Error, the field Date of Notification is not correct - US and Canada

Trying to pay a fine and you can't get past the "Error, the field Date of Notification is not correct" message? Well, if you live in the US or in Canada it might be a little tricky to sort this out. 

The reason why you cannot pay even using the DGT calendar is that your OS and browser are more than likely to use the US date format (MM/DD/YYYY), and the site will only work if it receives the date information in the European format (DD/MM/YYYY). To fix this issue you will have to change the settings both in your OS and in your browser.

You will probably have to look for the time, language and region settings, but every browser/OS has its unique way to do it. Below you can find information about those I've found, if you know how to change the settings in a particular OS or browser do please leave a comment.

Change date format in Windows 10.

Change date format in Firefox.

Change date format in Chrome.

Change date format in Edge.

Change date format in iOS.

Change date format in Safari.

Change date format in Android.

Can I get a receipt after paying a fine in Spain?

There are two ways to get a receipt,

• Online: you can request it at the end of the payment operation, introducing your e-mail in the given field. As the payment is done via credit or debit card, you can also ask your bank for the operation details. 
• Transfer: if you pay by transfer you will have to quote the reference number (top-right corner), and your bank will issue a receipt. [Subject to surcharge]

According to the Spanish law if you pay by card the procedure against you MUST be closed within 72 hours, so my advice is to call their information number 72 hours after the payment to confirm that the procedure is closed. If that is the case you can forget about the fine.

Spanish tickets for German and Dutch cars

I'm surprised and grateful for your comments. Within the last couple of days three readers have left a comment to confirm whether they can be fined by the Spanish DGT (two from the Netherlands, one from Germany). The answer is YES. The European Commission passed a law earlier this year that allows EU countries to share drivers' data. As far as we have found out thanks to your comments, Spanish fines are being sent to France, the Netherlands and Germany (we are talking about car with their own, local plates... Tickets for rental cars make their way all around the world).

Anyone else, from a different country, has received a ticket from Spain while driving with his own car? Portugal maybe? Italy? 

If so, do please leave a comment! 

DGT's CTDA

DGT: Spanish traffic authority.

CTDA: DGT's center for automated speeding fines.

The letter you get if you have been caught speeding in Spain is sent by CTDA (Centro Tratamiento Denuncias Automatizadas in Spanish). If you need to reach them, do not hesitate to dial their number, there is always an English speaking operator available.

50% reduction: check

Ok, so I got a new fine. I suppose I am not the best driver out there. 100 euro again, this time in Lanzarote. The car rental company sent me an e-mail and two weeks later I had the letter... I set an alarm one month later, and tried to complete the payment online. It would charge 100 euro. I called the number in the letter and in 30 seconds I got the 50% reduction again (more details here).

Apparently, Spanish Traffic Authority will rather re-open the early payment window than making a mistake. A friend got a fine last summer, and will be back in Mallorca in two weeks. He got the fine 9 or 10 months ago. Called this numer, told them they had used an old address and still got the 50% reduction. No reason to fear that he might get an on-the-spot fine back in Spain.

Tolerance threshold Spain, clarified

As of February 19th, the DGT announced that the 'tolerance threshold' in speeding cameras across most of Spain will be the same; Catalonia and the Basque Country will keep their very own margins, and they keep them locked under seven keys.

In areas where the speed limit is 90 km/h or lower, the tolerance thresold is 7km/h. So if you drive at 57 km/h in an area with a limit of 50 km/h, you are free to go... At 58 the speed camera will take a pic of your car and you are likely to receive a letter within a few weeks.

The image shows speed limit, speed necessary to activate the camera, and the table used to calculate the amount of the fine.

Do not hesitate to leave a comment for any question or doubt.

Fines in Spain: sample letter

Did you receive a letter from the DGT (Spanish Traffic Authority)? The information in the letter is organized in numbered areas, as you can see in the picture.

1. Date of the offence, time and record number: you will need both the date and the record number to pay for the fine (the record number, 'número expediente' in Spanish, has 12 digits).
2. Legal stuff: article and law you broke.
3. Where: precise location where the offence took place.
4. Why: a brief explanation of the offence (in speeding fines it includes both the car speed and the limit speed for the road).
5. Vehicle data: if the car was rented, you can check your contract and confirm that the car rental company didn't make a mistake.
6. Your name and address: if you have received the letter these data are likely to be correct.

You don't really need to read / translate all the text below, all the information you need is there. 

Pro tip: you can reply to the letter and request that they send you a copy in English or in your mother tongue (the address is below the Spanish coat of arms).