Penalties for driving and rest in Spain, France and Portugal
CABINA Editorial Team
The penalties Spain, France and Portugal notified to the European Commission for excess daily driving and insufficient daily rest, with the limits of the sources.
Machine translation, not verified [NV].
Penalties for exceeding daily driving or failing to respect daily rest vary widely between Spain, France and Portugal, according to each country’s notification published by the European Commission [V].
The documents carry no date; the file path on the Commission’s website indicates March 2021 (file 03/2021) [V]. The amounts in force today may differ: data not found / pending verification [NV].
Spain
Daily driving over 9 hours (Art. 6.1 of Regulation (EC) 561/2006), according to the notification [V]:
- more than 9 h and less than 10 h: 100 € - 200 €;
- from 10 h to less than 11 h: 401 € - 600 €;
- from 11 h: 1001 € - 2000 €;
- from 13h30: 4001 € - 6000 €.
Daily rest under 11 hours (Art. 8.2) [V]:
- from 10 h to less than 11 h: 100 € - 200 €;
- from 8h30 to less than 10 h: 401 € - 600 €;
- less than 8h30: 1001 € - 2000 €.
The notification cites Articles 197-199 and 201 of the ROTT and refers to the Ministry’s baremo sancionador and to the 2019 ROTT [V]. Those two pages were not opened [NV].
France
For daily driving between 9 and 10 hours (or between 10 and 11 with extension), the notification indicates a class 4 offence, with a fine of up to 750 € and a fixed fine of 135 € (increased 375 €), Art. R. 3315-10 of the Code des transports [V]. From 11 hours, a class 5 offence, with a fine of up to 1.500 € [V].
For daily rest between 10 and 11 hours, the document shows both figures, up to 1.500 € and up to 750 € / 135 € [V], but which one applies to each case has not been verified [NV].
Portugal
Daily driving (Art. 6.1) [V]:
- more than 9 h and less than 10 h: 204 – 1989 €;
- from 10 h to less than 11 h: 612 – 12597 €;
- from 11 h: 2040 – 79560 €.
Daily rest (Art. 8.2) [V]: from 10 h to less than 11 h, 204 – 1989 €; from 8h30 to less than 10 h, 612 – 12597 €; less than 8h30, 2040 – 79560 €.
This article reports what the notifications say and does not replace advice on specific cases.
Base Spanish not verified by a native speaker [NV].
CABINA Editorial Team
Sources
- European Commission, notification of Spain: https://transport.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2021-03/penalties_notification_spain.pdf, consulted on 30/10/2026 [V].
- European Commission, notification of France: https://transport.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2021-03/penalties_notification_france.pdf, consulted on 30/10/2026 [V].
- European Commission, notification of Portugal: https://transport.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2021-03/penalties_notification_portugal.pdf, consulted on 30/10/2026 [V].
Informational content, not advice. Always check the text of the source given; for your own case, consult a professional or the competent authority.