Buenos Aires driver licence reform & fee hike

In early July 2026 the Province of Buenos Aires began rolling out a new professional driver‑licence system, adding stricter psychophysical, theory and practical exams, distinct jurisdictional licences, and weigh‑in‑motion sensors to detect overloaded trucks. Fees surged from roughly 20,000 to as much as 250,000 pesos after the National Interjurisdictional Transport License was eliminated. A fraud case in Mar del Plata involving a falsified licence prompted prosecutors to reopen investigations into a network that had previously supplied illegal licences.

By late July officials clarified that the changes stem from a 2025 national decree (196/2025) that removed the separate inter‑jurisdictional licence and authorises inter‑province transport through class C‑E professional licences. The provincial transport ministry granted a 60‑day extension to address implementation problems and warned that the lack of a reference tariff could hinder driver access in some regions. Simultaneously a provincial bill proposed giving municipalities authority to organise and collect fees for Vehicle Technical Verification (VTV), while the province would retain standard‑setting duties.

On 25 July, the fee increase sparked calls for transparency. The cost of a professional licence rose from about 22,000 to 300,000 pesos, a 1,260 % jump. UCR deputy Diego Garciarena submitted a request for a detailed breakdown of the new fee to Governor Axel Kicillof, and Mar del Plata councillor Ariel Bordaisco lodged a similar communication with provincial authorities and the National Road Safety Agency. Local officials, including San Nicolás mayor Manuel Passaglia, questioned the role of the truck‑drivers’ union in the mandatory external training required under the new regime.