Pico y placa is a private-vehicle circulation restriction that most of Colombia’s largest cities enforce, each with its own rules. The idea is always the same — fewer cars on the road during peak congestion hours — but the restricted day and plate digit vary from city to city, and not every city runs it year-round. This guide brings together how it works in Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Bucaramanga, Cartagena and Barranquilla.
What every city has in common
- It restricts private vehicles based on the last digit of the plate (motorcycles, taxis and public transport usually follow different rules or are exempt).
- The fine for breaking it is 15 SMLDV (daily legal minimum wage units) with vehicle impoundment, based on Art. 131-C.14 of Law 769 of 2002 (amended by art. 21 of Law 1383 of 2010) — the same national rule across all six cities we checked.
- Electric and hybrid vehicles are exempt in every active city.
- The restriction is normally suspended on public holidays (Barranquilla is the exception, but only because it currently has no active restriction for private vehicles — see below).
City by city
Bogotá
Rotates Monday to Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., by digit pairs. Besides electric and hybrid, it also exempts motorcycles. Check today’s exact digit on Bogotá’s page.
Medellín
The rotation is updated per semester (the current one runs from February). It also exempts compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles besides electric and hybrid. Check today’s restricted digit on Medellín’s page.
Cali
Also rotates every semester. Exempts electric, hybrid, motorcycles, and vehicles driven by or for people with a disability. See the current schedule on Cali’s page.
Bucaramanga
Rotates quarterly. Exempts electric, hybrid and CNG vehicles. Besides the weekday restriction, the official source also reports an additional Saturday restriction with weekly-rotating digits — always check the official source before a specific Saturday. Full detail on Bucaramanga’s page.
Cartagena
Runs two time windows per day (morning and evening) instead of one continuous block. Exempts electric, hybrid and disability vehicles. Check the exact windows on Cartagena’s page.
Barranquilla
The exception on this list: it currently has no active pico y placa for private vehicles — it was repealed by district decree. It still applies to other categories on some corridors. Check the current status on Barranquilla’s page.
Quick comparison table
| City | Status | City-specific exemptions |
|---|---|---|
| Bogotá | Active | Motorcycles |
| Medellín | Active | CNG |
| Cali | Active | Motorcycles, disability |
| Bucaramanga | Active | CNG |
| Cartagena | Active (2 windows/day) | Disability |
| Barranquilla | Not in force (private) | — |
Need this data in your app or system?
Everything in this guide comes from the same API that powers these pages. If you’re building an app, a fleet system, or any product that needs to check current pico y placa status by plate or by city, take a look at the API plans.