Spain’s DGT environmental labels explained: ZERO, ECO, C and B
Spain’s Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT) classifies vehicles by their polluting potential. The result is the environmental label (distintivo ambiental), a sticker that matters more and more: many Spanish cities use it to decide which cars may enter their low-emission zone (ZBE), park in regulated areas or drive during pollution episodes.
The four labels (passenger cars)
| Label | Colour | Which cars get it |
|---|---|---|
| CERO (zero) | Blue | Battery electric, extended-range electric, fuel-cell, and plug-in hybrids with at least 40 km of electric range. |
| ECO | Green and blue | Non-plug-in hybrids, plug-in hybrids with under 40 km of electric range, and gas vehicles (LPG, CNG or LNG). |
| C | Green | Petrol cars meeting Euro 4, 5 or 6 (generally registered from 2006) and diesel Euro 6 (generally from September 2015). |
| B | Yellow | Petrol Euro 3 (generally from 2001) and diesel Euro 4 or 5 (generally from 2006). |
Cars meeting none of these (generally petrol before 2001 and diesel before 2006) get no label.
What counts is the Euro standard in the car’s documentation. Registration dates are only a rough guide, because some models met a standard before it became mandatory.
How to check your car’s label
The reliable way is to look it up by number plate on the DGT’s online services. The physical sticker is available from Spanish post offices (Correos) and authorised garages and agencies, among others.
Why it matters: low-emission zones
Spain’s Climate Change and Energy Transition Law (Law 7/2021) requires towns with more than 50,000 inhabitants to set up low-emission zones. Each council sets its own rules: which labels may enter, from when and with which exemptions. If you are driving into a Spanish city, check its local bylaw first. Foreign-registered cars are subject to specific rules in each city.
Which label would your next car get?
If you are thinking of changing cars, the label is only part of the decision. Total cost usually matters more: price, consumption, energy prices and your mileage. The EV vs gas cost calculator works that out for petrol, diesel, hybrid, plug-in, electric and LPG, and shows each option’s label.
Source: DGT classification of vehicles by polluting potential. This guide summarises the general criteria for passenger cars; motorcycles, vans and trucks have their own criteria.