One of the pillars of the revision is to give enforcement more teeth. The underlying idea is that the new rules only have effect if there is a real capacity to detect and penalise those operating outside them. That is why, alongside the substantive changes, the text raises the penalties and creates instruments to identify irregular activity.
Much higher fines for companies
The most visible change is the increase in fines for legal persons. The maximum limit rises from 15,000 to 44,000 euros, almost triple the previous value. The increase signals that non-compliance by operators and platforms now carries a far higher potential cost, which strengthens the law's deterrent effect on those who had room to take risks.
penalties for legal persons
| topic | 2018 law | new law |
|---|---|---|
| maximum fine | up to 15,000 euros | up to 44,000 euros |
| administrative offences | previous framework | new offences linked to licensing, enforcement, data and obligations |
New administrative offences
Beyond the higher value, the law creates new administrative offences. They are linked to licensing, enforcement, data sharing and compliance with legal obligations in general. In other words, situations such as operating without proper licensing, obstructing enforcement, failing to share the required data or breaching other obligations imposed by the law become expressly foreseen and penalised. The aim is to close the gaps through which irregular activity was escaping.
The anti-fraud badge and the data platform as enforcement tools
Two pieces introduced elsewhere in the law also work as enforcement instruments. The first is the identifying badge, issued by the IMT, tamper-proof and with anti-fraud security features, permanently associated with the vehicle. A vehicle circulating without that badge, or with a forged badge, is easily identifiable as being in an irregular situation.
The second is the national electronic data-sharing platform, run by the IMT, which cross-checks information on operators, drivers, vehicles, insurance, inspections and licences. By bringing together at a single point data that were previously scattered, it becomes much simpler to detect inconsistencies, such as a vehicle without a valid inspection or a driver without certification.
Who enforces
Enforcement and access to information involve several bodies. Besides the IMT, which runs the data platform and issues the badge, the AMT, the Tax Authority, Social Security and the security forces take part. This coordination cross-checks the mobility dimension with the tax, contributory and police dimensions, which significantly expands the State's capacity to act against those working outside the rules.
what you can do
- the authorities cross-checking data through the national platform run by the IMT
- apply fines of up to 44,000 euros to legal persons who fail to comply
- penalise offences relating to licensing, enforcement, data and legal obligations
- identify irregular vehicles through the anti-fraud badge
what you cannot do
- operate without proper licensing or obstruct enforcement
- fail to share the data required by the law
- circulate without the identifying badge or with a forged badge
New rules, phased application
The revision was approved on 17 July 2026, but it only takes effect after promulgation and publication in the official gazette (Diário da República). Some elements, such as the technical specifications and the fees for the badge, still depend on a government order (portaria).
Practical cases
I am an operator and did not share the required data with the IMT platform. What do I risk?
not allowedData sharing becomes a legal obligation, and failing to do so is one of the new administrative offences foreseen. As a legal person, you risk a fine that can reach 44,000 euros, the new maximum limit. Refusing to share data is precisely one of the behaviours the law seeks to combat.
My TVDE vehicle is circulating without the identifying badge. Is that a problem?
not allowedYes. The badge issued by the IMT is tamper-proof and permanently associated with the vehicle, and it also serves to identify those in an irregular situation. Circulating without it exposes the vehicle to enforcement and the foreseen penalties. The anti-fraud features exist precisely to prevent circulation without a valid badge.