Since 5 October 2026, paper control documents for hire-and-reward road freight in Spain are no longer valid: the document must be electronic, carry a QR code that lets inspectors download it at the roadside, and be kept for one year. This isn't a recommendation or a best practice: it is a legal obligation, and failing to comply is a serious infringement.
This article explains, in plain terms, what the DeCA is, exactly who it applies to, what data it must contain, which technical requirements the rules impose and how to get it up and running if you don't have it yet. If you run a fleet or hire transport services in Spain, this affects you.
What is the DeCA?
DeCA stands for Documento Electrónico de Control Administrativo, the electronic administrative control document required under Spanish road transport regulations for the carriage of goods. It is the digital version of the control document that currently travels in the cab on paper, or as a loose PDF on the driver's phone.
The change goes beyond the format. The document becomes a born-digital PDF with its own unique web address, reachable through a QR code that inspectors scan at the roadside and that returns the document directly, with no username or password. Every change made en route generates a new version, and all versions are kept.
When does the DeCA become mandatory?
From 5 October 2026, under the eighth transitional provision of Spain's Sustainable Mobility Act (Ley 9/2025 de Movilidad Sostenible). The Resolution of 5 June 2026 (BOE-A-2026-12784) sets out the technical requirements the document must meet.
Don't leave it to the last minute. The document is generated from the operation's data, so the real work doesn't happen on the day it's issued: it lies in getting your customer records, vehicle fleet and route workflow into shape so the document is produced automatically.
Who must comply, and who is liable if it's missing?
The obligation falls on two parties, and both are liable.
- Contracting shipper (cargador contractual): whoever contracts with the carrier that actually performs the transport. This may be another carrier, a cooperative, an agency, a freight forwarder or a logistics operator. It is responsible for the parties, the origin and destination, and the nature and weight of the goods.
- Actual carrier (transportista efectivo): the holder of the license under which the transport is carried out, including the subcontractor when the job is subcontracted. It is responsible for the special authorization, the date and the registration plates.
Both parties are jointly and severally liable if the document is not issued or not carried on board; the shipper is released from liability if it can prove it issued the document. A missing document, or one missing its essential data, is a serious infringement under Article 141.17 of the LOTT (Spain's Land Transport Act).
Under Article 2 of Orden FOM/2861/2012, the following are excluded: international transport, private (own-account) transport, parcel services or deliveries of a few packages that one person can handle with no help other than the vehicle itself, and household removals.
What data the document must contain
The minimum content is set out in Article 6 of Orden FOM/2861/2012:
- Contracting shipper: company name, NIF (Spanish tax ID) and registered address.
- Actual carrier: company name and NIF.
- Place of origin and destination of the shipment.
- Nature and weight (or volume) of the goods.
- Special traffic authorization, where applicable.
- Date on which the transport takes place.
- Registration plates of the tractor unit and the semi-trailer.
- Remarks or reservations, if requested.
Two clarifications that head off arguments: the driver's details are optional (under data minimization, the sensible approach is not to print them unless expressly requested), and the price is never part of the document.
Technical requirements set by the rules
This is where many systems fall short. Generating a PDF and emailing it isn't enough:
- Born-digital PDF of no more than 5 MB. Generated from the data, not scanned.
- A unique URL per document, served over HTTPS with TLS 1.2 or higher. With a random identifier, so it can't be guessed or enumerated.
- A QR code that downloads the PDF with no interaction. No login, no intermediate screen: the response is the document itself.
- Versioning of changes made en route. If the vehicle changes, the document is reissued: the QR code already printed remains valid and resolves to the current version.
- Downloadable for 7 days after the service ends and retained for 1 year. The public window closes automatically; the versions are kept.
Does the system need to be certified?
No. There is no certification, no prior registration and no administrative approval: the system isn't approved in advance; it is checked at the roadside. What inspectors verify is that the document exists, that the QR code returns the PDF and that the data is complete.
That cuts red tape but raises the technical bar: responsibility for making sure the link works on the day of an inspection lies with whoever issues the document.
How to get it up and running if you don't have it yet
This is the order that works:
- Review your master data. Customers with complete company name, NIF and address; vehicles with tractor and semi-trailer registration plates.
- Decide who issues the document for each operation. Shipper or carrier: agree it in writing with your counterparties, because liability is joint and several.
- Test the whole process end to end. Issue the document, print the QR code, scan it with any phone and check that the PDF downloads without credentials.
- Rehearse a reissue. Change the vehicle mid-route and check that the printed QR code still leads to the correct version.
- Set up an alert before departure. No domestic route without an issued DeCA should leave the loading dock.
How Effic Flotas handles it
In Effic Flotas the DeCA is a ready-built module: the document is issued from the route using the data the fleet already has in the system, with sequential numbering, a change history printed on the PDF itself, an automatic copy sent to the driver via WhatsApp, signed proof of delivery, a shipping label for each consignment and an API so you can issue it from your ERP.
The route list flags in red every domestic route that doesn't yet have its document issued, so the warning comes before the truck leaves, not after the inspection.
You can sign up and try it free for 8 days. You'll find the full details (legal framework, content, workflow and data protection) on our DeCA page.
DeCA: frequently asked questions
Can the driver carry it on their phone?
Yes. They can carry the PDF or the printed QR code; what has no validity is handwritten notes on the document.
What happens if the document is corrected en route?
It is reissued with a mandatory reason and a new version is generated. The QR code already printed remains valid because it always resolves to the current version.
Can several shipments be grouped into one document?
Yes, when the shipper and carrier are the same, as long as origin, destination, goods and weight or volume are listed line by line.
Which types of transport don't need a DeCA?
International transport, private (own-account) transport, parcel services or deliveries of a few packages, and household removals.
How is delivery proven?
In Effic Flotas the recipient signs with their name and ID number (DNI) on the driver's phone or on their own by scanning a QR code, and the signature is stored in the document's record.
If you don't have your DeCA yet, don't improvise: sign up for Effic Flotas and try it free for 8 days, or talk to our team and we'll prepare a DeCA demo using real data from your operation.