How to replace a lost or stolen driver’s license in Puerto Rico

A duplicate replaces the physical driver’s license document. According to the requirements CESCO publishes, you request one when the license was lost, stolen or destroyed, and the sworn statement that goes with the application has to explain which of those three happened. It is not the same as a renewal: a renewal extends validity, a duplicate replaces the document. If your license is also close to expiring, ask CESCO which transaction suits you, because form DTOP-DIS-256 covers renewal, duplicate and name change alike, and they may handle everything at once.

This applies to the holder of a Puerto Rico driver’s license. The sworn statement is made in your own name and cites your license number and class, so the process assumes the holder is the one doing it. If you need to handle it for someone else, confirm with CESCO what authorization is required — we found no official source explaining that. Three conditions have to be certified in the sworn statement itself, so in practice they work as requirements: that the license has not been seized by the Police, that it is not suspended or revoked by a court, and that you have no pending accounts with ASUME or ACAA.

• That the license was lost, stolen or destroyed — these are the circumstances the sworn statement must explain.Verified against the official source
• A recent sworn statement before a notary requesting the duplicate, with your full name and your license number and class.Verified against the official source
• That the license has not been seized by the Puerto Rico Police nor suspended or revoked by a court, and that you have no pending accounts with ASUME or ACAA — the sworn statement must certify this.Verified against the official source
• If it was a theft, include the Puerto Rico Police report (querella) number in the sworn statement.Verified against the official source
• An appointment, if you are doing it in person at a CESCO.Verified against the official source
• Presenting a photo identification document.Verified against the official source
• Completing form DTOP-DIS-256, “Solicitud Certificado de Licencia para Conducir Vehículos de Motor”.Verified against the official source
• That the sworn statement be less than twelve (12) months old and state your driver’s licence number.Verified against the official source
• If more than twelve (12) months have passed since your last renewal, a medical certification: DTOP-DIS-260 for learner and conductor, DTOP-DIS-260a for chofer and heavy, plus DTOP-789 for heavy.Verified against the official source
• A document issued no more than two (2) months ago evidencing your permanent residential address.Verified against the official source

• Form DTOP-DIS-256, which covers renewal, duplicate and name change alike — mark that yours is a duplicate.
• The notarized sworn statement, which must also include the release clause: “Relevamos al DTOP de toda responsabilidad en esta transacción.”
• A $6 Internal Revenue stamp (code 5120) and a $2 voucher (code 0842).
• Whatever documents the appointment system lists for the service you pick — the list appears when you book.
• A photo identification document.
• A bill for your permanent residential address less than two months old. If it is not in your name, form DTOP-DIS-156 signed by whoever appears on it, with a copy of their identification.
• Your evidence of legal presence and Social Security, unless already scanned in your electronic record: CESCO states the clerk checks first and only asks for them if missing.

1. 1

   Step 1: Confirm whether you need a duplicate or a renewal

   If your license is still valid and the problem is simply that you no longer have it, a duplicate is what you need. If it is also close to expiring, ask CESCO which one suits you: the form is the same for both, but the appointment and what you pay need not be. Booking for the wrong transaction usually ends with being turned away.

2. 2

   Step 2: If it was stolen, file the police report first

   When the license was stolen, the Puerto Rico Police report number has to go inside the sworn statement. That means the report comes before the notary, not after. If you simply lost it with no theft involved, official wording is not consistent about whether a report is needed: if you already have one, bring it.

3. 3

   Step 3: Prepare form DTOP-DIS-256 and the sworn statement

   DTOP-DIS-256 is the official form and covers renewal, duplicate and name change, so make sure you mark the duplicate. The sworn statement is made before a notary and has to give your full name, your license number and class, exactly what happened, and certify that the license is not seized by the Police nor suspended or revoked, and that you owe nothing to ASUME or ACAA. Close it with the DTOP release clause.

4. 4

   Step 4: Buy the stamp and the voucher

   You need $6 in an Internal Revenue stamp, code 5120, and a $2 voucher, code 0842, the latter for the Trauma Center charge under Act 24-2017. Hacienda runs collection offices inside several CESCOs, so you can often sort it out in the same building. Confirm which payment methods are accepted where you go: that is not published officially for this transaction.

5. 5

   Step 5: Pick your route: CESCO Digital or an in-person appointment

   DTOP confirms that a duplicate can be requested through CESCO Digital, and that when you do you can choose to receive the license by mail instead of picking it up. If you prefer to go in person, book through the official appointment system, which also shows you the documents needed for the service you select. Not every center offers every service, so check before booking.

6. 6

   Step 6: Check the details before calling it done

   When you receive the license or the receipt, check your name, date of birth, address and restrictions. If you chose mail delivery, keep proof of the transaction until it arrives. Fixing a detail right after it is issued is far easier than opening another transaction later.

Through CESCO Digital, where DTOP confirms a duplicate can be requested and you can choose mail delivery, or in person at a CESCO with an appointment booked in the official system. Several CESCOs also have a Hacienda collection office in the same building where you can buy the stamp and the voucher. Not every center offers every service, so confirm availability when you book.

• Going to the notary before filing the police report when it was a theft, then having to redo the sworn statement to include the number.
• Hauling the birth certificate and Social Security card without checking first: CESCO asks for them only if they are not already scanned in your electronic record, and the clerk checks that first.
• Requesting a duplicate when a renewal was what you needed, and losing the appointment over it.
• Turning up with an incomplete sworn statement, missing the DTOP release clause or the ASUME and ACAA certification.
• Trusting non-government pages for the cost: figures circulate that don’t match the $6 and $2 CESCO publishes.

These are the government pages this guide is based on.

• Directoría de Servicios al Conductor (CESCO)

  CESCO

  www.cesco.pr.gov

• DTOP-DIS-256 — driver’s license certificate application

  CESCO

  www.cesco.pr.gov

• Official CESCO appointment system

  CESCO

  cesco.turnospr.com

• CESCO Digital

  CESCO

  web.cescodigital.pr.gov

• DTOP — expanded CESCO Digital services

  DTOP

  www.dtop.pr.gov

• CESCO Digital frequently asked questions

  CESCO

  www.cesco.pr.gov