Driving in Honduras

Foreigners who wish to drive a car in Honduras need to present their passport and prove they have stayed in the country for three months, which is the minimum length of stay for them to be able to drive legally. A foreigner may drive for 90 days with just a foreign driver's license, but for those who will be staying longer, a Honduran driving license should be obtained at a cost of about $ 20 or 500 Lps. The fee is not the only requirement, however. Also required will be the foreigner's passport, international driver's license and 2 passport photos. A foreigner should pass a written driving exam in Spanish and a physical examination, including an eye exam and blood test.

There are traffic laws in Honduras but enforcement is not very strong. Usually, there will be traffic enforcers who will stop drivers or give tickets when they violate the rules. Some cars will be stopped, but this is not consistent and sometimes, this will be merely to do routine inspections of car registration.

Lessons on defensive driving will also be useful in a place where traffic can just pop up from any side of the road. While this is favorable for drivers who do not have to worry about fines or imprisonment for violating traffic rules, it can also put people's lives in danger. Because of the free driving culture in Honduras, expats should learn to drive with extra caution.