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Seventy drivers a day are being fined in Murcia for having an out-of-date ITV
The numbers are falling slightly, but expired vehicle inspections remain the second most common traffic violation in the region
If your ITV (Spanish MOT test) is overdue and you're hoping nobody will notice, the figures suggest otherwise. An average of 70 fines a day were issued to drivers in the Region of Murcia for driving without a valid vehicle inspection certificate in the first half of 2026, adding up to 12,792 penalties between January and June.The good news is that the number is heading in the right direction. That figure is 6.5% lower than the same period last year, and it's the third consecutive year that first-half fines have fallen:
- First half 2024: 14,276
- First half 2025: 13,683
- First half 2026: 12,792
The full-year picture is less encouraging. 2024 recorded the highest annual total in a decade, with 25,728 fines issued across the whole year, and 2025 wasn't far behind at 25,103. So while the trend for the opening six months of the year is positive, the overall numbers remain high. Expired ITV certificates are currently the second most common traffic violation in Murcia, behind only speeding.
ITV prices vary significantly across Spain depending on where you live and getting through the inspection first time is easier than many drivers expect with the right preparation. In Murcia, the rejection rate for the first half of 2026 stood at 18.27%, meaning just over one in six vehicles failed on the initial visit, a figure that puts the region broadly in line with the national average across nearly 614,000 inspections carried out at the region's 46 stations.
One reason the problem persists is the age of the region's car fleet. The average vehicle on Murcia's roads is 15.5 years old, above the national average, with more than half of all vehicles exceeding 15 years. Older cars are more likely to have issues that need addressing before inspection, and that cost can be a real barrier for some owners.
One detail worth knowing: a parked car can also attract a fine, even if it hasn't moved in months. Any registered vehicle on a public road without a valid ITV is fair game, whether it's being driven or simply sitting at the kerb. A passing officer checking the plate or spotting an expired windscreen sticker is all it takes.
Juan María Vázquez, the regional minister responsible for vehicle inspections, points to Murcia's liberalised system, introduced in 2017, as a genuine advantage. "We have one of the vehicle inspection networks with the best coverage, the lowest saturation per station, and the highest guarantees of technical control in the country," he said, noting that drivers from Alicante and Almería provinces regularly cross into Murcia to use its stations.
Image: Artem Podrez/Pexels
