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.

Got a Spanish ticket from September, October or November? Get the 50% reduction!

You were in Spain for a couple of weeks last September, October or November and you get a ticket in January... Hm, 100 euro, maybe 300 euro... Oh, there seems to be a reduction for early payment, but you got the letter too late! 

Ok, no worries on that respect. As far as we have confirmed (and so have our readers), you can still get the reduction. All you have to do is making a call to the Spanish Traffic Authority (DGT or CTDA, depending on the type of fine) and inform them that you have only just received the ticket. 

The number you should dial is 0034 902 508 686. This number is valid from the US, the UK, the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Norway, France, Portugal... And there are always English and French operators available (just wait until a person answers in Spanish and let them know that you want to speak either English or French, you will be transferred immediately). 

For further information, check our FAQ.

Paying a Spanish ticket by transfer

If you have paid a Spanish ticket by transfer within the last 6 months, you might be in trouble. When paying by transfer it is always important to include the 'expediente' number in the transfer form. If you fail to do so, the fine will be unpaid for the Spanish authorities. Several drivers in France have found that the Spanish authorities are insisting that they must pay a fine they have already paid.

Our advice if you choose to pay by transfer is to call the Spanish authorities two weeks after making the transfer to confirm both that they have registered the payment and that the file has been closed for payment (which means you will receive no further communications, and the car rental company won't charge the fine amount plus a fee on your credit card).

I've found three similar cases in different forums on the Internet, so if you choose to pay by transfer make sure to confirm that they register your payment properly.

NEVER EVER request a copy of the fine in English

This is a comment I received a couple of weeks ago. I think it deserves its own space here:

I pay my fines, so when I received one after my trip to Tenerife I did my best to pay. The information in English was terrible, so I sent a letter asking for a copy of the fine in English. Three weeks later I received a copy of the fine... in Spanish again. I called the number in the letter, and a lady kindly informed me that they received my request and as per their regulations I was disputing the fine and had lost any chance to get the 50% discount.

I was shocked, so I thanked her and hung up. After browsing the Internet I found advice as to how to pay online and paid 300 euro. 

I think those 150 euro extra I paid would have been better invested in Spanish lessons, tbh. 

So trust me, do NEVER EVER request a copy of the fine in English. It will cost you time and money.

The next time I get a fine from Spain I'll leave it in a drawer, I'll call them 6 months later and I will pay my fine, still not knowing what they say, but with my reduction.

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.

Driving in Spain: Lanzarote

Lanzarote, the sunny island, received over a million brits last 2014, most of them looking for sun and beach.

Local buses (known as 'guaguas') are cheap and reach every corner of the island, though they aren't as convenient as they could.

The car is by far the best way to move around Lanzarote. Getting to lost villages in the North or changing plans in the last minute are just two of the advantages.

The car hire companies will try to make the most of every rental, and the charge around 65 euro (VAT excluded) for gas. My advice is to fill the deposit before returning the car, as they will refund the money...

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.

To pay or not to pay, that is the question

Spanish residents can hardly escape the Tax Agency, but tourists visiting the country might think they can avoid paying a fine... Well, they can, though it won't be easy.

Spanish authorities have up to four years to request that a fine be paid, but they try for up to a year. If by that time the driver does not comply, the fine will be charged to the car owner... And the car owner, usually a car rental company, will not hesitate to charge the user card and demand all applicable fees according to the contract.

Our advice is to pay for the fine as soon as possible... And getting the 50% reduction available to early payers.

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).

Spanish traffic law: FAQ

Question: Does your advice apply to every Spanish fine? 

Answer: no. Spanish traffic law is a bit of a chaos, and you can be fined by DGT (Spanish Traffic Authority), by Trànsit (Catalan Traffic Authority, only in Catalonia), by Trafikoa (Basque Traffic Authority, only in the Basque Country) or by local authorities (only in urban areas). Our advice is limited to the DGT fines; you can identify them by the file number, a twelve digit code with the following format: 00-000-000.000-0. However, the Spanish traffic law is the same, no matter who operates the speed camera. As DGT is responsible for over 80% of the speeding fines we will focus our attention on those.

Question: Can I be fined for going 1 km/h above the speed limit in Spanish roads?

Answer: no. No matter what you read elsewhere, speed cameras in Spain won't activate unless you drive 7% above the limit (if the speed limit is 100 km/h, you'll be fined for going 8+ km/h above the limit). 

Question: I want to pay half of the fine amount, but I am well over the 20 calendar days limit. What can I do? 

Answer: if you are either a Spanish citizen or a legal Spanish resident, chances are scant that you escape from paying the full amount. If you live anywhere but in Spain, you just need to dial 0034902508686, quote your file number/s and insist that you just found out about the fine/s. You will be given a grace day, and will be allowed to pay with the reduction within the next 24 hours. As this is undoubtedly the most asked question, you have all of the information you might need here.

Question: can I know where the speed cameras are before starting my trip?
Answer: the location of the speed cameras is published by the Spanish government, but speed cameras operated by traffic authorities like the Guardia Civil can vary and are not published. However, the speed cameras of which the precise location is published are responsible for well above 60% of the fines, so it is always good to check this map before renting a car in Spain (to see only speed cameras, leave "radares" box checked and uncheck the others; the map works fine in Internet Explorer, not so good in other browsers).