Panamenians love copies

Whenever you want anything to be done, you need at least one, better two copies of everything. I am about to renew my numbers plate on my car. It will have this year and the month on it and will have to be renewed again next year. To do this, I need a "revisado", which should check the car for full functionality, but in fact usually is done by sending the garage a picture of your car and have them put that picture in the certificate that declares your car street worthy. (Which explains why so many cars don't have working lights or are fixed with duct tape).
I will also have to bring my certificate of ownership, including one copy. A certificate of insurance (which has to be renewed manually each year) with a copy, a copy of last year's revisado and a copy of my passport.

This will then be done in the same office that received all those documents last year. I guess there are now ten copies of my passport alone being stored away in government offices, often enough several in the same office.

No idea why they don't just go into their computer to see that I got a revisado last year and that I am properly identified with a valid ID. But if that's the game, you have to play it...