Regulation
What is the DeCA and why is it mandatory from October 2026
Updated on September 29, 2026 · 7 min read
Short answer
- The DeCA is the administrative control document for road freight transport in Spain, issued electronically instead of on paper.
- It has been mandatory in electronic format since 5 October 2026 for domestic public transport.
- It must contain the eight data items of article 6 of Orden FOM/2861/2012, be a native PDF under 5 MB and carry a QR code pointing to its download URL.
- Both the contracting loader and the actual carrier must formalise it, and the carrier must carry it on board.
- It does not need an electronic signature to be valid as a control document.
DeCA stands for Documento electrónico de Control Administrativo (Electronic Administrative Control Document). It is not a new document: it is the same control document that has accompanied goods for years, but now issued and kept in electronic format instead of on paper. What changes on 5 October 2026 is not the obligation to carry it, but the format in which it must be carried.
That distinction matters more than it seems. If you were already issuing control documents on paper, you don't have to learn to document anything new: the data is exactly the same. What you have to solve is how to generate it as a PDF that meets the technical requirements, how to host it at an accessible web address, and how to keep it for the year the regulation requires.
Since when is it mandatory
5 October 2026 is the date from which the control document must be issued in electronic format for domestic public road freight transport in Spain. From that day on, presenting the paper document at an inspection is no longer enough by itself.
Who is required to issue it
Article 4 of Orden FOM/2861/2012 names two obliged parties, and it's important to understand there are two, not one:
- The actual carrier: the individual or company holding the authorisation under which the transport is physically carried out.
- The contracting loader: whoever contracts directly with the actual carrier. This can be the actual shipper, but also another carrier, a cooperative, a freight agency, a freight forwarder, a warehouse-distributor or a logistics operator.
Both are responsible for the document being formalised. And both are responsible for it being carried on board, with one specific exception: if the contracting loader can prove the document was issued, they are exempted from that second responsibility. Keeping proof of issuance, with its date and time, is not paperwork for its own sake — it's what gets you out of a fine that isn't yours to answer for.
What data it must contain
Article 6 requires eight essential data items, identified with letters a) to h). Six of them are always mandatory, one is conditional and another is only included if a party requests it:
| Letter | Data | Always? |
|---|---|---|
| a) | Name or company name, tax ID and address of the contracting loader | Yes |
| b) | Name or company name and tax ID of the actual carrier | Yes |
| c) | Place of origin and destination of the shipment | Yes |
| d) | Nature and weight of the goods | Yes |
| e) | Special traffic authorisation | Only if the vehicle operates under one |
| f) | Date the transport takes place | Yes |
| g) | Vehicle registration (tractor and trailer if articulated) | Yes |
| h) | Remarks and reservations | Only if a party requests it |
Letter d) has a practical nuance that's easy to overlook: when the exact weight is difficult to determine because of the circumstances of loading, the regulation itself allows using another type of measurement to determine it. You don't have to make up a weight: you can declare packages, pallets or cubic metres if that's what fits the load.
What technical requirements the file has
The Resolución de 5 de junio de 2026 (Resolution of 5 June 2026) of the Directorate-General for Road and Rail Transport sets out the characteristics of the file and of the application that generates it. These are the hard requirements:
- PDF format, no larger than 5 MB.
- Digitally native generation from structured data. Scanning a paper document is not accepted.
- QR code embedded in the PDF with the document's unique web address.
- HTTPS URL (TLS 1.2 or higher), direct access with no login and immediate PDF download.
- Logging of the date and time the file was created and, if applicable, when it was modified.
- Minimum retention of one year, in the issuer's own repository or the provider's.
Is an electronic signature needed
No. Neither Orden FOM/2861/2012 nor the Resolución de 5 de junio de 2026 require an electronic signature for the DeCA to be valid as an administrative control document. The eIDAS advanced signature only comes into play if you want the same document to also serve as a consignment note or eCMR with evidentiary value in a commercial claim, which is a different matter.
How long it must be kept
At least one year, available to the Road Transport Inspectorate. That's what article 9 says, and it adds something useful: it can be kept on any medium as long as the information stays intact and the data remains legible.
«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.»
Which transports are exempt
Article 2.1 excludes four cases: transports that don't require a prior operating title from the Administration, house removals, the transfer of crashed or broken-down vehicles on special vehicles, and courier and similar services involving the collection or delivery of a small number of parcels that a single person can handle without help beyond the tools carried on the vehicle used.
Frequently asked questions
What does DeCA stand for?
Documento electrónico de Control Administrativo (Electronic Administrative Control Document). It's the control document that must accompany goods in public road transport, issued in electronic format.
Since when is the DeCA mandatory?
Since 5 October 2026 the control document must be issued in electronic format for domestic public road freight transport in Spain.
Can I still use the paper control document?
From 5 October 2026 the required format is electronic. The obligation to document each shipment isn't new; what changes is the medium in which it must be issued and kept.
Does the DeCA need an electronic signature?
No. None of the applicable regulations require an electronic signature for the DeCA to be valid as an administrative control document. The advanced signature is only needed if the document must also serve as a consignment note or eCMR with commercial evidentiary value.
Is scanning the paper control document enough?
No. The Resolución de 5 de junio de 2026 requires the file to be generated natively and digitally from structured data, and expressly excludes scans of paper documents.
How many copies must be issued?
Article 8 requires two copies: one is kept by the contracting loader and the other by the actual carrier, who must carry it on board the vehicle during transport.