In Spain and in many countries around the world, bureaucracy is a very complex issue. This complexity translates into long periods of time necessary to resolve judicial or administrative issues and, likewise, long waits to receive a notification or final resolution in this regard.
In matters related to traffic, this trend is reproduced and at AutoUsaPremium we are going to emphasize an issue that affects any user who lives in the Spanish state. To be more exact, we will answer the question of how long it takes to receive a fine from the DGT (General Directorate of Traffic). In this way, those affected or those who intend to move there in the future, will know how to deal with this situation.
The time it will take to receive a fine from the DGT, uncovered
Once we have made the introduction of rigor, it is time to start giving the answer that this question needs, which is not a single, universal and resounding one. So let’s see what depends on whether it takes more or less time for a sanction to reach a driver.
What is the maximum period that can be waited?
The most normal thing is that, at most, it takes between three and six months to notify the offender that he has committed a punishable act. This happens especially in the most serious infractions, although if we are talking about minor ones, they can go up to that quarter that includes the aforementioned range. Minor offenses can go to three and serious ones to six, which is what is set by the Spanish administration as maximum terms.
In any case, article 76 of the Road Safety Law establishes the following: The fines will be notified at the same time to the accused.
And the notice of the sanction can be carried out afterwards as long as a series of exceptional situations occurs, such as the following:
- That the fine be formulated in circumstances in which the stoppage of the vehicle may cause a risk to traffic. If so, the agent must indicate the specific reasons that prevent it.
- That the sanction be imposed while the vehicle is parked and the driver is not inside the passenger compartment.
- That the authority responsible for imposing the sanction has been made aware of what happened through means of capturing and reproducing images that allow the vehicle to be clearly identified.
For example, and putting ourselves in a more practical sense, driving under the influence of alcohol or another drug, or if it is done while smoking, exceeding the maximum permitted speed of circulation would be exceptions, since it is enough for a radar or the helicopter willing to monitor a road identifies the violation so that it is monitored and ready to be sent. In this stage, the document can take between one and three weeks to reach the driver’s address.
What is certain is that the fine is always received by the owner of the vehicle identified in the act, that is, if you have left your car or motorcycle with a friend or family member and it was that person who committed the offense, the sanction will arrive at your house anyway. Therefore, you are obliged to identify him to avoid facing an unfair penalty, because you will have had nothing to do with it.
How can I receive a fine from the DGT?
The institution in charge of controlling the circulation of vehicles on the different roads in Spain uses different tools to send sanctions to drivers who have been immersed. This variety is possible, undoubtedly, thanks to the advancement of new technologies.. To get an idea, the driver previously had to wait through the Official State Gazette (BOE).
Now you can receive that notice in a more immediate way through the three ways that we are going to see below:
- Notification made on the spot: This is nothing new, since it simply consists of the agents at the same moment in which you commit the infraction. Then they tell you exactly what you have committed and what sanction it will imply for your interests.
- Certified postal mail: If the user has not been able to receive it by hand, this is the most common procedure. Once it is known who the driver who has committed the offense is, the notification is sent to your address. In the hypothetical case that you are not at home, that no one is responsible for receiving it or that it is rejected, it is published on the Edictal Board of Sanctions (TESTRA).
- DEV: It is the platform of the Electronic Road Administration, which has been fully operational since 2010. The most common in your case is that the notice arrives in about ten calendar days.
- TEU: the website of the electronic office of the DGT offers all the notifications of the imposed fines and of other sanctioning administrations, such as the Town Halls and the Provincial Councils. To find out, it is enough to enter the registration number of the vehicle in question, name and surname or DNI, NIE or CIF.
If you are concerned that your personal information is visible to users who access this service, it is possible to request to be part of the excluded list, for which an electronic ID is necessary in order to ensure the authenticity of the information provided. .
And what happens if I don’t get the fine?
Since surveillance radars and helicopters have a certain margin of error, it may be that a violation has actually been committed and is not detected, or that you have mistakenly thought that you were going faster than you really were. It is also possible that the postal address is not updated in the DGT database.
If the offender changes his address, then he is obliged to notify the Provincial Traffic Headquarters within a period of fifteen days. from the moment it occurs, and that is that the postal address and the rest of the personal information are absolutely necessary so that they can send important communications and notifications to the affected user.
To do this, you must make an appointment with said body in advance, either through the DGT website, accessing the Electronic Traffic Office with some passwords or the General Administration Access Point with a digital certificate, at your Town Hall or by calling telephone number 060.
In any case, if there really is a sanction, it is possible to consult it by email, SMS or TESTRA. If, on the other hand, a month has passed and you still have not received anything, it is most likely that the radar did not catch you on time, or that your perception of speed is a little different from what it really was that day. It is also true that it is possible that a fine takes longer than normal to arrive, but If nothing has arrived in the following six months, then you can already claim victory and breathe with relief.
What deadlines are there to pay a fine?
There is an established term of twenty days from the receipt of the notice to carry out what is known as prompt payment. If done, it saves 50 percent of the financial penalty in question. If in those twenty days the driver appeals the sanction, he loses the possibility of prompt payment.
Logically, if the resource is lost then one hundred percent of the corresponding monetary amount must be paid. If it is won, then the full amount of what was paid for the fine is returned. It is important to know that the deadlines are set in the same notification of the fine, which may vary depending on the body that has imposed the sanction.
What types of infractions exist and what amount must be paid?
The offenses that can be committed behind the wheel are classified as minor, serious and very serious. The first suppose a maximum amount of 100 euros and the authorities have up to three months to notify of it, so if it is exceeded then it prescribes and is without effect. The serious ones can go beyond 200 euros and, in the case of the very serious ones, half a thousand euros. What does not differ between them is the term that exists to notify them, this being six months.
Conclusion: avoid the problems
The best solution to everything that has been discussed is not to commit any imprudence behind the wheel. As you may have seen, fines and bad driving habits only bring problems both for your physical integrity and for your pocket.
Having said that, the best thing you can do on the road is strictly follow the traffic rules established so as not to endanger yourself or those who love you. You may be lucky from time to time and not get caught, but not every day is a holiday, so it is best not to tempt luck. Be very careful with the road whenever you go on a trip.