Connected V16 beacon mandatory in Spain: a guide for drivers

What you need to do

If you drive a car, van, bus, dual-purpose vehicle, lorry or non-special vehicle combination registered in Spain on Spanish roads, you must carry a connected V16 beacon on board. Since 1 January 2026 it has been the only legal device for signalling a broken-down or crashed vehicle on the carriageway.

In practice, this means:

• Checking that your beacon is the connected version and appears on the official DGT list, published at dgt.es/v16.
• Always keeping it in the glovebox, within reach of your seat.
• Making sure it is charged, whether it runs on a rechargeable battery or standard batteries depending on the model.
• Checking the expiry date of the connectivity service, which must be shown on the packaging and on the device itself.

If you drive a foreign-registered vehicle, the rules are different: we explain them further down.

When the connected V16 became compulsory

The V16 beacon was introduced as a legal advance hazard warning device on 1 January 2021, as explained by the DGT magazine. Since then, the non-connected V16 and the connected V16 have coexisted.

Royal Decree 159/2021, which governs roadside assistance services on public roads, amended the V16 signal in annex XI of the General Vehicle Regulations. It states that the geolocated version is compulsory from 1 January 2026, and that earlier devices could be used until that date. The Spanish Data Protection Agency also points out that the obligation was set out in that royal decree, later amended by Royal Decree 1030/2022.

The result: since 1 January 2026, the connected V16 has been the only legal means of signalling vehicles stopped on the carriageway, and all drivers covered by the rule must carry it when driving.

Requirements for an approved V16 beacon

The technical specifications are set out in annex XI, Vehicle signals, of the General Vehicle Regulations approved by Royal Decree 2822/1998 of 23 December. The points that matter most to you as a buyer are these:

• Connectivity with the DGT. When activated, the beacon must report its activation, deactivation and position to the national access point, that is, the DGT 3.0 connected vehicle platform. From there the location is shared on variable message signs, satnavs and apps.
• On the official list. Only the makes and models published by the DGT at dgt.es/v16 are valid for signalling an incident. It is the safest way to know whether a model is the connected version.
• Visible service expiry date. The connectivity period included with the purchase must be shown both on the packaging and on the device.
• Minimum standby life. According to the DGT, connected V16 beacons must have a minimum standby life of 18 months. If you have not used it, it should remain fully operational for that period.
• No extra functions. The rules expressly forbid additional features: the beacon only serves to make the vehicle visible and send the location of the incident.
• Certificate with communications testing. The device’s certificate must include an analysis of the effectiveness of communications and of connectivity with the DGT platform.

On privacy, the Spanish Data Protection Agency says that, when activated, the beacon sends the location of the stopped vehicle and a technical identifier not linked to any person or registration number. While switched off it transmits nothing and creates no journey history.

What happens to warning triangles

The change has come in stages. According to the DGT magazine, from 1 July 2023 it was no longer compulsory to signal an emergency with triangles on motorways and dual carriageways, although at that time they were still compulsory on secondary roads. Since 1 January 2026, the connected V16 has been the only legal advance hazard warning device in Spain.

The DGT justifies the change by pedestrian deaths. To place a triangle you have to walk 50 metres along the road, which becomes 100 metres including the return. On conventional two-way roads you must place one triangle 50 metres ahead and another 50 metres behind, 200 metres on foot in total. In rain, hail or strong wind the triangle can also blow over. According to the DGT, the beacon increases visibility to 1000 metres, compared with 100 metres for triangles, and adds so-called virtual visibility on satnavs and signs.

If you travel outside Spain, do not get rid of your triangles without first checking the rules of each destination country.

Foreign-registered vehicles

The DGT published an instruction on international traffic that clarifies the rules in both directions.

Foreign-registered cars in Spain. Vehicles registered in other countries that are in Spain in international traffic comply with the rules if they carry, or use when necessary, advance hazard warning triangles or any other device with a similar function provided for in the rules of their home country. If you travel from the UK, Germany, the Netherlands or Italy in your own car, you do not need to buy a V16 to drive in Spain.

Spanish-registered cars abroad. A vehicle registered in Spain that is driven in another country that signed the 1949 Convention on Road Traffic or the 1968 Convention on Road Traffic complies with the rules by carrying, or using if needed, the connected V16, with no need to carry triangles. The DGT magazine bases this on the 1968 Vienna Convention, under which vehicles in international traffic must comply with the provisions of the country where they are registered.

Bear in mind that this is the DGT’s interpretation. Roadside checks in another country are carried out by that country’s authorities, so if you are crossing borders it is wise to check the rules of your destination.

How to buy the beacon

Buying one is simple, but there are details worth knowing:

• Check the model at dgt.es/v16 before paying. It is the official list of valid makes and models.
• You do not have to give personal data. According to the Spanish Data Protection Agency, buyers do not have to provide their details to any authority, so the DGT does not know who has bought one.
• One beacon can serve several cars. The V16 is not linked to a vehicle or a driver. If you have several vehicles you do not need one in each, but you must carry it in the one you are using.
• The registered keeper is responsible. The obligation to equip the vehicle with the V16 lies with the registered keeper. If you sell your car you do not have to include it, because the obligation passes to the new keeper. Dealers are not obliged to supply one with a new vehicle and, with a lease, the lessee is responsible.

Prices

Neither the DGT nor the Official State Gazette sets an official price for the connected V16 beacon: each manufacturer or shop sets its own. What you should compare between models is the expiry date of the included connectivity service, shown on the packaging and on the device, because it marks how long the connection to DGT 3.0 is covered.

Checks and fines

The General Traffic Regulations, as worded by Royal Decree 159/2021, require every driver to use the regulation advance hazard warning device when their vehicle is stopped on the road, as well as switching on the hazard lights and, where appropriate, the side lights and clearance lights.

As for the specific penalty for not carrying the connected V16, the DGT and Official State Gazette communications cited in this guide do not state an amount. So we give no figure: if you are stopped without a beacon, the officer will apply whatever penalty the current traffic rules provide.

It is also worth remembering another ban in the same royal decree: if you have an accident, you may not fill in the accident report on the carriageway. You must do so in a safe place off the road.

How to use it in a breakdown

The DGT recommends these steps:

• Switch on your hazard lights and take the beacon out of the glovebox without leaving the car.
• Activate it and place it on the vehicle’s roof through the window.
• Only get out if there is a safe place off the carriageway, always on the side away from traffic and wearing your vest.
• If you cannot get out safely, wait for assistance inside the vehicle with your seatbelt fastened.

Exceptions

• Motorcycles. The DGT says they are not obliged to carry the V16, although using one is strongly recommended for safety.
• Special vehicles. The list of vehicles covered in annex XII of the General Vehicle Regulations refers to non-special vehicle combinations, so special combinations do not appear on it.
• Foreign-registered vehicles. They comply with triangles or with the device required in their home country, as explained above.

Pre-journey checklist

• Your beacon is the connected version and appears at dgt.es/v16.
• The connectivity service expiry date has not passed.
• It is charged or its batteries are in good condition.
• It is in the glovebox, reachable without leaving the car.
• Your reflective vest is to hand.
• If you are leaving Spain, you have checked the destination country’s rules on triangles.
• If you are arriving in Spain in a car registered in another country, you are carrying the triangles or the device your country requires.