Marca7/6/2026Automotive2 min readSpain

All new cars in Spain must have pre-installation for Alcolock from July 7

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From July 7, all new cars registered in Spain must incorporate pre-installation for the Alcolock system, which prevents starting the vehicle if alcohol is detected in exhaled air.
Initially it will not be mandatory for everyone, but for repeat drivers convicted of alcoholism, as is already the case in other European countries.

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From July 7, all new cars registered in Spain must incorporate a new safety element.

It does not mean that drivers will have to blow before starting, but it does mean that vehicles must come prepared to install an Alcolock, the system that prevents starting the car when it detects an alcohol level higher than the permitted level.

Alcolock is a system that the DGT has been considering for years and that is now finally being transferred to Spanish regulations.

Starting tomorrow, our vehicles must have a hidden connector from which the complete system could be installed so that it is available if necessary.

In practice, the vast majority of buyers will not notice any difference, since the device will not be installed as standard, but only the pre-installation necessary to mount it in case legislation or a court ruling requires it.

Mandatory for repeat offenders

At least for now, the Alcolock will not be mandatory for all drivers.

Although we would all tend to think that the implementation of these systems in vehicles could end up being applied universally by drivers (always blowing before obtaining permission to start the trip), in reality their initial objective goes in another direction.

In fact, the main application in other European countries that have moved ahead of Spain is another: making it mandatory for drivers who have been convicted of exceeding the alcohol limit while driving.

In Italy, for example, it is mandatory for these drivers to use Alcolok for a minimum period of two years, which can be extended to three in the case of more serious crimes.

It is also implemented in countries such as Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden.

In the hypothetical case that a judge requests the use of the system, then the complete device will be installed, with the alcohol meter that measures the amount of alcohol per exhaled air and compares it with the maximum rate allowed in our country (which, remember, is 0.5 g per liter of air inhaled).