How to identify a driver in the event of a fine

It is quite common for individuals other than the owner of the vehicle to drive a car in Spain, but in the event of a traffic fine being issued and you as the vehicle owner were not the driver, you will need to notify the DGT so that the sanction is correctly issued to the driver responsible.

In the case of minor offences (without loss of points) the identification of the driver is voluntary and if you pay the fine it will be understood that you were the driver, even if you weren’t, but no further action would be taken.

In the case of serious or very serious offences (with the loss of points) the identification of the driver is mandatory. You will have to identify the driver even if it is yourself. In these cases, if you do not identify the driver, it will be considered a very serious infraction, which may lead to the imposition of a fine of a significant amount, of which you will also not be able to benefit from the 50% reduction for payment within the voluntary period.

Keep in mind that through the procedure we are explaining here is only for the identification of the driver of fines imposed by the DGT, so before carrying out the procedure you must check who has issued the fine. Remember that to pay, claim or make an allegation, you must always go to the body that has sanctioned you.

You must complete the name, surname, ID, passport or residence permit, and postal address of the person who was driving your vehicle.

In the communication that the DGT sends to you, you will find an area where you can complete said data, if you wish to carry out the identification process in person at their offices.

There are 4 ways of identifying the driver:

1. Online, with or without prior identification.

Remember that if you make the identification by this means, you need to have on hand the communication that you were sent, so the fine document for example. In it you will find the file number and the notification code, which you will have to enter in the corresponding boxes of the form.

If you choose this route, there are two cases in which you cannot make the identification online:

When the driver does not reside in Spanish territory.

When the driver does not have the appropriate permit or driver’s licence for the vehicle with which the offense has been committed.

In these cases, you will have to make the identification by any other means available to you.

2. From the miDGT app, the DGT application for mobile phones and tablets.

To identify the offender of a fine from the app, you must go to the main menu of the application and enter the section ‘Mis multas’ -> ‘Pendientes’ (My fines -> Pending).

3. By postal mail, returning the form you received, duly completed, to the address of the Traffic Department that appears on the form you received, or to the Automated Complaints Treatment Centre, Centro de Tratamiento de Denuncias Automatizadas.
4. In person, delivering all the documentation at any Headquarters or Traffic Office of the DGT. In this case, you need to request an appointment online or by calling 060. Remember that face-to-face service at DGT offices is reserved for individuals and their representatives. Companies and other legal persons, as well as their representatives, must carry out their procedures electronically. You will also have to speak Spanish, or take a qualified translator with you.

Normally, only the person who owns the vehicle with which the offence has been committed and who has received the request from the DGT can process the file, but they can authorise others to act on their behalf.

To authorise another person to act on your behalf, you can designate a representative through the Registry of powers of attorney.

Also, in case of carrying out the procedure in person, you can appear in person as long as you have a document signed by the interested party where you authorise them to make the request. To do this, download and fill in the authorisation form provided by the DGT “Otorgamiento de representación”, or “Granting of representation”.

If the procedure is going to be carried out by another person on your behalf, at the time of requesting the prior appointment on 060, you must indicate the ID of the person concerned and also that of the authorised person.

You have a term of 20 calendar days, counted from the day after the communication with the requirement has been received, in which to identify the driver. In the event that you have not received said communication, you will have another 20 calendar days starting from the day after its publication. The process to identify a driver is free.

Identifying Foreign Drivers who have Been Fined

If you live abroad and have received a traffic ticket from the DGT, you can choose to pay the fine, file a claim or appeal, or identify the driver who was driving the vehicle in the usual way. However, the DGT provides additional channels to carry out these procedures for foreigners:

If it was not you who was driving the vehicle on the date the offence was committed, you can use their web application to identify them or send a letter by fax or postal mail identifying the driver with the following information:

Identification number of the fine.

Name and last name of the driver.

Driving licence number, date of issue and country of the driver.

Driver address.

You can tell the DGT who was driving the vehicle within 20 days of receiving notice of the ticket by any of the following means:

Fax: 0034987842693

Postal Mail: CTDA – PO Box 505. León – 24080 – SPAIN.

Through the web application, but note that it is not possible to use this route if:

The offending driver does not reside in Spain.

The driver does not hold the driving licence necessary to drive the vehicle with which the offence was committed.

In these cases, you must identify the driver either through FAX or postal mail.

Information and inquiries:

In addition, if you have any questions, the DGT puts the following communication channels at your disposal to ask us any question regarding traffic fines:

Telephone for information related to traffic fines:  0034 987 010 559 with the following opening hours:

Monday to Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Saturday: 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Fax number to send letters:  0034 987 842 693

Postal address to send documents:  CTDA – AUTOMATED COMPLAINTS PROCESSING CENTER. PO Box 505.  CP 24080 – LEON, SPAIN

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