How to find the traffic and parking rules for your town

Terms used

• Ayuntamiento — The ayuntamiento is your town hall, the local council that sets traffic and parking rules.
• ZBE — A ZBE is a zona de bajas emisiones, a low-emission zone where access can be limited by vehicle type.
• ORA — The ORA is the regulated on-street parking service, with paid zones set by the town.
• Sede electrónica — The sede electrónica is a town hall's online office for procedures and official documents.
• Empadronamiento — Empadronamiento is registering your address with the town hall, which many local permits require.

Key rules

• Final word: Your town hall's own website decides what applies in your town, ahead of any national list.
• Two ordinances: Look for two texts: the traffic ordinance and the regulated parking ordinance.
• ZBE: Check the ZBE map and enforcement date for your town before you drive in the centre.
• Stuck: If you cannot find the ordinance online, ask the town hall registry or local police.

Start with your town hall, not a national site

Your town hall (ayuntamiento) sets the traffic and parking rules that affect you day to day. No single portal covers every town. Use three levels: your town hall first, then your region, then national sites for general information.

Find the ordinance

1. Open your town hall's website and look for the normativa or ordenanzas section.
2. Find the ordinance on traffic, circulation and road safety. Find the separate ordinance on regulated parking, called ORA or estacionamiento regulado.
3. Many town halls have an electronic office (sede electrónica) with a transparency portal that lists current ordinances.
4. The official text is published in the provincial or regional official gazette (Boletín Oficial de la Provincia, or the regional bulletin). You can search it there.
5. If you cannot find the ordinance online, ask the town hall registry or the local police for a copy.

Find the low-emission zone map

A low-emission zone is called a ZBE (zona de bajas emisiones). Towns with more than 50,000 inhabitants must have one, and smaller towns may too. Perimeters, hours, exemptions, fines and the date enforcement starts differ by town.

• On your town hall's website, look under Movilidad, Medio Ambiente or ZBE. That page should show the perimeter map, hours, restrictions, exemptions and fines.
• Some councils also publish maps on an open-data or visor cartográfico (online map) portal.
• No national list is fully reliable. National sites carry ZBE information, but they can lag behind what a town has approved. Treat your town's own site as the final word.
• Metropolitan Barcelona has its own page for the Rondes ZBE, run through the AMB.

Find the parking information

Regulated on-street parking (zona azul, zona verde, ORA or SER) is set by each town hall. Look under Movilidad, Tráfico or Aparcamiento for the zone map, tariffs, hours and payment rules. Colours and hours vary, and the signs on the street show the local code.

• Some towns hand the service to a private company, which has its own website or app. Check who runs it.
• Payment is usually by meter (parquímetro), card or a parking app.
• Residents can usually apply to the town hall for a resident permit. It normally requires registration at an address in the zone (empadronamiento).

Use regional and national sites for the rest

• The national traffic authority (DGT) website and its miDGT app give traffic information, cameras and incidents. They do not cover Catalonia or the Basque Country.
• The DGT's environmental label (distintivo ambiental) lookup shows which sticker your car qualifies for. That sticker often decides what you can do in a ZBE or on regulated parking.
• The Ministry for the Ecological Transition publishes guidance on ZBEs.
• In Catalonia, use the Servei Català de Trànsit. In the Basque Country, use Tráfico Euskadi. Regional environment departments also help.

The checklist and official links below repeat these steps in a short form.

Checklist

• Find the low-emission zone (ZBE) page under Movilidad, Medio Ambiente or ZBE, and note the perimeter map, hours, exemptions and fines.

• Look for the parking page under Movilidad, Tráfico or Aparcamiento, and note the zone map, tariffs, hours and payment methods.

• Check whether a private concessionaire runs the parking, and if so open its website or app.

Official links: your town's driving, parking and low-emission rules

Where to find your town's driving, parking and low-emission rules

• Your town hall (ayuntamiento) website: Open the normativa or ordenanzas section and find the traffic, circulation and road safety ordinance, plus the parking ordinance (ORA, or estacionamiento regulado). Look in Movilidad, Medio Ambiente or ZBE sections for the low-emission zone (ZBE) map, hours, exemptions and fines.

• Your town hall's electronic office (sede electrónica) and transparency portal: Check the list of current ordinances. Many councils also publish maps on a map viewer (visor cartográfico) or open-data page.

• Provincial or regional official gazette (Boletín Oficial de la Provincia or the regional bulletin): Search for the official published text of your town's ordinance.

• Town hall registry or local police: Ask for a copy of the ordinance if you cannot find it online. Local police sites and apps also give live parking and traffic notices.

• DGT (Spain's traffic authority) website and miDGT app: Check traffic information, cameras and incidents. Enter a Spanish plate number to see your car's environmental label for free. Foreign-registered cars are not covered. Catalonia and the Basque Country use their own traffic services.

• Ministry for the Ecological Transition (MITECO): Read the national guidance on low-emission zones.

• Regional traffic and environment services: In Catalonia use the Servei Català de Trànsit and the Barcelona metropolitan area's ZBE Rondes page. In the Basque Country use Tráfico Euskadi. Other regions: check the regional environment department.

Frequently asked questions

Is there one official list of Spanish cities with an active low-emission zone?

No, there is no single fully reliable official list of cities with an active low-emission zone (ZBE). National pages from the DGT and the Ministry for the Ecological Transition give an overview, but they can lag behind new local approvals. Treat your town hall's own website as the final word.

Does my town need a low-emission zone?

Towns with more than 50,000 inhabitants must have a low-emission zone, and smaller towns may have one too. Perimeters, hours and start dates differ by town, so look for the ZBE page under Movilidad or Medio Ambiente on your council site.

Can I get a resident parking permit in my town?

Yes, residents can usually apply for a permit at the town hall, but you need to be registered at an address in the zone (empadronamiento). Ask the council's mobility or parking office which papers it wants.

What if a private company runs the parking in my town?

Then the company usually has its own website or app with the zone map, tariffs and payment options. The council site normally links to it.