The ITV Sticker – where to put it, what the colours mean and more!

When your car successfully passes its ITV – Inspección Tecníca de Vehículos – (Spanish equivalent to the MOT or DOT in the USA), along with the pass sheet, you’ll be given your official ITV sticker.

Where to put your ITV sticker
The sticker needs to go on the inside top right of your windscreen (or for motorbikes, somewhere easily visible).

What does the ITV sticker mean?
It’s an important legal document in its own right, as it shows the authorities that your car is legally fit to be on the road and your test is in date. 

Why does the ITV sticker have a hole punched in it?
The top of the sticker is divided into 12 sections showing months of the year in Roman numerals – the hole is punched in the month that your ITV is due, so the authorities can tell at a glance if your vehicle is legal.  

Be careful though, a common misconception is that you have until the end of the month indicated to pass the next ITV, which isn’t the case. The exact due date is given on the back of the ‘Ficha Tecnica’ issued at your last ITV inspection – put it on your Calendar. In many regions you can now register to receive an automatic reminder by email or text.

What do the different colours of the ITV sticker mean?
Always either red, yellow or green, the colours are a quick reference for the authorities to easily see what year your ITV is due. 2022 is green and these are the scheduled colours for the next few years:
Red stickers: 2024, 2027, 2030.
Yellow stickers:, 2023, 2026, 2029.
Green stickers: 2022, 2025, 2028.

Although it’s a common sight in Spain, you shouldn’t keep more than one sticker in your windscreen at one time – take the previous one off before putting the new one on.

What happens if I don’t display the ITV sticker?
Although you won’t lose points on your licence, you could get a fine of €100 or more – and you’re more likely to get stopped by the Guardia Civil de Tráfico (traffic police) if you aren’t clearly showing a valid sticker.

What happens if I lose the ITV sticker?
If you lose your sticker or have the windscreen replaced, you must carry the ITV pass sheet with you in the car and get the ITV Test Centre to issue you with a replacement as soon as you can.  

How do I know if I need an ITV at all?
This depends on the age of the vehicle and is as follows for cars/motorbikes – full information can be found here on the Veiasa website

Cars
Less than 4 years old – no ITV needed
4 – 10 years old – ITV due every 2 years
10 years or older – ITV due every year

Motorcycles
Up to 5 years old – no ITV needed
Up to 10 years old – ITV every 2 years
Over 10 years old – ITV every year