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DGT Glossary
B

DGT environmental sticker (distintivo ambiental)

The environmental sticker (distintivo ambiental) is sign V-25 of the vehicle sign catalogue in Spain's Reglamento General de Vehículos.

Definition

The environmental sticker (distintivo ambiental) is sign V-25 of the vehicle sign catalogue in Spain's Reglamento General de Vehículos. It is carried on the vehicle as a sticker and classifies every vehicle using public roads by its pollution potential — not by its exact age or mechanical condition, but by the emissions band it falls into. That classification is what governs the driving restrictions Spanish cities apply, above all inside low-emission zones (ZBE).

The four categories

There are four stickers: 0 emissions, ECO, C and B. The 0 label (blue) covers battery-electric, extended-range, fuel-cell and plug-in hybrid vehicles with at least 40 km of electric range. ECO (blue and green) covers plug-in hybrids under 40 km, non-plug-in hybrids and gas vehicles (LPG, CNG, LNG). C (green) covers petrol vehicles registered from January 2006 and diesels from 2014. B (yellow) covers petrol from 2000 and diesel from 2006. Vehicles that meet none of those criteria — petrol before 2000, diesel before 2006 — get no sticker at all.

What it is used for

The Low Emission Zone sign restricts the most polluting vehicles and shows, at its lower edge, the sticker that is allowed in. Spain's Climate Change Law requires every municipality over 50,000 inhabitants to set up a ZBE, so the classification already reaches most large cities. The sticker also appears in other mobility decisions: when a variable message sign allows cars with a B sticker into an HOV (VAO) lane, that instruction removes the usual two-occupant minimum.

Key facts

  • It is sign V-25 of the vehicle sign catalogue, carried on the vehicle as a sticker.
  • Four categories: 0 emissions, ECO, C and B. Vehicles below the B criteria get no sticker.
  • It classifies by pollution potential, not by exact age or mechanical condition.
  • C: petrol registered from 2006, diesel from 2014. B: petrol from 2000, diesel from 2006.
  • The Low Emission Zone sign shows which sticker is allowed in at its lower edge.
  • It is not a vehicle document: ownership is proved by the registration certificate, technical data by the ITV card.

Exam tip

The exam asks for the four categories (0, ECO, C and B) and for sign V-25. If an option describes an 'A sticker' handed to the vehicle, rule it out: the most polluting vehicles simply receive none.

Frequently asked questions

How many environmental stickers are there?
Four: 0 emissions, ECO, C and B. They classify vehicles by pollution potential. Vehicles that do not meet the B criteria receive no sticker.
What is the difference between the C and B stickers?
Registration date and the emissions level behind it. C covers petrol vehicles registered from 2006 and diesels from 2014; B covers petrol from 2000 and diesel from 2006, so C is the cleaner of the two.
Is the environmental sticker the same as the ITV card?
No. The ITV card (ficha técnica) lists the vehicle's technical data and inspection history, and the registration certificate authorises the vehicle to be driven. The environmental sticker only states its emissions category.

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