Malaga fines 5,000 drivers in the first month of the Low Emission Zone

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This is a very high figure, bearing in mind that only the most polluting cars and motorbikes (those without a sticker) that pay road tax outside the city of Malaga are now banned

Chus Heredia

Thursday, 19 March 2026, 19:21

On 30 November 2025 the Low Emission Zone (ZBE) in Malaga entered its second year of life and therefore began its sanctioning phase. Now, only the most polluting vehicles (cars and motorbikes), those without an environmental label, which, in addition, do not pay road tax in the city of Malaga, are prohibited access to the enclosed perimeter. No vehicle registered in the city is penalised. Despite the initial laxity of the regulation, the number plate reader cameras have caught 5,000 drivers during the first month: December. That's a lot considering the small number of vehicles that can be fined.

SUR has requested, without success, this information from Malaga town hall. And so has the co-spokesperson of the Con Málaga group, Toni Morillas, through written questions. In one of them, a reply was received from Gestrisam, the municipal tax body: "During the month of January 2026, a total of 4,894 complaints corresponding to the month of December 2025 have been received by this Autonomous Body and the processing of these has begun. At the moment, the complaints received for the month of January 2026 are pending processing".

200

euros is the penalty for improper access to the EPZ. It is reduced to 100 if there is prompt payment

The amount of the fines is set by the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT). They amount to 200 euros, with a 50% reduction if prompt payment is made.

The restrictions on access to the ZBE will remain unchanged until 30 November this year. At that time, vehicles with environmental label B from outside the city of Malaga will also be banned from circulating.

The physically visible sticker is not compulsory, as the system includes the reading of number plates by camera and their automatic matching with the DGT database.

It should be clarified, as it generates some confusion, that the ZBE is not the same as the traffic-restricted zones derived from the semi-pedestrianisation processes in the Historic Centre, Soho and the Álamos-Carretería axis. These zones can only be accessed by specifically authorised vehicles. This is not merely an environmental issue.

4,894

The tax management body, Gestrisam, has been responsible for the first of the penalties in the EPZ for the month of December.

The philosophy that Malaga town hall has opted for is, in short, that those who pay road tax in the capital can use up the useful life of their vehicle without having to pay for a more environmentally friendly one. However, those with a B label or lower cannot be transferred because the buyer would lose the right to do so.

The cases are somewhat broader but it can be summarised that petrol vehicles registered before 1 January 2000 and diesel vehicles registered before January 2006 do not have a label. In any case, it is very easy to find out the label of a vehicle. All you have to do is go to the website of the Dirección General de Tráfico and type in the registration number. It is automatic and free of charge.

Perimeter

The delimitation of the ZBE in Malaga is formed by the following streets: Paseo Marítimo Antonio Machado, Avenida Ingeniero José María Garnica, Calle Explanada de la Estación, Plaza de la Solidaridad, Avenida de las Américas, Avenida de la Aurora, Jardines de Picasso, Avenida de Andalucía, Calle Compositor Lehmberg Ruiz, Calle Hilera, Calle Santa Elena, Calle Honduras, Calle Arango, Calle Martínez Maldonado, Avenida de Barcelona, Plaza del Hospital Civil, Avenida Doctor Gálvez Ginachero, Calle Mazarredo, Avenida del Arroyo de los Ángeles, Paseo de Martiricos, Calle Huerto de los Claveles, Calle Marqués de Cádiz, Calle Juan del Encina, Calle Empecinado, Plaza Capuchinos, Alameda de Capuchinos, Plaza Olletas, Calle Toquero, Calle Obispo González García, Calle Amargura, Calle Ferrándiz, Paseo Salvador Rueda, Calle Rafael Pérez Estrada and Paseo Marítimo Pablo Ruiz Picasso.

All the information on the operation of the ZBE is available on the website of the Mobility Department of Malaga town hall. Restrictions are increasing year by year. From November 2026, for example, the restriction will be extended to cars and motorbikes with label B that are not registered in the capital.

Free access

However, collective passenger transport services, taxis and VTC, vehicles classified as historic in accordance with Royal Decree 1247/1995 and lorries have free access through the ZBE. The same applies, subject to prior notification and verification, to health services, the State Security Forces and Corps, municipal services and private services of special need (private security, removal services, funeral parlours, cash-in-transit services...).