2025 season or previous years, the amount will be RD$3,100, made up of RD$3,000 penalty for non-renewal and RD$100 for administrative cessation.
These penalties correspond to the outstanding periods and should be distinguished from the ordinary cost of the sticker for the new season.
They project to raise an additional RD$1.175 billion
In addition to the increase in rates, the institution anticipates an increase in revenue generated by the Vehicle Circulation Tax during the 2026-2027 season.
According to official estimates, the revenue would increase from approximately RD$3,525 million to RD$4,700 million, representing an additional RD$1,175 million.
The DGII indicated that these resources would contribute to strengthening public finances and the State's capacity to address national budgetary priorities, in an international context characterized by economic and financial uncertainty.
He also linked the update to efforts aimed at strengthening public revenues, in line with the objectives of Law 30-26 on Measures for Economic Growth, Tax Simplification and Mitigation of the International Crisis.
Where to find the fees and requirements
Taxpayers can consult the administrative resolution, frequently asked questions, updated amounts, requirements and authorized points for renewal through the portal www.dgii.gov.do.
For additional assistance, the entity maintains its Contact Center available at (809) 689-3444.
With the new rates taking effect, vehicle owners will face an increase of RD$500 or RD$1,000, depending on the year their vehicle was manufactured. This adjustment ends a ten-year period without changes to the tax amounts and will be applied during the 2026-2027 renewal season, the general deadline for which is January 31, 2027.
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