A fine in a hire car: how it reaches you and what it costs
The hire company is legally obliged to identify the driver to the authorities and charges an administration fee of thirty to sixty euros for doing so, which is added to the fine itself and debited to the card on the contract.
gelisted editorial team · Updated 15 August 2026
The short version
- The administration fee for identifying the driver runs 30 € to 60 €.
- Paying within 20 calendar days reduces the fine by 50 per cent.
- The notice can take 2 to 8 months to arrive.
- Failing to identify the driver exposes the company to a much larger penalty.
The fine arrives late, with a surcharge nobody expected, long after the trip has become a memory. Knowing the sequence prevents both the surprise and the overpayment.
How it reaches you
The penalty notice is served on the registered keeper, which is the hire company. It consults the contract covering the date and time of the offence, communicates the driver's details to the authority and passes the file on. From that point the procedure runs against the driver, and the notice is sent to their address or to the electronic road address if they are registered for it.
| Item | Amount | Charged by |
|---|---|---|
| Administration fee | 30 to 60 € | hire company |
| Minor offence | up to 100 € | authority |
| Serious offence | 200 € | authority |
| Very serious offence | 500 € | authority |
| Early payment discount | 50 % | on the fine |
| Payment window | 20 calendar days | |
| Enforcement surcharge if unpaid | 20 % | authority |
| Typical time to notification | 2 to 8 months |
The administration fee
It is not a penalty but a charge for the administrative work of identifying the driver, and it appears in the contract as a clause accepted at signature. It is debited to the card without prior notice, sometimes weeks or months after the car was returned, and normally arrives with an email attaching a copy of the notice. Check that the charge corresponds to a real offence within the dates of your hire.
The early payment discount
Paying within 20 calendar days of notification halves the amount and involves giving up the right to appeal. A 200 € fine becomes 100 €. The difficulty with a hire car is that the notification may reach the driver when part of that window has already run, so checking the email address given on the contract during the months after a trip is what decides whether you pay 100 € or 200 €.
In Palma's regulated parking zones the most common penalties run 30 € to 90 €, and many can be cancelled by paying the excess ticket within the first hour.
Charges that arrive by another route
Unpaid tolls, low emission zone charges and private car park penalties do not follow the traffic procedure. They are claimed directly from the hire company, which passes them on together with its own administration fee. In Mallorca, some access roads to northern coves operate seasonal restrictions enforced by camera, and those notices follow the ordinary traffic route like any other.
Frequently asked
+What does the company charge to process a fine?
An administration fee of 30 € to 60 € for identifying the driver, on top of the fine itself.
+How long does the notice take?
Usually 2 to 8 months from the offence, depending on the issuing authority.
+Can I pay less?
Yes, 50 % less within 20 calendar days of notification, giving up the right to appeal.
+Can the company refuse to name me?
No. It is obliged to identify the driver and faces a much larger penalty if it does not.
+What about tolls and car park charges?
They are claimed directly from the company, which passes them on with its own administration fee.
Sources
- 1Dirección General de Tráfico, Ministerio del Interior (August 2026)
- 2Boletín Oficial del Estado, BOE (August 2026)