A speeding fine from the DGT (Dirección General de Tráfico) tends to arrive without warning, in the post, entirely in Spanish. It comes with a deadline, a discount that disappears if you miss it, and in many cases a points penalty on top of the financial charge. This guide explains what you are looking at and what you need to do.
How DGT speeding fines work
Speeding in Spain is monitored by fixed cameras, mobile speed traps, and police radar units. When a violation is recorded, the DGT issues a fine to the registered owner of the vehicle. This is sent by registered post to the address held on the DGT record for that vehicle.
If you are driving a foreign-registered car, the fine may take longer to reach you, often through a debt collection agency or via the licensing authority in your home country. It will still carry the same deadlines and the same financial consequences.
The 50 per cent early payment discount
This is the most important thing to know. DGT fines offer a 50 per cent reduction if you pay within 20 days of the official notification date. On a 200 euro fine, that is 100 euros saved. On higher fines, the difference is significant.
The 20-day window begins from the date of notification, which the DGT records as the date delivery was attempted, not the date you actually open the letter. If it sat on the mat while you were away or you did not realise what it was, the deadline may already be closer than it looks.
Paying within the discount window also means you give up your right to appeal. That is the trade-off: accept the reduced amount and close the matter, or pay the full amount while you challenge it.
Points penalties
Spain operates a points-based licence system. Most serious speeding offences carry a points deduction alongside the fine. The number of points at stake is stated on the notice.
A new Spanish driving licence starts with 12 points. If yours reaches zero, you lose the licence and must sit a course and a test to recover a reduced allocation. If you hold a UK or other foreign licence, the points deductions apply to your right to drive in Spain, and serious cases can result in being banned from driving in the country.
Understanding whether your fine involves points, and how many, is not optional information.
What the notice contains
The DGT notice is written in Spanish and will include:
- The specific infraction and the speed recorded
- The legal reference for the offence
- The full fine amount and the reduced early payment amount
- The exact payment deadline
- Whether points are being deducted and how many
- How to pay and how to appeal
If you cannot read it accurately, you risk missing the payment deadline, misunderstanding the points implications, or failing to appeal within the correct window.
Appealing a DGT fine
If you believe the fine is incorrect, you can submit a formal alegación (initial objection) within the timeframe stated on the notice, before the fine is officially confirmed. If that is rejected, you have a further right of appeal (recurso de reposición or recurso de alzada) once the fine has been formally issued.
Appeals must be submitted in writing, in Spanish, with clearly stated legal grounds. A poorly worded submission, or one that does not address the correct legal basis for the challenge, is unlikely to succeed and will not stop the deadline clock in the meantime.
How Jodie can help
Jodie can translate the notice so you understand exactly what you are facing: the amount, the deadline, the points situation, and your options. If you want to appeal, she can draft the written response in Spanish on your behalf.
The discount window moves fast. Getting the notice translated as soon as it arrives gives you time to decide.
To get help with a speeding fine, call or message Jodie on +34 623 733 286 by phone or WhatsApp.