Spain's DGT rolls out new rules for motorhomes and electric scooters

The Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT) approved Instruction PROT 2026/04, replacing the 2023 regulation and setting new rules for parking, camping and technical inspections of motorhomes and camper‑vans in Spain. The instruction incorporates the Supreme Court’s 18 March 2018 ruling that allows municipalities to regulate camping zones and prolonged parking of such vehicles. A motorhome that is parked without external equipment is considered a parked vehicle, while deploying tables, chairs, awnings or similar items is treated as camping and limited to designated areas. The update also adds the S‑128 sign to mark official waste‑water dump points and defines inspection intervals: category M motorhomes are exempt for the first four years, then inspected every two years until ten years old and annually thereafter; category N camper‑vans are inspected yearly until ten years and semi‑annually after that. About 250,000 motorhomes travel the peninsula each summer.

Separately, the DGT made registration of all electric scooters (personal mobility vehicles) mandatory from 30 January 2026 under Real Decreto 52/2026. Owners must obtain a digital identification plate and compulsory civil‑liability insurance, paying an €8.67 fee through an online portal. Registration requires a digital certificate, the scooter’s technical sheet, a photo of the plate and the payment. New scooters sold from 22 January 2024 must carry a circulation certificate; older models without certification can be registered as “non‑certified” until 22 January 2027, after which only certified units may circulate. Failure to register or insure the vehicle can result in fines.