You've received a traffic fine in Spain.
Here's what you can do — clearly.
Speed cameras, traffic officers, radar traps — Spain issues millions of traffic fines every year. Many are valid. But plenty are not: defective notification, expired statute of limitations, incorrect vehicle data, or a speed device without a valid calibration certificate. Here, no fluff: when it makes sense to appeal and how to do it correctly.
Describe why the fine is unfair
NAVI will help prepare written objections (alegaciones).
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Not sure what the fine notice says?
Upload the multa, notification or sanction resolution. RightNOW explains the deadline, whether the 20-day clock has started, what happens if you pay or ignore it, and whether appeal makes sense.
Check the fine notice for €9.90 →The fine arrived — but that doesn't mean it's correct
A radar in an unmarked zone, notification sent to an old address, a speed device without a valid verification certificate, or the registered owner wasn't the driver. In all these cases, the fine can be successfully challenged.
Defective notification
Sent to an expired address, outside the legal timeframe, or without the required prior notices. A defective notification is one of the most common grounds for cancellation.
Error in data or legal classification
Wrong number plate, the driver was not the registered owner, or the offence was classified under the wrong article of the LTSV — errors that can invalidate the sanction.
Statute of limitations expired
Minor offences expire in 3 months; serious and very serious ones in 6 months (art. 112 LTSV). If the DGT or the council genuinely let that period run out before any valid, notified step, the offence is time-barred — but the clock is not automatic: a qualifying administrative action, notified to you, interrupts it and it restarts. Check the full chronology first, and keep prescripción (the offence lapses) apart from caducidad (the procedure itself ran past its limit).
Want RightNOW to guide you step by step to the result?
RightNOW Action Plan for appealing a fine: we review the situation, gather documents, prepare the order of actions and guide you step by step.
Get the Action Plan for €59 →When a fine may be valid — and when it's not
The fact that the DGT or a municipality issued a fine doesn't make it automatically correct. There are strict legal requirements: procedural, notification and deadline requirements. If any of them fail, the fine can be cancelled.
When a fine is usually valid
- The offence is correctly classified under the LTSV
- The complaint was notified on time and in a valid manner
- The measuring device had a current metrological verification certificate
- The required road signage was correct and visible
- The resolution states the applicable article and the right to appeal
Even in these cases, if you disagree with the facts or the amount, you have the right to submit objections and provide evidence.
Common grounds for cancellation
- Notification sent to a wrong or outdated address
- Offence statute of limitations expired before notification (art. 112 LTSV)
- Speed camera or radar without a valid verification certificate
- Missing mandatory road warning signs
- Identity error: the registered owner was not the driver at the time
- Resolution without reasoning or without stating the available appeal
The presumption of innocence (Spanish Constitution, art. 24.2) and the principle of proportionality (Ley 39/2015, art. 29) also protect the person sanctioned.
What to gather before submitting your objections
- DNI or NIE of the vehicle owner
- Complaint notice or sanction notification (with case reference number)
- Exact date of notification (the 20-day window starts here)
- Vehicle registration document
- Photos of the location (signs, road conditions)
- Proof of address change if notification was sent to an old address
- Document identifying the actual driver if it wasn't you
- Speed device registry query (DGT or ENAC) if the equipment is questionable
- Witnesses (full name, DNI)
- Dashcam or CCTV footage
- History of fines in the same location (systematic pattern)
- Payment receipt for a wrongly identified vehicle
💡 You don't need every document to submit objections — the key is to submit them in time and state your reason. You can always provide additional materials afterwards.
Mistakes people make with traffic fines
They confuse paying with admitting guilt
Voluntary payment with the 50% discount (art. 94 LTSV) closes the case — you give up your right to appeal. If you have grounds to challenge, don't pay before weighing your options.
They miss the 20-day calendar window
The deadline to submit objections is 20 calendar days from the complaint notification (arts. 93.1 and 95.1 LTSV). Once it passes, the resolution is issued without hearing your side.
They fail to identify the driver
If the driver was not the registered owner, the owner can identify them to transfer liability. Failing to do so without a valid reason may result in a separate fine for non-identification (art. 11 LTSV).
They submit objections without a legal basis
"I don't think it's fair" is not a legal argument. Objections must be based on specific facts: a procedural error, expired limitation period, lack of evidence, etc.
They don't keep a proof of submission
Submitting objections without saving the acknowledgement of receipt is a serious mistake. Without that proof, demonstrating that you acted within the deadline becomes very difficult.
They think it's too late to do anything
Even after the final sanction resolution, there is still a recurso de reposición (1 month, Ley 39/2015, art. 124) and then a judicial review before the administrative court (2 months, Ley 29/1998, art. 46).
