Spanish Supreme Court rules ITV sticker misuse is a criminal offense

The Spanish Supreme Court has ruled that placing a valid vehicle inspection (ITV) sticker on a car that has actually failed or expired its inspection constitutes a criminal offense of document forgery. In a recent case, a driver was fined 720 euros after using a sticker from 2019 on a vehicle whose inspection had expired in 2016. The court determined that because the sticker serves as an official certification of a vehicle's roadworthiness, its unauthorized or fraudulent use falls under criminal statutes regarding the manipulation of official documents.

Separately, the Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT) has issued warnings regarding fines for driving with an expired ITV. Drivers can face fines of 200 euros for expired inspections, which can increase to 500 euros if the previous inspection was unfavorable. The DGT emphasized that having a confirmed appointment at an inspection station does not extend the validity of the current inspection or prevent a fine if the vehicle is driven while the documentation is expired.