Speed Infraction Details
📊 Sanction & Points Deductions
How does the DGT calculate speeding fine amounts and license point deductions in Spain in 2026? Speeding is one of the most frequently penalized offenses in Spain, monitored by stationary radars, mobile patrols, and Pegasus helicopters. The Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT) strictly enforces the schedule of penalties set out in Annex IV of the Spanish Traffic Act. This matrix classifies speeding violations into brackets based on the specific speed limit of the road (distinguishing between urban zones limited to 20-50 km/h and highways limited to 90-120 km/h) and determines whether the infraction is serious or very serious. Additionally, most speeding fines benefit from an automatic 50% discount for pronto pago (early payment) if settled within the first 20 days. To calculate other traffic violation costs and check your overall license status, we recommend using our general Traffic Fines Calculator and checking your current points balance with the Driving Points License Calculator.
🔍 The DGT Speeding Fine Matrix in Spain
The financial penalties and license points deducted are structured around two speed limit categories:
- Limits Up to 50 km/h (Urban Roads and City Streets):
- €100 (0 points): Exceeding the limit by up to 20 km/h (e.g. driving at 70 km/h with a 50 km/h limit).
- €300 (2 points): Exceeding the limit by 21 to 30 km/h (e.g. driving at 71 to 80 km/h with a 50 km/h limit).
- €400 (4 points): Exceeding the limit by 31 to 40 km/h (e.g. driving at 81 to 90 km/h with a 50 km/h limit).
- €500 (6 points): Exceeding the limit by 41 to 50 km/h (e.g. driving at 91 to 100 km/h with a 50 km/h limit) — very serious offense.
- €600 (6 points): Exceeding the limit by more than 50 km/h.
- Limits Above 50 km/h (Secondary Roads and Highways):
- €100 (0 points): Exceeding the limit by up to 30 km/h (e.g. driving at 145 km/h with a 120 km/h limit).
- €300 (2 points): Exceeding the limit by 31 to 50 km/h (e.g. driving at 151 to 170 km/h with a 120 km/h limit).
- €400 (4 points): Exceeding the limit by 51 to 60 km/h (e.g. driving at 171 to 180 km/h with a 120 km/h limit).
- €500 (6 points): Exceeding the limit by 61 to 70 km/h (e.g. driving at 181 to 190 km/h with a 120 km/h limit) — very serious offense.
- €600 (6 points): Exceeding the limit by more than 70 km/h.
📝 Worked Examples
Example 1: Minor speeding on the autopista (highway)
Profile: Carlos, photographed by a stationary speed camera on the AP-6 driving at 145 km/h on a section limited to 120 km/h.
- Road speed limit: 120 km/h | Recorded speed: 145 km/h
- Difference: 25 km/h (falls into the minor excess bracket under 30 km/h)
- Nominal fine: €100.00 | Points deducted: 0 points
Example 2: Serious speeding in a residential area
Profile: Laura, caught by a mobile radar patrol driving at 75 km/h on a city street limited to 50 km/h.
- Road speed limit: 50 km/h | Recorded speed: 75 km/h
- Difference: 25 km/h (exceeding by 21 to 30 km/h in a 50 km/h zone)
- Nominal fine: €300.00 | Points deducted: 2 points
Example 3: Very serious speeding on a secondary road (Criminal Offense)
Profile: Albert, clocked by a helicopter patrol driving at 175 km/h on a two-lane conventional road limited to 90 km/h.
- Road speed limit: 90 km/h | Recorded speed: 175 km/h
- Difference: 85 km/h (exceeding the limit by more than 70 km/h on a highway)
- Nominal fine: €600.00 | Points deducted: 6 points
- Criminal threshold: Exceeding the interurban limit by over 80 km/h is a criminal offense.
⚠️ 4 Common Mistakes for Drivers
- Forgetting to check radar margins of error: The DGT applies the “5 and 7 rule” for radar margin adjustments. Fixed speed cameras have a margin of 5 km/h (for roads limited below 100 km/h) or 5% (above 100 km/h). Mobile speed cameras have a 7 km/h or 7% margin. Always check whether these margins have been subtracted from your ticket speed.
- Assuming you can appeal a fine and still keep the discount: This is a critical mistake. Filing an administrative appeal or submitting claims against the radar calibration forfeits your right to the 50% pronto pago discount. If your appeal is rejected, you must pay the full fine amount.
- Failing to identify the actual driver to protect license points: If the infraction involves points and you pay the ticket without identifying who was driving, you will receive a separate fine for failure to identify the driver. This fine carries no discount and is double or triple the original fine.
- Underestimating the criminal speeding threshold: Driving 60 km/h over the limit in urban areas or 80 km/h over on highways is a criminal offense under Article 379.1 of the Penal Code. It cannot be resolved by paying a €600 fine; it leads to license suspension for 1-4 years and potential prison terms.
🏠 Special Scenarios in Spain
Section Speed Cameras (Radares de Tramo)
Unlike conventional fixed speed cameras that measure speed at a single point, section speed cameras calculate your average speed over a set distance between two portals equipped with license plate readers. Slowing down right before the camera does not help if your average speed across the segment was higher than the limit.
Trailer Towing and Delivery Vehicles
Standard motorway speed limits of 120 km/h do not apply to all vehicles. Delivery vans and vehicles towing trailers have lower speed limits on autovías (90 km/h or 80 km/h for heavy trailers). DGT speed cameras detect vehicle size and apply penalties based on their specific limits.
📋 What This Means for You
If you drive long distances on motorways
Use your vehicle’s cruise control to stay at exactly 120 km/h. This prevents accidental speeding on downslope sections or behind hills, which are common locations for mobile speed cameras.
If you commute through urban streets
Pay close attention to Spain’s 30 km/h speed limit on single-lane streets. Exceeding this limit by just 21 km/h (driving at 51 km/h in a 30 km/h zone) results in a €300 fine and an automatic 2-point deduction.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Margins of error are 5 km/h for fixed speed cameras and 7 km/h for mobile speed cameras on roads limited below 100 km/h. For roads limited at 100 km/h and above, the margins are 5% and 7% respectively.
If you are photographed driving at 140 km/h on a highway limited to 120 km/h, the penalty is a serious infraction with a €100 fine (reduced to €50 for early payment) and no points are deducted.
Speeding is a criminal offense when you exceed the limit by more than 60 km/h on urban roads (e.g., 91 km/h in a 30 zone) or by more than 80 km/h on highways (e.g., 201 km/h in a 120 zone).
Yes. If you commit multiple serious or very serious speeding infractions within a short period, you will lose points sequentially. If your points balance reaches zero, the DGT will revoke your license.
No. New drivers (those with a license for less than one year) face the same speeding fine amounts as experienced drivers. However, their starting points balance is 8 points instead of 12.
Yes. While Catalonia (SCT) and the Basque Country (Ertzaintza) manage their own speed cameras and collect fines, they use the same national penalty matrix and license points deduction schedule.
You must submit an appeal to the provincial traffic office within 20 days. You can base your appeal on technical errors (such as double vehicles in the photo, illegible license plates, or an expired radar calibration certificate).
If the photo contains more than one vehicle in the radar beam area, the ticket is invalid because it is impossible to prove which vehicle triggered the radar. Such fines can be successfully appealed and cancelled.