In short
Act 60-1970 provides that it shall be illegal to enter the Commonwealth grounds where the offices and dependencies of the Department of Public Works are located, with the intent to induce, persuade, attract, guide or convince, with words, gestures or in any other way, any citizen or group of citizens, so that they submit to a physical examination with a certain physician, or have photographs taken by a certain photographer, or take the driver’s examination in a certain vehicle. The violation constitutes a misdemeanor, punished with a fine of no less than ten (10) dollars and no more than one hundred (100) dollars, or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or both, at the court’s discretion. The offense is defined by the act of entering those grounds with that intent, and the steering must be toward a determinate provider: the law speaks of “a certain physician,” “a certain photographer” and “a certain vehicle.”
What is it?
It is the law against touts working the line. Its object is concrete: entering the grounds where the offices and dependencies of the Department of Public Works are located, with the intent to steer you to a particular physician, photographer or test vehicle. The law does not go after someone giving you general advice; it goes after steering toward a determinate provider done inside those grounds.
Who can do it?
Any citizen or group of citizens approached for that purpose inside the described grounds. The offense is committed by whoever enters those grounds with that intent.
Requirements
- That the act occur upon entering the Commonwealth grounds where the offices and dependencies of the Department of Public Works are located.Verified against the official source
- That the intent be to induce, persuade, attract, guide or convince a citizen to use a certain physician, photographer or vehicle.Verified against the official source
Documents you need
Information pending verification.
Cost
Step by step
Step 1: The law describes three steerings, and only three
That you submit to a physical exam with a certain physician; that you have photographs taken by a certain photographer; or that you take the driver’s test in a certain vehicle. Those are the text’s three scenarios. The recurring word is “certain”: the law does not describe someone giving you general guidance, but someone pushing you toward one in particular.
Step 2: The means do not matter: words, gestures or any other way
The text covers it that broadly: to induce, persuade, attract, guide or convince, “with words, gestures or in any other way.” A flyer, a signal or walking you to the door fit that wording.
Step 3: It is a place-bound offense
Worth being precise because it changes what you can claim: what the law declares illegal is “entering the grounds” of the Commonwealth where the offices and dependencies of the Department of Public Works are located, with that intent. The conduct is tied to that place. If the same offer is made to you elsewhere, this particular statute is not the one describing it.
Step 4: The penalty
The violation constitutes a misdemeanor, punished with a fine of no less than ten (10) dollars and no more than one hundred (100) dollars, or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or both, at the court’s discretion. The figures are from 1970 and are quoted as the text carries them.
Step 5: What to do if it happens to you
You do not have to accept the offer or confront anyone. Note the date, time, exact place and what you were offered, and keep any flyer or card handed to you. As a criminal matter, the route is a report to the Puerto Rico Police, which we cover in its own guide. If you were also overcharged for an official procedure, that is another guide.
Where to do it
The criminal report is filed with the Puerto Rico Police. The Department of Transportation and Public Works is the agency whose grounds and dependencies the law protects. If your matter is the procedure itself — the appointment, renewal or duplicate license — those have their own guides.
How long it takes
What to do if something goes wrong
One clarification about names and another about scope. On names: the articles name the “Department of Public Works,” as it was then called; the OGP compilation’s own header titles the law as referring to “DTOP Grounds.” We report both namings as they appear and do not rewrite the text. On scope: we read nothing that lets us say which specific offices are today grounds and dependencies covered by that description, so this guide does not assert that it applies to any particular CESCO location; that is a determination for the authorities. What we also did not read: Act 22-2000 or any DTOP or CESCO regulation, so we describe no licensing requirements, medical exams or official photographs. And the law creates no administrative procedure and designates no investigating agency: it creates the offense and the penalty.
Common mistakes
- Believing it covers any street offer: the law ties the conduct to entering those grounds.
- Thinking a payment is required: the offense is defined by the intent to steer you, not by payment.
- Ignoring the word “certain”: the law describes steering toward a particular provider.
- Assuming only words count: the text says words, gestures or any other way.
- Confronting the tout instead of noting details and reporting.
- Throwing out the flyer or card: it is the most concrete thing you will have.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly does the law prohibit?
Entering the Commonwealth grounds where the offices and dependencies of the Department of Public Works are located, with the intent to induce, persuade, attract, guide or convince, with words, gestures or in any other way, any citizen to use a certain physician, photographer or vehicle.
What is the penalty?
A misdemeanor, punished with a fine of no less than ten (10) dollars and no more than one hundred (100) dollars, or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or both, at the court’s discretion.
Does it apply if I am approached outside the grounds?
The text ties the conduct to entering those grounds with that intent. If the offer happens elsewhere, this particular statute is not the one describing it.
Must I prove I was charged something?
The law does not require it. What it describes is entering those grounds with the intent to steer a citizen toward a certain physician, photographer or vehicle.
Official sources
These are the government pages this guide is based on.
- Departamento de Transportación y Obras Públicas (DTOP)
DTOP
bvirtualogp.pr.gov
- Department of Transportation and Public Works
DTOP
www.dtop.pr.gov
Last verified
August 24, 2026
MiPRFácil is an independent informational website and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the Government of Puerto Rico or any government agency.
MiPRFácil does not submit applications on your behalf.
Was this guide helpful?
Did you find out-of-date information?
How to book a CESCO appointment
How to reserve your CESCO slot, how to know whether you really have to go in person, and how to recognize the government’s official appointment system.
How to renew your driver’s license in Puerto Rico
What CESCO requires to renew: form DTOP-DIS-256, the medical certification, the $14 in stamps, and why being 30 days late costs you $24 more.
How to replace a lost or stolen driver’s license in Puerto Rico
What to do if your license was lost or stolen: the sworn statement CESCO asks for, the stamps, and how to do it online or by appointment.
How to file an administrative complaint against a police officer
The five official filing channels, the toll-free SARP number, and why you can file even without the officer’s name or badge number.
An official overcharged you: the law that punishes it per infraction
An 1904 law punishes with a $25-$500 fine per infraction any official who maliciously demands or receives fees greater than the law allows.
Carrying people in a pickup bed or a truck: what the law says
Act 78 of 1955 bans carrying passengers, paid or free, in vehicles not structurally designed for it, with three narrow exceptions.