Driving docs

~Simple question requiring a YES or NO please, just been told somebody was stopped by the police (routine check) asked driver for passport, that they did not have on them, but had Spanish Driving License and Residence card, still no good fined 100 euros.

So question is do you have to now carry your passport with you when driving YES or NO ¿

As I understand it, you must carry your passport at all times. Not just when you're driving. A photocopy signed by a gestor and stamped is an alternative.

So question is do you have to now carry your passport with you when driving YES or NO ¿

To comply with the law, YES, and not just driving,you need it at all times!!

How many comply with this law?, not many, easy fine and 100€ thanks very much.

I've looked at all the Spanish Government and Police websites to try and find out if a notarised copy is acceptable and I can't find any information on this anywhere. I would imagine by carrying a copy you are reducing your risk of a fine.

In Spain one is required to carry legal ID at all times.

The only ID the British have is their Passport.

The only legally acceptable copy of any document is one which is certified by the authority which issued the original  It is only that authority which can say for certain that the document they have been shown is a genuine document and not a forgery.  

 In the case of a UK passport: The only legal  copy is one which has been certified by the Passport Office or The British Consulate.

NB    Please do not take it that I saying you will not get away with producing something else.  After all, many people to whom we produce ID have no idea what is required, thus,  that they accept something, is by no means proof that it is legally acceptable. 

PS.  Just for the record,  I do not carry my passport unless I am going to the police, a notary, the court etc.  I haver a Spanish DL and my out of date (exp' 2007) residencia card, is usualy accepted.

John, Nitram wanted a Yes or a No 

I don't  think  a passport copy being stamped and signed by a gestor  will carry much weight, 

A Notary will sign and stamp a copy for a few euros, and they insist on making their own  photocopy, which in our case was black and white, for some reason.

No one wants to risk such an important  document being damaged, lost or stolen.

Those who brought about the demise of the ID card have a lot to answer for, it must be the most unpopular rule ever made  in relation to British ex pats.

John, Nitram wanted a Yes or a No

I am sure he can work it out from what I posted, and in passing maybe I helped a couple of others too, but not Campo it would seem  !

And by the way Nitram, even though you wanted a yes or no, it is not a new thing to have to carry (legal)  ID at all times. I have lived in Spain 27 years, it was law when I first came here.  Nothing has changed in that respect.

John I know what you are saying, but I and many like me will not carry our original passports with us on a routine basis.

I do for such things as getting important docs etc, but not as routine, and I don't know anyone else that does, either.

Campo  "John I know what you are saying, but I and many like me will not carry our original passports with us on a routine basis"

I posted   

"PS.  Just for the record,  I do not carry my passport unless I am going to the police, a notary, the court etc.  I have a Spanish DL and my out of date (exp' 2007) residencia card, which is usually accepted."

I had a car accident when some one run into the back of me the police attended, it was a hire car all they asked for was my UK picture driving licence l later found out that if you do not have this when you are driving it's a on the spot fine of 500eu he did not as for a passport.

Just goes to show the inconsistency in enforcing the law in Spain, You are not asked for PP but Nitram's mate is and fined 100€.

No wonder newcomers are confused and search out often incorrect information from 'the man in the pub'

Team GB ,  as it is the law that one is obliged to carry their PP,  so when not carrying it getting fined  is what ‘should’  or ‘can’ happen.    it would appear you are complaining  that some who should be fined get off

And the OP did not say "Nitram's mate was fined 100€"  but   that he had  “just been told, (by one person)  somebody (another person)  was stopped by the police……”.  So at least third hand.

There is no way of knowing the actual situation or even if there was some misunderstanding in what actually happened as it was  ‘someone’ telling ’someone’  who may be got the story wrong.  Rather like Team GB did when he incorrectly  said Nitram's mate got fined 100€ when it was not his mate but some else

 I believe in Spain, just like in UK,  a police officer has discretion what action he should take.  In UK that is to arrest, report or give a verbal caution.  Thus a Spanish officer may decide to fine or not, maybe depending on the circumstances.

No, I'm not complaining about anything. I've been saying it's the law to carry your pp all along

Just merely pointing out that it probably depends on what side the police officer got out of bed that morning as to whether you get fined or not

In reality I do not think it is a problem.

I have only been stopped I think twice in 27 years driving cars and M/bikes in Spain. I was asked for my driving docs.  I never carry my PP unless I am going to the police, courts, notary etc.

My wife is Filipino, so probably more likely to be stopped as a 'potential illegal'.    In the 9 years she has been here, she has never been asked to produce her Residencia Card (her legal ID) other than at say the bank, Trafico etc.

Officially, YES

However it depends on the CG officer you are unlucky, or lucky enough to be stopped by!

Officially, YES

However it depends on the CG officer you are unlucky, or lucky enough to be stopped by!

Or the attitude you take when you get stopped!

Once I've been in a traffic accident in Spain and that was nearly 10 years ago when some idiot motorbike came up on the inside when I was turning right (maybe using indicators confused him as he wasn't used to them). I aked the GC guy if he wanted my passport (which I used to carry around) and he waved it away. He then got busy helping me fill in the accident report. Never been stopped for a document check.

We get stopped quite regularly by the GC, at least once a month (intersection of Extremadura/Castile y Leon/Castile la Mancha.) It's not like they are picking on us, we just go around a corner and bob's your uncle, they have pulled over half a dozen cars in front of us. A friend, who commutes 100 km a day says he gets pulled over a couple of times a week under similar circumstances. It rarely gets as far as them asking to see documents. They just have a good look once we are down to walking speed. I think they're looking for Basque terrorists although of late they have been doing big sweeps nearby (Navalmoral) picking up jihadistas.

Moral of story is just because you are keeping your nose clean doesn't mean you won't get stopped.

Mark, Although it was 1st April it was no joke when I `posted "

In Spain one is required to carry legal ID at all times.

 The only ID the British have is their Passport

So a 'Yes/ No' answer is 100'%      YES.

of course you have to, I don't know where that rumor comes from, but it is ridiculous:D