What this letter is
It’s a denuncia del Ayuntamiento de València (fine notice from Valencia City Council) for entering, driving or parking inside the Zona de Bajas Emisiones (València ZBE) (low emission zone) with a vehicle that isn’t allowed to under the calendar. The zone covers almost the whole city, inside the main ring roads, and is monitored by number-plate recognition cameras that check the DGT register. That’s why the fine arrives at the vehicle holder’s home without anyone having stopped you.
How to read it: the key parts
| What you see in the letter | What it means |
|---|---|
| Órgano instructor (investigating body) | The Valencia City Council department handling the fine |
| Nº de expediente / boletín (case / ticket number) | The number you must quote to pay or object |
| Fecha, hora y lugar (date, time and place) | Where and when the camera captured your plate |
| Matrícula y distintivo ambiental (plate and environmental label) | The vehicle and its DGT classification (no label = A) |
| Precepto infringido (provision breached) | Usually art. 76 z3) of the Traffic Act and the ZBE bylaw |
| Calificación e importe (classification and amount) | Serious offence: €200; with early payment, €100 |
| Identificación del conductor (driver identification) | If the letter asks, you must say who was driving |
What deadline you have
You have 20 calendar days, counted from the day after notification, to pay with a 50 % discount or submit alegaciones (objections). If you are asked to identify the driver, the deadline is also 20 calendar days.
The bylaw’s calendar is key to knowing whether the fine is correct:
| From | Fines apply to vehicles without a label registered in… |
|---|---|
| 1 December 2025 | Municipalities outside the province of Valencia |
| 1 January 2027 | The rest of the province of Valencia (except the DANA moratorium) |
| 1 January 2028 | The city of València (except districts affected by the DANA) |
Municipalities affected by the 2024 DANA floods have a moratorium until 31 December 2027, and the affected districts of València until 31 December 2028. What counts is the vehicle’s municipality of registration with the DGT, not where you live.
What you can do
| Option | When it makes sense | What happens next |
|---|---|---|
| Pay with the discount (€100) | The fine is correct | The case is closed; you waive objections |
| Submit alegaciones | Your vehicle was exempt, had authorised access or there’s an error | The city council reviews and decides |
| Identify the driver | You weren’t driving | The fine passes to the person identified |
| Recurso de reposición (administrative appeal) | There’s already a penalty decision and you disagree | You have one month to file it |
| Do nothing | Never advisable | You’ll end up paying €200 and then surcharges |
What happens if you do nothing
You lose the discount and the penalty becomes final at 200 euros. If you don’t pay on time, it goes to the vía de apremio (enforcement) with surcharges and possible seizures. If you were asked to identify the driver and don’t, you can get another, much higher fine for failing to do so.
Common mistakes
- Thinking the ZBE only affects the centre: it covers almost the whole city.
- Believing your car is exempt because you live in Valencia: what counts is where it’s registered with the DGT.
- Paying without checking whether the offence date fell within a moratorium.
- Not notifying the 48 one-off entries before entering: they can be logged up to three months in advance.
- Having a sold car still in your name because the transfer wasn’t done at Tráfico.
How to respond step by step
- Check your vehicle’s distintivo ambiental (environmental label) and municipality of registration on the DGT portal.
- Compare the offence date with the calendar and the moratoriums.
- If you have an access right (reduced mobility, business activity, large family, children under 3, pregnancy, one-off entries), gather the proof.
- Pay with the discount or submit alegaciones on the sede electrónica del Ayuntamiento de València (city council online portal) with Cl@ve or a digital certificate, or at any official registry, within the 20 calendar days.
- Keep the filing receipt.
Example alegaciones:
Expone: que en el expediente nº [___] se me denuncia por acceder a la ZBE el [fecha] con el vehículo [matrícula]. Dicho vehículo está registrado en [municipio], por lo que en esa fecha estaba exento según la disposición transitoria primera de la ordenanza [o: disponía de acceso autorizado, según justificante adjunto]. Solicita: que se archive el expediente.
Translation: States that in case no. [___] I am fined for entering the ZBE on [date] with vehicle [plate]. That vehicle is registered in [municipality], so on that date it was exempt under the first transitional provision of the bylaw [or: it had authorised access, per the attached proof]. Requests that the case be closed.
Cartamiga tip: if your car has no label and you drive into Valencia now and then, notify the one-off entries before you go. It’s a simple procedure and saves you a 100 or 200 euro fine.