How-to
How long the DeCA must be kept
Updated on September 29, 2026 · 5 min read
Short answer
- At least one year, available to the Road Transport Inspectorate.
- The obligation falls on both obliged parties: the contracting loader and the actual carrier.
- It can be kept on any medium, as long as the information stays intact and the data remains legible.
- The public URL is a separate matter: the Resolution allows deactivating it seven days after the service ends.
- Keeping it isn't the same as being able to show it quickly: what avoids the case is finding it when it's asked for.
Article 9 of Orden FOM/2861/2012 is short and doesn't leave much room for interpretation, but it's often only half-read. It says two things, and the second is the one that gives operational freedom.
«Los sujetos obligados a documentar los envíos conforme a lo previsto en esta orden, deberán conservar un ejemplar o copia del documento de control, a disposición de la Inspección de Transporte Terrestre, durante al menos un año.»
«La conservación de la documentación original o, en su caso, la de la copia, podrá realizarse en cualquier soporte siempre y cuando se mantenga íntegramente toda la información exigida en la presente orden y los datos sean legibles.»
Who has to keep it
Those required to document shipments, which under article 4 are two: the actual carrier and the contracting loader. It's not an obligation you can delegate to the other party. If you're the loader, having the document "held by the carrier" doesn't cover you.
A year from when
The regulation doesn't specify, but the prudent approach is to count from the date the transport took place, which is letter f) of article 6 and the fact the Inspectorate will want to check. Issuing the document the day before doesn't turn back the clock.
On what medium
Any. Section 2 says so plainly, and sets two conditions: that the information stays intact and that the data remains legible. A PDF kept in your repository meets that; a folder of blurry photos on the driver's phone doesn't.
Keeping the document isn't the same as keeping the URL live
This distinction is often confused and is worth having clear, because it affects what you can demand from a provider. The article 9 obligation is to keep the document available to the Inspectorate. The public web address carried by the QR code is a separate requirement, from the Resolución de 5 de junio de 2026, which expressly allows deactivating it seven days after the service ends.
How to comply without thinking about it
- 1Documents should save themselves when issued, not depend on someone remembering to archive them.
- 2You should be able to search them by date, registration or client. Keeping something you can't find is almost the same as not keeping it.
- 3You should be able to download the full history whenever you want, without depending on the provider.
- 4The creation date and time should be logged: besides being a Resolution requirement, it's the proof that exempts the loader under article 7.1.
Frequently asked questions
How long must the DeCA be kept?
At least one year, available to the Road Transport Inspectorate, under article 9.1 of Orden FOM/2861/2012.
Can I keep the DeCA only digitally?
Yes. Article 9.2 admits any medium as long as all the information required is kept intact and the data remains legible.
Does the QR code need to keep working all year?
The regulation doesn't require it. The Resolución de 5 de junio de 2026 allows deactivating the web address seven days after the service ends. The one-year document retention obligation is separate and can be met on any medium.
Who must keep the control document?
Both parties required to document the shipment: the actual carrier and the contracting loader. Each must keep their own copy.