Countries › Costa Rica › Guide › 12. Sectors › Key regulated sectors in Costa Rica and who regulates them
Key regulated sectors in Costa Rica and who regulates them
Argentina. For full detail on Argentina, go to The Argentine Thread.
Last verified: 2026-10-30 · Status: Stable
Most of Costa Rica's economy is open to private and foreign investors, but energy, fuels, mining, telecom, coffee, cannabis and gambling run under sector laws. ICE dominates electricity and buys from private plants, RECOPE holds the fuel import and wholesale monopoly, ARESEP regulates tariffs for electricity, fuels, water and transport, SUTEL regulates telecom, the Dirección de Geología y Minas grants mining rights and ICAFE runs the coffee chain. This page maps the rules and links to each sector page.
Key facts
| Minimum Costa Rican share capital of a private generator | 35 %Ley 7200 art. 3, as of 2026-10-30 · in force |
|---|---|
| End of petroleum moratorium | 2050-12-31 dateDE 36693 as amended by DE 41578, as of 2026-10-30 · in force |
| Open pit metal mining | Prohibited textCódigo de Minería art. 8 bis, as of 2026-10-30 · in force |
The rule
1. ARESEP regulates tariffs and quality for electricity supply, water and sewerage, hydrocarbons, gas, green hydrogen and biofuels, irrigation, paid public passenger transport except air, port services, rail freight and waste collection; the authorisation to provide each service comes from MINAE, MOPT, the port authorities or municipalities.Ley 7593, Ley de la Autoridad Reguladora de los Servicios Públicos, art. 5, 2026-08-05 official text · verified 2026-10-30 · changed: Ley 10967 (in force 13 August 2026) added gas, green hydrogen and biofuels to art. 5(d).
2. Private electricity generators sell to ICE under Ley 7200, with at least 35% Costa Rican capital and size and share caps.Ley 7200, Ley que Autoriza la Generación Eléctrica Autónoma o Paralela, art. 3, 5, 7 and 20, 1995-05-09 official text · verified 2026-10-30
3. Import, refining and wholesale distribution of crude and fuels are a State monopoly run by RECOPE.Ley 7356, art. 1 and 2, 1993-08-24 official text · verified 2026-10-30
4. Oil exploration and exploitation are under moratorium until 31 December 2050.DE 36693-MINAET as amended by DE 41578-MINAE, art. 1, 2019-02-25 official text · verified 2026-10-30
5. No permits or concessions are granted for open pit metal mining.Ley 6797, Código de Minería, art. 8 bis, 2010-12-01 official text · verified 2026-10-30
6. Spectrum use needs an Executive concession and other networks and services a SUTEL authorisation.Ley 8642, Ley General de Telecomunicaciones, art. 11 and 23, 2008-06-04 official text · verified 2026-10-30
7. Coffee processors, exporters and roasters must register with ICAFE.Ley 2762 (text by Ley 9872), art. 120, 2020-07-28 official text · verified 2026-10-30
8. Medicinal cannabis needs MAG and Ministry of Health licences; hemp below 1% THC a prior authorisation.Ley 10113, art. 2, 5, 12 and 13, 2022-03-02 official text · verified 2026-10-30
9. Casinos are allowed only in hotels of four stars or more and pay Ley 9050 taxes.Ley 9050, art. 1 and 3, 2012-07-09 official text · verified 2026-10-30
| Sector | Main law | Gatekeeper | Key limit for private investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity generation | Ley 7200 | ICE eligibility or tender; ARESEP concession and tariffs | 35% Costa Rican capital; 20 MW (Chapter I) or 50 MW blocks (Chapter II) |
| Self consumption solar and storage | Ley 10086, DE 43879 | Distributor; ARESEP | Up to 5 MW small scale; no sale to third parties |
| Fuels | Ley 7356, Ley 10967 | RECOPE; ARESEP; MINAE | Wholesale import and refining reserved to RECOPE |
| Oil and gas upstream | Ley 7399, DE 36693 | MINAE | Petroleum moratorium to 2050 |
| Mining | Código de Minería | Dirección de Geología y Minas; SETENA | No open pit metal mining |
| Telecommunications | Ley 8642 | Executive (spectrum); SUTEL | FONATEL 1.5% of revenue (2025) |
| Coffee | Ley 2762 | ICAFE | Processor 9%, exporter 2.5% or 1.5% margins |
| Cannabis and hemp | Ley 10113 | MAG; Ministry of Health | One licence per type per group; no free zone cultivation |
| Casinos and betting data | Ley 9050 | Ministerio de Seguridad Pública; Tributación | Casinos only in four star hotels or above |
Regulated sectors at a glance (sources in each linked page).
Step by step
- Identify whether the activity falls in a sector law or is open under general company law.
- Check ownership rules (Ley 7200 capital rule, coastal and mining limits).
- Map regulators and permits, including SETENA environmental viability.
- Read the relevant sector page for fees and timelines.
Common traps
- State monopolies (RECOPE fuels, ICE dominant in power) shape what private firms can sell.
- Several sector rules are set by executive decree and can change without a new law (for example the oil moratorium).
- Rules affecting Argentina based groups are general; there is no Argentina specific sector regime.
Sources
Related pages
- sectors/electricity-generation-and-private-power
- sectors/distributed-generation-and-self-consumption
- sectors/oil-gas-and-fuels
- sectors/mining
- sectors/telecommunications
- sectors/electric-vehicles-and-charging
- sectors/medicinal-cannabis-and-hemp
- sectors/casinos-and-online-betting-operators
- sectors/coffee
- start/who-regulates-what
- https://theargentinethread.com/guide/
- /country/costa-rica/
- /calendar/
- Live dashboard
Related: Costa Rica country profile · live dashboard · central bank and release calendar · our posts on X
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