DeCA from 5 October 2026: what to check before a vehicle transport job

Since 5 October 2026, the administrative control document required for road freight carried for hire or reward in Spain must be digital. The requirement to document the consignment already existed; the change concerns the document's format and electronic operation. 1 2

To put this into practice, we suggest a routine: identify the service, establish who is involved, check the information and make sure the driver can present the correct document. Address these questions while preparing the job, when you can still confirm the details with the person who booked it.

Why the date is 5 October

Law 9/2025 entered into force on 5 December 2025 and allowed ten months for this change. That calculation gives 5 October 2026. The SIMPLE platform agreement published in the BOE through the Resolution of 2 July 2026 also states this date explicitly. 1 3

This guide focuses on preparing vehicle transport jobs within Spain. For an international service or a job with special circumstances, check its particular documentation regime before applying these instructions automatically.

First, check whether the service is covered

The Spanish term transporte público means transport performed for another party in return for payment. Classification depends on the service: operating as a sole trader does not make it private transport. Carriage ancillary to a business's own activity is a different category. 4

The Order exempts removals and the carriage of damaged or broken-down vehicles in special vehicles, among other services. 2

Applied to vehicle logistics, the recovery exemption should not automatically extend to a car transporter carrying operational vehicles between a storage compound and a dealership. Check what you are moving, for whom and with which equipment. If an exemption is unclear, describe those three points when seeking clarification about the service.

Establish who contracts and who carries

The contracting consignor (cargador contractual) contracts directly with the actual carrier (transportista efectivo), which performs the job under its transport authorisation. Distinguish these roles when subcontracting. 2

The March 2026 amendment allocates responsibility for data accuracy: parties, route and goods sit with the contracting consignor; special authorisation, date and registration numbers sit with the carrier. Each also answers for the additional remarks it supplies. 5

Hypothetical example. A dealership books a movement with a transport company, which hires a self-employed operator to carry it out. Before completing the document, the operator checks who contracted them directly and under whose authorisation the transport will run. Copying the dealership's name from a commercial order does not, by itself, establish the correct contractual role.

We recommend assigning an operational contact to the job. If a field is unclear, you know whom to ask. A visible question is more useful than a guessed answer that nobody can later explain or support.

Check the information against the transport order

The essential information includes:

• Both parties' identities and tax numbers; the contracting consignor's address.
• Origin, destination, goods description and weight.
• Transport date.
• Tractor and trailer or semitrailer registration numbers, where applicable.
• Special road circulation authorisation, when needed.
• Remarks or reservations requested by the parties.

The rules provide an alternative way to determine weight where loading circumstances make the exact weight difficult to establish. 6

As a working method, compare these fields with the job you are actually undertaking. If you reuse information from another booking, pay particular attention to dates, destinations and registration numbers. Copying data saves re-entry, but still calls for a deliberate check of what has changed.

Check the PDF and test the QR code

Generate the DeCA before departure as a native digital PDF of up to 5 MB, with creation and modification timestamps in its metadata. Scans are invalid. Its QR code must download the PDF directly through HTTPS, without login or intermediate buttons. Drivers can carry an electronic or printed copy, both with QR. Corrections must preserve traceability and reach the driver. 7

For a practical check, test the QR code using another device or a signed-out session. Observe what happens when you open it. Then compare the document received by the driver with the version you are reviewing. This exercise can reveal a delivery mistake; it does not, on its own, verify every technical requirement.

A short routine before departure

We suggest using this table as a working checklist:

Try the routine on a specific job and note where questions arise. This gives you a concrete improvement for the next booking: request information earlier, clarify a contact or move the review to a more useful point in your preparation.

Plan how you will keep the record

The contracting consignor and actual carrier must keep their copy for at least one year. 2

We suggest saving the file under a record identifiable by date and service reference. Run a simple retrieval check: choose a completed job and see whether you can find its document without remembering who sent the link. Serge Freelance's terms tell users to download and keep their copies; the public link is not a permanent archive. 8

Up to 20 free DeCA per month with Serge Freelance

For self-employed vehicle transport professionals, Serge Freelance offers up to 20 free DeCA per calendar month, with no card required. The free account activates after email confirmation. Check each service's information and keep your documents. 8

Create your Serge Freelance account.

Businesses coordinating office staff and drivers can explore Serge's DeCA solution and request a demo.

Sources and review scope

All sources were consulted on 7 October 2026. The practical checks and example are editorial recommendations; the references below support the regulatory and commercial statements.