Roadworthiness Test (ITV)

Last update: 24-03-2026

Roadworthiness tests are done at special ITV stations in accordance with the management model established by each autonomous community.

• Cars: 4 years after their first registration date, and every 2 years thereafter. Cars over 10 years old must be tested for roadworthiness every year.
• Motorcycles and quadricycles: 4 years after their first registration date, and every 2 years thereafter.
• Buses/coaches: Annual until the fifth year and every 6 months thereafter.
• Mopeds: 3 years after their first registration date and every 2 years thereafter.

For further information, see Article 6 of Royal Decree 920/2017, of 23 October regulating the technical inspection of vehicles.

A roadworthiness test must also be done on a vehicle if it has undergone substantial alterations, after it has been involved in an accident, and for the preliminary inspection before registration, which is done to issue ITV (roadworthiness) cards in the cases provided for under Article 5 of Royal Decree 750/2010, of 4 June regulating the certification procedures for motor vehicles and their trailers, self-propelled or towed machines, agricultural vehicles, and the systems and parts of such vehicles, and any inspections thereof.

Vehicles that have successfully passed the roadworthiness test must display the corresponding V-19 sticker, as stipulated in Annex XI of the General Regulations on Vehicles. This sticker is issued at the roadworthiness test station and serves as proof of having passed the inspection.

A verification of the validity of the permit against the existing data kept at the Vehicle Registration Department at the Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT), against the technical inspection report, or against the roadworthiness card may be carried out by officials of the relevant authority.

Changes in vehicle ownership do not affect the validity of the roadworthiness test.

• The provisions of Directive 2014/45/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 April 2014 on periodic roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles and their trailers and repealing Directive 2009/40/EC apply.
• Any such vehicle must fall under the scope defined in Article 2 of the aforementioned directive.
• As far as periodic roadworthiness tests are concerned, technical inspection certificates issued by another Member State will only be accepted as long as that certificate is valid according to the roadworthiness test frequency established for the vehicle in question under the aforementioned Royal Decree.

In case of doubt, the inspection certificate can be verified before recognising its.