A speed camera, a parking ticket or a low-emission zone records the car, so the fine goes first to its owner — the hire company. The company must then tell the authority who was driving: it has 20 calendar days and may simply send a copy of the rental contract. If it did not, it would get a fine of its own, double or triple the original. That is why you hear from the hire company first, often months after the trip.
Two different things
- The hire company's charge — an e-mail and a charge on your card, often €30–50, called an administration or fine-handling fee (gastos de gestión). It is not the fine.
- The fine itself — sent later by the DGT, the town hall or the regional traffic authority to the address in your rental contract. That is the letter to act on.
The fine: 20 days
When the fine reaches you, you have 20 calendar days from the day after you receive it to pay it with 50% off (which closes the case) or to object. Enter the day you received it on this page and the site counts the last day. Check that it is real before paying — see a Spanish fine sent abroad — and what to look for on a traffic fine or a parking fine.
The fee: can you dispute it?
Naming the driver is the hire company's own legal duty. Spanish courts have found such fees unfair in rental contracts, and in August 2026 Spain's consumer authority fined a major hire company €1 million for charging them. If you were charged, complain to the company in writing, ask your card issuer to reverse the charge, or go to a consumer office. A lawyer for consumer disputes helps when larger sums or damage charges are involved, and one for fines can object to the fine itself.
Prepared by Legal Help Tool. Last updated . General information, not legal advice.
