How long does it take traffic fines to reach you?

Notification of traffic fines are regulated by articles 76, 77 and 78 of the Traffic and Road Safety Code. They set forth how long it takes traffic fines to reach you and by what means of communication the notifications are sent. What is certain is that the authorities have different ways of communicating fines and a maximum term of payment.

If you have received a notification, find out how long you have to pay 50% of the fine or, if you believe it is for a violation that you did not commit, how long you have to appeal.

How long does it take traffic fines to reach you?

The administration has a deadline for notifying traffic fines that varies between 3 and 6 months. If, during this period, you have not received any notification, the sanction will normally expire and therefore you will not have to pay it.

While it is normal for most fines to have to be notified by the authorities within a maximum of six months, there are some exceptions, as is the case with speeding fines. In this case, the deadline for notifying the violation is much shorter; normally arriving within 1 to 3 weeks.

What is certain is that, regardless of the person who committed the traffic violation, the fine will always be sent to the car owner and, in the event that he/she played no part in the violation, he/she will be obliged to identify the driver who was driving the vehicle at the time.

How are traffic fines notified?

• Notification upon committing the crime: The authority’s officials can fine you directly, on the spot, for the infraction committed, notifying you of the infraction committed and its consequent sanction.
• Certified post: This is the most common procedure whenever notification could not be given on the spot. Once it is known who the driver that committed the violation was, the notification will be sent to his/her home. In the event that he/she is not at home, nobody takes responsibility for the notification or it is rejected, it will be published on the Edictal Sanctions Boards (TESTRA).
• DEV: The Electronic Road Management (DEV) platform has been in operation since 2010. Normally, notification is received within 10 calendar days through this channel.

Remember that you can always check if you have been fined in 3 ways: TESTRA, Email and SMS.

Deadline for paying the traffic fine

From the moment the notification of the fine reaches you, a period of 20 calendar days is given for you to make an early payment. Paying early entails a 50% reduction of the fine.

If, in those 20 calendar days, the driver appeals the fine, the prompt payment option is waived. And, in the event that the appeal is lost, 100% of the fine must be paid. Otherwise, if the appeal is won, you will be refunded 100% of the amount paid  by way of the traffic fine.

Even so, you should know that the deadlines will be established in the traffic violation notification, which can change depending on the body that imposed the fine.

Now you know the different ways by which you can receive notifications of traffic fines and how much time you have to pay them. Remember that the time that the administration has to notify you of traffic fines varies somewhere between 3 and 6 months, or between 1 and 3 weeks for speeding.