Speed Limiter Laws in Latin America: Limitador de Velocidad Rules

Is a limitador de velocidad obligatorio for trucks and buses? In some Latin American countries, yes, and the rule has teeth. In others the question is open, and fleets fit a limitador de velocidad (or gobernador de velocidad, the term used in Mexico) because the business case stands on its own: fuel, tyres, insurance, safer drivers and client site rules.

This guide sets out the speed limiter rules we have been able to confirm from official documents and credible reporting: Guatemala, the intercity bus rules in Peru, and Argentina, plus the 80 km/h cap that applies to public service, cargo and school vehicles in Colombia. It then points you to a page for every country where we supply.

Laws change and decrees get extended, so check the current text for your vehicles before you set a fleet policy.

Guatemala: the SLV, and fines since March 2026

Guatemala has the clearest and most recent obligation in the region. The legal basis is Decreto 45-2016, the Ley para el Fortalecimiento de la Seguridad Vial, which provides for a speed limiting system (sistema limitador de velocidad, or SLV) on collective passenger transport and on cargo transport. The regulation that fills in the detail is Acuerdo Gubernativo 38-2019. Heavy transport operators pushed back in late 2019, and Acuerdo Gubernativo 229-2019 extended the deadline by a year.

What the rule says in practice:

• Set speed: a maximum of 80 km/h. The regulation is explicit that this does not authorise 80 km/h where the posted limit is lower.
• Vehicles: buses on intercity routes and heavy cargo vehicles.
• Penalties: fines began on 2 March 2026. The fine was five minimum non-agricultural salaries (roughly Q20,000) and rose to seven, around Q28,000, from September 2026.
• Registration: the SLV is registered through the CIV (Centro de Información de Vehículos), and devices are supplied through authorised private installers.

Enforcement is still building up. The traffic authority has said it has few inspectors for the number of vehicles covered, so early fines have been relatively few. Do not read that as a reason to wait. A fleet that is stopped without a registered system is exposed, and licence cancellation has been mentioned by the vice minister.

If you run buses or heavy cargo there, contact us and we will talk through the right unit for each vehicle and the registration route. Our Guatemala page has the product side.

Peru: intercity buses need a limiter certificate

Peru ties the limiter to the authorisation of national scheduled passenger service. Under the national vehicle regulation (RNAT, Decreto Supremo 017-2009-MTC), a company applying to the MTC to run national passenger service with M3 Class III buses must declare that its vehicles have a speed limiter programmed, and must supply a limiter certificate. Resolutions of the MTC dated January and February 2025 apply this requirement.

The certificate has specific content. It must certify:

• an electronic injection system on the vehicle;
• that the ECU is calibrated so the vehicle does not exceed 110 km/h;
• that tamper-protection mechanisms are fitted.

It is issued by the chassis manufacturer, an authorised brand representative, or an authorised vehicle inspection centre (CITV). So in Peru the limiter is linked to ECU calibration on electronic-injection buses, and the sealing and tamper protection matter as much as the speed. The Peru page covers the fit for buses and trucks.

Argentina: limiters set at the factory, checked at inspection

Argentina handled the question through manufacturers and the inspection regime. Resolución 19/2016 of the transport ministry limits the speed of passenger and cargo vehicles, with each setting carrying a tolerance of plus or minus 3 percent:

Vehicle	Set speed
M3 long-distance and interurban buses (micros)	100 km/h
M3 urban buses (colectivos)	60 km/h
M2 passenger vehicles	100 km/h
N2 and N3 trucks	90 km/h

The limit is applied by reprogramming the on-board computer, at manufacture or import for new vehicles. The resolution also covered used units from model years 2015 to 2017, which were to be recalibrated, while earlier models were exempt. The national transport regulator, the CNRT, sets the procedure and can deactivate units that do not comply.

Disposición 500-E/2017 of the CNRT set the procedure and schedule for used N2 trucks (3,500 to 12,000 kg) and N3 trucks (over 12,000 kg). New N2 and N3 vehicles after 1 June 2017 must have limiters fitted by the manufacturer, and used units that do not comply will not pass the mandatory technical inspection (RTO). Passengers can also seek fare refunds through the CNRT if the speed limits are breached.

