Everyday behaviour that city bylaws fine in Spain

Key rules

• Local rules: Your town's own ordinance decides what is fined and how much, so check it for your city.
• Fine limits: City bylaw fines are capped at 750 euros for minor, 1,500 euros for serious and 3,000 euros for very serious breaches.
• Scooters: Electric scooters need certification and insurance and cannot be ridden on pavements.
• Drunk riding: Riding drunk can cost 500 euros or more under road traffic law.

Your town's ordinance sets the fines

Fines for everyday behaviour come from your town's ordenanza (a civic or "convivencia" ordinance). Each city writes its own, so the same act can cost different amounts in Madrid, Barcelona or a small coastal town. The limits are the same everywhere: 750 euros for minor, 1,500 euros for serious and 3,000 euros for very serious breaches.

What is usually fined

• Drinking alcohol in the street (botellón).
• Urinating or defecating in public.
• Excessive noise.
• Littering and graffiti.
• Unlicensed street vending, including buying from unlicensed sellers in some cities.

Typical amounts give you a sense of scale. Barcelona fines urinating in public roughly 100 to 500 euros and drinking in the street around 500 euros. Madrid, Valencia and Sevilla fine botellón and public urination from roughly 100 to 600 euros, with higher fines for serious noise and nuisance. Some cities cut the fine if you pay promptly, and a few allow community work instead. Ask the officer or check the notice you receive.

Beach rules

Coastal ordinances usually ban:

• littering and, on many beaches, smoking;
• camping and ball games in crowded areas;
• loud music;
• urinating in the sea or sand;
• leaving umbrellas or reserving spots;
• bringing pets outside permitted zones.

Fines are typically tens to several hundred euros, and can rise to the limits above.

Bikes and electric scooters

Electric scooters (patinetes) must be certified and may not use pavements. They also need insurance. Cities such as Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia limit speed in shared spaces and ban pavement riding. Cycling on pavements or fast in pedestrian zones is commonly fined around 100 to 200 euros in minor cases, and more if alcohol is involved. Riding drunk under road traffic law costs 500 euros or more.

Where to find your town's ordinance

1. Search your ayuntamiento (town hall) website for "Normativa" or "Ordenanzas municipales".
2. Try the town hall's electronic office or transparency portal, which often has a searchable register.
3. Look in the provincial official gazette, where ordinances are published in full.
4. Ask the town hall information office. In some cities you can phone 010 or 012.

Search for "ordenanza cívica" or "ordenanza de convivencia" plus your town's name. Questions about beaches, scooters and where to find the text are also answered in the FAQ below.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I find my town's civic ordinance?

Your town's civic ordinance (ordenanza cívica or de convivencia) is on the town hall website, usually under "Normativa" or "Ordenanzas municipales". It is also published in the provincial official gazette (BOP). If you cannot find it online, the town hall's information office can give you a copy.

What can I be fined for on a Spanish city beach?

Beach rules in coastal towns typically ban littering, camping, loud music, ball games in crowded areas, urinating in the sea or sand, and reserving spots with umbrellas. Many beaches also ban smoking, and pets are allowed only in set zones. Fines usually run from tens to several hundred euros.

Is riding a bike or scooter after drinking fined more heavily?

Yes, riding drunk is punished under road traffic law, with fines of 500 euros or more. That is separate from city bylaw fines, so you can face both if you also break a local rule.