The intervals for the ITV, Spain's roadworthiness test, are set out in a 2017 royal decree and depend on two things: the vehicle's category and its age. Age is counted from the date of first registration held in the Traffic Office's vehicle register, which is the same one shown on the registration document.
In this article
How often it is due
| Vehicle | No ITV | After that |
|---|---|---|
| Cars | Up to 4 years | Every 2 years from 4 to 10. Every year from 10 onwards. |
| Motorbikes, tricycles, quadricycles and quads | Up to 4 years | Every 2 years. |
| Mopeds | Up to 3 years | Every 2 years. |
| Vans and goods vehicles up to 3,500 kg | Up to 2 years | Every 2 years from 2 to 6. Every year from 6 to 10. Every 6 months from 10 onwards. |
| Towed caravans (category O2) | Up to 6 years | Every 2 years. |
A few notes for reading the table properly:
- What counts is the technical data sheet, not what the vehicle looks like. A mixed-use vehicle follows the goods schedule, which is a good deal stricter than the one for cars.
- Motorhomes have no row of their own. They follow the schedule for the category shown on their technical data sheet.
- Taxis, ambulances, driving-school cars and school transport have shorter intervals.
- Historic vehicles have their own, more widely spaced schedule.
Where to see when yours is due
On the windscreen sticker, on the technical data sheet (the ITV card, where every test is recorded) or in the miDGT app. If you have just bought a second-hand car, check on day one: the date belongs to the vehicle and does not start again with you.
Can you take it early?
Yes, and without losing days. If you pass the test within the 30 calendar days before it expires, the next date is worked out from the day it was due to expire, not from the day you went. If you take it earlier than that, the new period runs from the date of the test.
And the other way round: if you take it late, validity also runs from the day of the test. Putting it off gives you no extra time and, meanwhile, you are driving without a valid ITV.
What happens if it lapses
Breaches of the rules on the technical inspection are serious offences under the Spanish Traffic Act, and serious offences carry a fine of €200. No licence points are deducted. If you pay within twenty calendar days of being notified, the fine is halved.
The rules allow no margin after the expiry date. Officers check validity against the vehicle register, so leaving the sticker off achieves nothing.
"Taking the ITV late does not buy you more time: the next date runs from the day you pass it."
Unfavourable and negative results
The test can end in three ways, depending on the defects found.
- Favourable with minor defects. The ITV is passed. The defects must be repaired within two months at most, but you do not have to go back to the station.
- Unfavourable. There are serious defects. The vehicle may only be driven to the garage and back to the station, and you have a maximum of two months from the first test to pass the new one.
- Negative. There are very serious defects. The vehicle may not be driven: it leaves the station on a tow truck. Once repaired, it must be presented again within two months at most.
You can take the second test at any station you like, it need not be the same one. If you go after the deadline, you will be given the full test again. As for fines, the DGT sums them up like this: €200 with a lapsed or unfavourable ITV, and up to €500 with a negative one.
Traffic Office formalities with a lapsed ITV
There is a lot of confusion here, so one step at a time.
- The transfer can go ahead. A change of ownership can be processed even if the ITV has lapsed. The Traffic Office requires the vehicle to be registered as active, with the previous year's road tax and any fines paid, and free of restrictions such as a retention of title or an attachment. A valid ITV is not on that list.
- But the new document does not let you drive. The Traffic Office warns that the registration document issued after the transfer is only valid if the vehicle has a valid ITV. The car goes into your name, and to move it you have to pass the test.
- The transfer deadline does not wait. The buyer has 30 days from the contract to change the ownership. Do not delay it because of the ITV: do the transfer and sort out the test afterwards.
If you are going to buy a car with a lapsed ITV, think first about how you will get it to the station and what it may cost to put right. The state of the test appears in the DGT vehicle report, which is worth requesting before you pay. The whole procedure is in transferring a car between private individuals, and if the vehicle is never going back on the road, see how to deregister a vehicle.
And if the fine has reached you, or you fear it went to an old address, read traffic fines you never receive.
Frequently asked questions
How often does a car have to pass the ITV?
A private car is exempt up to 4 years. From 4 to 10 it is tested every 2 years, and from 10 onwards every year.
What is the fine for a lapsed ITV?
€200, with no loss of licence points. It is halved if paid within twenty calendar days of notification.
Can I take the ITV before it expires?
Yes. If you do it within the 30 calendar days before expiry, you lose no days: the next date is worked out from the expiry date.
Can a car be transferred with a lapsed ITV?
Yes, the change of ownership can be processed. What the vehicle cannot do is be driven until it passes.