Driving in Bogotá
Pico y placa with a rental car in Bogotá: hours, plates and how to avoid the fine
How Bogotá's pico y placa driving restriction works if you rent a car: hours, which plates can drive each day, the fine, the paid permit and the holiday rule.
Short answer: yes, a rental car is subject to pico y placa in Bogotá. The rule depends on the last digit of the license plate and applies Monday to Friday, from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. On odd dates, plates ending in 1 to 5 can drive; on even dates, plates ending in 6 to 0. There is no restriction on Saturdays, Sundays or public holidays.
This guide explains how to read the rule as a visitor, what happens if you break it, what the paid permit is, and how the separate regional rule works when you drive back into the city after a holiday weekend.
How does pico y placa work in Bogotá?
Pico y placa for private cars is set by Decree 003 of 2023, and Bogotá’s Mobility Department explains it on its official page. For September 2026 it works like this, according to the city calendar:
- Hours: 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- Days: Monday to Friday.
- Odd dates of the month: plates ending in 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 can drive.
- Even dates of the month: plates ending in 6, 7, 8, 9 and 0 can drive.
- Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays: no restriction.
What counts is the calendar date, not the weekday. Tuesday the 15th is an odd date and Wednesday the 16th is even, even though they are consecutive days.
Does it apply to rental cars?
Yes. The rule is enforced by plate, and a rental car is a private car like any other. Andes Auto Rental cars have Bogotá plates, so the first step is to ask for the last digit of your car’s plate and check it against your dates.
If your trip includes weekdays inside Bogotá, plan around them: on the day your plate is restricted you can drive before 6:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m., or leave the car parked and use public transport or a ride-hailing app.
What happens if you drive during pico y placa?
It is a traffic violation with a fine, and the car can also be impounded. No officer needs to stop you: the city’s cameras detect it too, and then it arrives as a camera fine weeks later.
With a rental car, the camera fine is sent to the rental company and deducted from the security deposit, which is returned 15 days after you drop the car off. We explain the process in our guide to camera fines with a rental car.
What is pico y placa solidario?
It is a paid permit to drive without the restriction. The city published the 2026 base prices:
| Permit | 2026 base price |
|---|---|
| One day | COP 70,294 |
| One month | COP 561,808 |
| Six months | COP 2,809,311 |
It is sold on the Mobility Department’s official platform. The city warns that the address always ends in .gov.co and that you should ignore messages offering to process it for you.
If you are renting for many days and need to drive in Bogotá on weekdays, ask us when you book. It is reviewed case by case, depending on the dates and the car.
What is the regional pico y placa?
It is a different rule, for driving into Bogotá on the last day of a holiday weekend. According to the city, it applies on nine entry corridors:
- 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.: plates ending in an even number (0, 2, 4, 6 and 8) can enter.
- 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.: plates ending in an odd number (1, 3, 5, 7 and 9) can enter.
It applies to every car entering through those corridors, wherever it is registered. The details are in our guide to driving back into Bogotá after a holiday weekend.
How to avoid pico y placa trouble with a rental car
- Ask for the last digit of the plate before you sign and save it on your phone.
- Keep day trips for the weekend: Zipaquirá, Villa de Leyva, Guatavita and Suesca have no Bogotá restriction on Saturday or Sunday.
- If you land at night, remember the restriction ends at 9:00 p.m.
- Use a navigation app: some of them warn you about pico y placa once you enter your plate.
- Check the monthly calendar on bogota.gov.co, which the city publishes every month.
If you are collecting the car at the airport, the step-by-step is in our guide to renting a car at Bogotá airport, and the available cars, with their details, are in our fleet.
The figures in this guide were verified against official sources on the update date. Tolls and rates are adjusted every year.
Frequently asked questions
- Does a rental car have pico y placa in Bogotá?
- Yes. Pico y placa depends on the last digit of the license plate, not on who is driving. Andes Auto Rental cars have Bogotá plates and follow the rule like any private car: Monday to Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- Which plates can drive today in Bogotá?
- On odd dates of the month, plates ending in 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 can drive; on even dates, plates ending in 6, 7, 8, 9 and 0. The city publishes each month’s calendar on bogota.gov.co.
- Is there pico y placa on weekends and public holidays?
- No. There is no pico y placa in Bogotá on Saturdays, Sundays or public holidays. The exception is the regional pico y placa, which applies to cars entering the city on the last day of a holiday weekend.
- How much is the pico y placa solidario permit in 2026?
- The 2026 base price is COP 70,294 for one day, COP 561,808 for a month and COP 2,809,311 for six months. The final price depends on the car’s value, model year, fuel and place of registration, and it is sold on the Mobility Department’s official platform.
- What happens if I drive during pico y placa?
- It is a traffic violation with a fine, and the car can be impounded. Cameras detect it too, so it can arrive weeks later as a camera fine. With a rental car, that fine is deducted from the security deposit.
- Can I pick up the car at the airport on a restricted day?
- The restriction runs from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. If your flight lands in that window on a day the plate cannot drive, tell us when you book and we will arrange the handover with you.
