Driving licence points system in Spain

Overview

Spain uses a points-based system (permiso por puntos) alongside standard traffic fines — certain infractions cost you points as well as money, and losing all your points means losing your right to drive, not just a fine.

Requirements

• Applies to anyone holding a Spanish driving licence
• New drivers, and anyone regaining a licence after it was withdrawn, start with 8 points rather than the standard 12

Step-by-step process

• Standard drivers start with 12 points; specific infractions (excessive speed, using a phone while driving, drink-driving, and similar) deduct points as well as imposing a fine
• Check your current points balance at any time through the DGT's electronic office or the miDGT app
• If you go two years without a point-losing infraction, your points balance is restored to the maximum for your driver category
• If your points run low, you can take a 12-hour road safety course (once every two years, or annually for professional drivers) to recover up to 4 points
• Reaching zero points means losing the validity of your licence, requiring you to retake tests to get it back

Required documents

• NIE/TIE or DNI, to check your points balance online

Common mistakes

• Not realising a fine can come with a points deduction as well as a monetary penalty — the two are separate consequences
• Assuming a new licence resets after two years the same way as a standard 12-point licence — new drivers progress from 8 points to 12 over that period, not straight back to a fixed maximum

Practical tips

• Check your points balance periodically through the official app, especially if you've received any recent fines, so you're never caught by surprise
• The point-recovery course is worth considering proactively if you're getting close to a low balance, rather than waiting until it's urgent

How Tuchati can help

If you're not sure how many points you have or what a specific fine will cost you, Tuchati can help you understand the situation.