Argentine fleets that want a different or lower fleet-specific setting, or that need to understand what to do with a vehicle that has to pass inspection, can send us the vehicle details and we will say what fits. See the Argentina page.

Colombia: an 80 km/h cap for public, cargo and school vehicles

Colombia works through a speed cap rather than a device requirement. Ley 1239 de 2008 sets the speed limit for public service, cargo and school transport vehicles at 60 km/h on urban roads, and it may not exceed 80 km/h on national and departmental highways. Many Colombian fleets use a limiter to hold their trucks, tractomulas, volquetas and buses inside that cap by default instead of leaving it to each driver. Details are on the Colombia page.

What the confirmed rules have in common

Look across the three countries with limiter rules and a pattern appears:

• The speed is fixed in the rule. 80 km/h in Guatemala, 110 km/h on the Peruvian certificate, and 90 to 100 km/h in Argentina depending on vehicle class.
• Tamper resistance is part of the deal. Peru asks for tamper protection on the certificate, and Argentina can deactivate non-compliant units.
• Proof matters. A certificate, a registration or an inspection result, not a promise.

That last point is why independent, sealed limiters are worth a look even outside these countries. See electronic vs mechanical speed limiters for how the unit types differ, and our speed governor for trucks guide for the engine ECM question.

Speed limiters by country

Whether you operate in one country or several, there is a page for each market with the road speeds, the AutoKontrol unit that fits each vehicle type, and how supply works.

• Speed limiters in Mexico (gobernador de velocidad)
• Speed limiters in Guatemala
• Speed limiters in Central America
• Speed limiters in Chile
• Speed limiters in Peru
• Speed limiters in Colombia
• Speed limiters in Ecuador
• Speed limiters in Argentina
• Speed limiters in Uruguay
• Speed limiters in Brazil (limitador de velocidade)

For the road speed limits that apply to heavy vehicles in each country, see truck speed limits in Latin America by country. For a wider comparison beyond the region, see speed limiter regulations by country.

How AutoKontrol supplies fleets in Latin America

We ship direct to your fleet with fitting instructions. Your own workshop team can fit the unit, or you can use a local auto-electrician or workshop of your choice. Our technical team supports you remotely. Fit takes about 1.5 hours for the DBW speed limiter on electronic-throttle vehicles, and about 60 minutes for the mechanical System 80 on older mechanically governed diesels and for TrackSpeed.

AutoKontrol units are designed and manufactured in the UK and are ECE R89 type-approved. We are part of Scorpion Group, in vehicle electronics since 1973.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Latin American countries have a speed limiter requirement?

The ones we have confirmed from official documents are Guatemala (the SLV under Decreto 45-2016 and Acuerdo Gubernativo 38-2019), Peru for intercity passenger buses (limiter certificate under the RNAT), and Argentina (Resolución 19/2016 and Disposición 500-E/2017). Colombia caps public service, cargo and school vehicles at 80 km/h on national and departmental highways.

What is the maximum speed set by the Guatemalan limitador de velocidad?

80 km/h. The regulation states that this does not authorise 80 km/h where the posted limit is lower.

Does the limiter in Peru have to be electronic?

The certificate required for national scheduled passenger service certifies an electronic injection system, an ECU calibrated so the vehicle does not exceed 110 km/h, and tamper-protection mechanisms. Send us the bus make, model, year and engine and we will tell you what applies on the equipment side.

Is a gobernador de velocidad the same thing as a limitador de velocidad?

For road vehicles, yes. Gobernador de velocidad is the term common in Mexico; limitador de velocidad is used across most other countries. Both mean a device that caps a vehicle’s maximum road speed.

Can my own workshop fit the limiter?

Yes. We ship direct with fitting instructions, and your workshop or a local auto-electrician can fit it. We support you remotely.

Get a quote

Tell us the country, the vehicle make, model, year and engine type, and how many vehicles you run. We will recommend the right unit for each. Request a quote or email [email protected].