Spanish traffic rules explained in English

These pages explain one Spanish traffic rule each, for people who drive in Spain or are preparing the DGT theory exam and read English better than Spanish. Every page gives the rule in plain language, the mistake people usually make, a worked example, and the article of the law it comes from, with a link to the consolidated text on the BOE (Spain's official gazette). They are not translations of the Spanish pages: they are written for English-speaking readers, and they point out where Spanish practice differs from what you may be used to.

We never reproduce exam questions or answers here. The rules are written from the law, and the practice is in the app.

The rules

• Roundabout rules in Spain. Traffic already on the ring has priority, you go anticlockwise, and a lane change inside the ring is where drivers go wrong.
• Priority at junctions. Signs first, the vehicle on your right only when there is no sign, and the real difference between give way and stop.
• Speed limits. The defaults by road and by vehicle, including the lower limits with a trailer or caravan, and the fine bands.
• Drink-driving limit. 0.25 mg/l of breath for most drivers, 0.15 for new and professional drivers, zero under 18, and when it becomes a crime.
• Overtaking cyclists. 1.5 metres sideways, a full lane change, and the 20 km/h reduction in force since 1 October 2026.
• Mobile phone and headphones. What hands-free really allows, and why one earphone still costs points.
• Car lights. When to use dipped beam, main beam and fog lights, and why a car does not need lights on by day.
• Child car seats. Height, not age, decides: up to 135 cm needs a restraint, and the three cases where a child may sit in front.
• ITV, the roadworthiness test. How often a car, motorbike or van needs it, how the validity is counted and what the three results mean.
• The V-16 warning beacon. Why only the connected beacon counts since 1 January 2026, and who must carry one.

How to use them

Read the rule that matches the topic you are studying, then try the same topic in the app. The full list of 38 topics is in the syllabus. If you are new to Spain, start with how to get a Spanish driving licence and the DGT theory exam in English.

Many rules changed with Royal Decree 518/2026, in force since 1 October 2026. Where a page depends on the new wording, it says so, and the list of 2026 changes shows the rest.

Reviewed against the consolidated BOE text on 11 October 2026. DrivingLingo is independent and is not endorsed by the DGT. These pages are not legal advice.