When can you appeal a traffic fine in Spain?
Have you received a traffic fine in Spain that you believe to be unwarranted? Certain traffic offences can be appealed, here's how to go about it.
It’s happened to the best of us, you quickly leave the car to pop into a shop, or accidentally park somewhere you shouldn’t when visiting a new town or city, or unknowingly speed through an unfamiliar stretch of road.
Next thing you know, Spain's Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT) has given you a fine (una multa), and you're wondering what to do next.
If you know you committed the offence, you'll probably better off paying the fine off as soon as possible. And as the DGT website information on fines reminds us: "Remember that you have 20 calendar days to pay with a 50 percent reduction."
READ ALSO: The new rules for motorcyclists in Spain in 2024
So, if you've been given a small fine without any points on your licence, it may just worth your while to pay it off within the 20 day window and get half the cost off.
That said, if you feel you've genuinely been hard done by and want to appeal the fine, here's the types of fines you can appeal in Spain and how to do it.
Parking tickets
So, you're got a parking ticket, which in Spain can range from €30 (for exceeding the time limit in a Blue Zone, for example) all the way up to €3,000 for parking in a protected zone.
But few people realise that you can appeal a fine if you can prove that the parking restrictions were not well signposted and that you didn’t purposefully park in a non-parking zone.
READ ALSO: Which cities will get low-emission zones in 2024 and what rules change?
Speeding fines
Speeding fines can also be appealed in Spain, but doing so is a little more difficult.
The amount of the fine (along with the number of penalty points on your license) vary according to the seriousness of the offence.
If you think there’s been a mistake, or you weren’t speeding, or it wasn’t you driving, you can appeal it. But note, you need to be sure because the margin of error for speed cameras is pretty small.
READ ALSO: What's the law on dash cams in cars in Spain?
Drink driving
If you want to appeal a fine for drink driving (and the points that likely came with it) you must provide irrefutable evidence that the breathalyser was not working properly or that the officers carrying out the checks did not carry out the test properly.
This will be hard to prove, but you are with your rights to try and appeal.
READ ALSO: What are the drink driving limits and penalties in Spain?
Technical errors
You could also plausibly appeal a fine if the authorities make some kind of mistake processing or issuing it.
For example, if you receive the fine at it is incomplete or any of the data is incorrect (date, place, registration, name, and so on). However, bear in mind the DGT can correct the error depending on how serious the offence was. If you were driving 120km/h in a 30 zone they are unlikely to drop the charge because they misspelled your name, for example.
Appeals can also be made if there is an error processing the file, such as you receive it late or an error in how the notification is made.
How can I appeal a fine?
You can appeal traffic fines in several different ways.
The easiest way is through the DGT website, where you can both pay and appeal fines. You can find that link here.
You can also appeal by post (addressed to the DGT complaints department) or in person at a DGT traffic office.
To appeal, you’ll need the penalty file number, i.e. the fine itself, the details of the incident, your signature signature and the corresponding allegations clearly marked.
The deadline to appeal is 20 working days from the formal notification of the penalty.
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It’s happened to the best of us, you quickly leave the car to pop into a shop, or accidentally park somewhere you shouldn’t when visiting a new town or city, or unknowingly speed through an unfamiliar stretch of road.
Next thing you know, Spain's Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT) has given you a fine (una multa), and you're wondering what to do next.
If you know you committed the offence, you'll probably better off paying the fine off as soon as possible. And as the DGT website information on fines reminds us: "Remember that you have 20 calendar days to pay with a 50 percent reduction."
READ ALSO: The new rules for motorcyclists in Spain in 2024
So, if you've been given a small fine without any points on your licence, it may just worth your while to pay it off within the 20 day window and get half the cost off.
That said, if you feel you've genuinely been hard done by and want to appeal the fine, here's the types of fines you can appeal in Spain and how to do it.
Parking tickets
So, you're got a parking ticket, which in Spain can range from €30 (for exceeding the time limit in a Blue Zone, for example) all the way up to €3,000 for parking in a protected zone.
But few people realise that you can appeal a fine if you can prove that the parking restrictions were not well signposted and that you didn’t purposefully park in a non-parking zone.
READ ALSO: Which cities will get low-emission zones in 2024 and what rules change?
Speeding fines
Speeding fines can also be appealed in Spain, but doing so is a little more difficult.
The amount of the fine (along with the number of penalty points on your license) vary according to the seriousness of the offence.
If you think there’s been a mistake, or you weren’t speeding, or it wasn’t you driving, you can appeal it. But note, you need to be sure because the margin of error for speed cameras is pretty small.
READ ALSO: What's the law on dash cams in cars in Spain?
Drink driving
If you want to appeal a fine for drink driving (and the points that likely came with it) you must provide irrefutable evidence that the breathalyser was not working properly or that the officers carrying out the checks did not carry out the test properly.
This will be hard to prove, but you are with your rights to try and appeal.
READ ALSO: What are the drink driving limits and penalties in Spain?
Technical errors
You could also plausibly appeal a fine if the authorities make some kind of mistake processing or issuing it.
For example, if you receive the fine at it is incomplete or any of the data is incorrect (date, place, registration, name, and so on). However, bear in mind the DGT can correct the error depending on how serious the offence was. If you were driving 120km/h in a 30 zone they are unlikely to drop the charge because they misspelled your name, for example.
Appeals can also be made if there is an error processing the file, such as you receive it late or an error in how the notification is made.
How can I appeal a fine?
You can appeal traffic fines in several different ways.
The easiest way is through the DGT website, where you can both pay and appeal fines. You can find that link here.
You can also appeal by post (addressed to the DGT complaints department) or in person at a DGT traffic office.
To appeal, you’ll need the penalty file number, i.e. the fine itself, the details of the incident, your signature signature and the corresponding allegations clearly marked.
The deadline to appeal is 20 working days from the formal notification of the penalty.
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