Tools
Driving in Panama
The rules of the road as our desk recorded them, native unit first.
Right
40 / 80 / 100 km/h · 25 / 50 / 62 mph
urban / rural / motorway
Not required
A home-country licence is valid for the length of a tourist stay (up to 90 days) - carry it with your passport and entry stamp; rental agencies ask for both.
Effectively zero tolerance - any positive reading is sanctionable; do not drink and drive at all
Panama City’s Corredor Norte and Corredor Sur and the Panama–Colón highway are electronic-only (Panapass tag, no cash lanes) - rental cars come with a tag, top it up before driving; the open Pan-American is toll-free.
Required at night and in rain; heavy tropical downpours make pulling over the sane choice.
Small children require a child seat and minors ride in the back - rental agencies stock seats with notice.
The Pan-American to David is the best long-distance road in Central America - smooth, fast, dual-carriageway for long stretches. The Panapass electronic-only tolls catch visitors out: a rental with an empty tag balance means fines mailed to the agency and charged to your card.