5 steps: from the fine to an official appeal
Read the notice and note the date
From the day after the complaint notification, you have 20 calendar days to submit objections (arts. 93.1 and 95.1 LTSV). Write down the notification date and calculate when the deadline falls.
Decide: pay with a discount or challenge?
Paying within 20 days gives a 50% reduction (art. 94 LTSV), but closes the case. If you have a solid reason — defective notification, expired limitation, data error, uncalibrated device — it's worth submitting objections instead.
Identify the grounds for your challenge
Review the complaint details: number plate, date, time, location, LTSV article, and the measuring device used. Any error or irregularity is an argument.
Submit your objections in writing
Submit to the authority that issued the complaint (DGT, Ayuntamiento, Guardia Civil de Tráfico) — via their online portal or in person. Always keep the proof of submission with the date.
Rejected? File a recurso de reposición
If the authority rules against you, you have 1 month to file a recurso de reposición (Ley 39/2015, art. 124). If that's also rejected, the next step is judicial review before the administrative court (2 months, Ley 29/1998, art. 46).
Well-founded objections — almost always worth submitting
Public authorities make procedural errors frequently. An objection that correctly identifies the procedural defect or the expired limitation period forces the authority to review the file — and many fines are cancelled at this stage.
Creates an official record
Without written objections, there's no official challenge on file. The document submitted in time fixes your position and protects you in any further escalation.
Activates deadlines for the authority
Once objections are filed, the authority must review and respond. If they fail to do so in time, administrative silence occurs — which can also be challenged.
Opens the door to court
To bring a case before the administrative courts, you must first exhaust the administrative remedies. Objections are the mandatory first step in that chain.
✅ You can handle it yourself if:
- you have a clear ground (data error, defective notification, statute of limitations)
- the fine is recent and the case is straightforward
- the amount is moderate and the facts are clear
- the authority responds to communications
🤝 It's worth getting help if:
- the fine is large or involves loss of penalty points
- the authority rejected your objections without reasoning
- the case involves an accident or personal injury
- you need to proceed to administrative court
Appeal your traffic fine in Spain
No need to write from scratch. Answer a few questions — get your objections text, a PDF and a document ready to submit to the DGT or your local council.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to pay the fine while appealing?
It depends on the stage. If you submit objections within the first 20 calendar days, the sanction procedure hasn't concluded — there's no final fine to pay yet. If the sanction has already been resolved and you file a recurso de reposición, enforcement is generally suspended during the appeal, but that comes from two different rules, so read them by stage: a sanction is not enforceable through the administrative route while an ordinary appeal is still open or pending (LPAC art. 90.3), whereas filing an administrative appeal does not by itself suspend execution (LPAC art. 117) — suspension outside that window has to be asked for and granted. Verify the stage your file is actually at.
What's the difference between objections (alegaciones) and a recurso de reposición?
Objections (alegaciones) are filed before the authority issues the sanction resolution — within 20 calendar days of the complaint notification (arts. 93.1 and 95.1 LTSV). The recurso de reposición is filed after the final sanction resolution — within 1 month (Ley 39/2015, art. 124). These are distinct remedies with independent deadlines.
Can a fine be cancelled due to the statute of limitations?
Yes. Traffic offences have different limitation periods depending on their severity: minor offences expire in 3 months, and serious and very serious ones in 6 months from when the offence was committed (art. 112.1 LTSV). If notification arrives after that period, the offence is time-barred and the sanction must be cancelled. Final fines have a 4-year enforcement limitation period; suspension of authorisations has 1 year (art. 112.4 LTSV).
What if the driver was not the registered owner of the vehicle?
The registered owner is required to identify the actual driver within the deadline stated in the notification. Once identified, liability transfers to the driver. If the owner fails to identify the driver without a valid reason, they may face a separate penalty for non-identification (art. 11 LTSV). Identifying the driver is a legitimate and widely used defence strategy.
Does the speed camera need to have a valid calibration certificate?
Yes. All traffic enforcement devices used in Spain must hold a valid metrological verification certificate issued by the competent authority. If the device lacked valid certification at the time of the complaint, that evidence can be challenged. This information is publicly available and can be requested through the DGT or ENAC.
Does this replace a lawyer?
No. The generator drafts the official objections or recurso de reposición — the first step that is often enough to get the fine cancelled. If the authority upholds the sanction and you need to go to the administrative court, RightNOW assesses the next options.
Checked by the RightNOW team · Change history
- Legal basis, deadlines and figures re-checked against official sources.
- Page published.
This guide is general information about Spanish law, not a legal opinion on your case. Rules change and outcomes depend on your own facts and documents — check your situation before you act on it.
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