How to appeal a traffic fine in Spain: alegaciones, recurso and deadlines
Got a fine from the DGT or your ayuntamiento? You have two windows: alegaciones (20 days from notification) and, if rejected, a recurso de reposición (1 month). Pronto pago gives a 50% discount BUT means accepting and waiving the appeal — do not pay if you want to contest. Below: how to read the notification, the grounds to appeal, the deadlines and prescripción, how not to lose points and what to do if your alegaciones are rejected.
What the fine is and how it works
A traffic fine is issued either by the DGT (motorways, national) or your ayuntamiento (city). The body decides where you file the alegaciones and recurso.
The notification (notificación/boletín) states the body, the offence type (leve/grave/muy grave), the amount, points (puntos) and deadlines. It is the key document — read it carefully.
Pronto pago: paying within 20 days gives a 50% discount BUT means accepting and waiving the appeal.
An appeal has two stages: alegaciones (before the fine becomes final) and, if rejected, a recurso de reposición or a contencioso-administrativo.
Who this applies to
- Anyone who received a DGT or municipal fine: speed (radar), parking, zona azul, camera, running a red light.
- The vehicle owner: you must identify the driver if someone else drove — failing to identify is a separate, larger fine.
- Those losing points (graves/muy graves).
- Those who did not get the notification in person but the fine surfaced in TESTRA/TEU/BOE.
NAVICheck my fine — the grounds to appeal and how not to miss the deadline
NAVI will help prepare written objections (alegaciones).
What you are entitled to
- The right to file alegaciones within 20 days of notification — with grounds and evidence.
- The right to a 50% discount (pronto pago) if you choose to pay — but that waives the appeal.
- The right to appeal: a recurso de reposición (1 month) and/or a contencioso-administrativo.
- The right to require due process: correct notification, deadlines, prescripción, radar calibration.
- The right to access the case file (expediente) and the evidence.
Deadlines that matter
- Alegaciones — 20 calendar days (días naturales) from notification.
- Pronto pago (50% discount) — the same 20 days; paying waives the appeal.
- Recurso de reposición — 1 month from notification of the resolución sancionadora (optional).
- Recurso contencioso-administrativo — 2 months (or 6 months in case of administrative silence).
- Offence prescripción: leves — 3 months, graves/muy graves — 6 months; an imposed monetary fine has a separate 4-year sanction time limit.
Evidence to keep
- The notification/boletín itself (body, type, amount, points, date).
- Photos of the spot, signs and road markings, radar data, ITV/calibration check.
- Who was driving if it was not you — documents to identify the driver.
- Proof of procedural defects (notification date, caducidad, prescripción).
How to appeal, step by step
- Read the notification: body (DGT/ayuntamiento), type (leve/grave/muy grave), amount, points, deadline.
- Decide: pronto pago (−50%, no appeal) OR appeal. You cannot combine the two.
- Within 20 days file alegaciones with specific grounds and evidence (via the DGT sede or your ayuntamiento portal).
- If the sanction is confirmed, file a recurso de reposición (1 month) or go straight to contencioso-administrativo (2 months).
- Watch the prescripción and the enforcement phase (vía de apremio: +20% recargo, embargo).
Common mistakes
- Paying the pronto pago thinking you can still appeal afterwards (paying waives the appeal).
- Missing the 20-day window for alegaciones.
- Writing “I disagree” with no grounds and no evidence.
- Not identifying the driver if someone else drove — a separate, larger fine.
- Ignoring the notification: the fine becomes final, plus apremio +20% and possible embargo.
If the alegaciones are rejected
- A rejection is not the end: there is a recurso de reposición (1 month) and a contencioso-administrativo (2 months).
- Check the prescripción and procedural deadlines — sometimes the case lapses on its own.
- Watch the enforcement phase (apremio): it too can be challenged if flawed.
- Gather evidence and file it in a structured way — vague statements do not work.
We’ll help draft the alegaciones/recurso — free
Describe the fine (body, type, date): NAVI suggests the grounds, checks the deadlines and helps draft the alegaciones or recurso de reposición.
✓ Free · ✓ No account · ✓ A few minutes
Related guides
Common questions
Pronto pago or appeal — which is better?
Pronto pago gives −50% but waives the appeal. If you have real grounds and points are at stake, weigh it up: an appeal keeps the chance of cancelling both the fine and the points.
How long do I have to appeal?
Alegaciones — 20 days; recurso de reposición — 1 month; contencioso-administrativo — 2 months.
Will I lose points?
Graves/muy graves deduct points; if the fine is cancelled the points are restored.
What if I wasn’t the driver?
You must identify the driver in time; failing to identify is a separate, larger fine.
What if I ignore the fine?
It becomes final, apremio +20% is added and an embargo of your account/assets is possible.
DGT or ayuntamiento — does it matter?
Yes: different bodies and filing portals. Check who issued it in the notification and file there.
Do I need a lawyer?
At the administrative stage (alegaciones/reposición) not required; for the contencioso-administrativo it is advisable.
What is prescripción?
For the offence: leves — 3 months, graves/muy graves — 6 months; an imposed monetary fine has a separate 4-year sanction time limit.
Official sources
For information only, not legal advice. Check the body (DGT/ayuntamiento), the offence type and the deadlines. Updated June 2026.
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