The Guardia Civil in La Rioja is investigating five men aged between 34 and 43 who are alleged to have continued driving vehicles despite having lost all their points. As the authority announced on 10 November 2026, those concerned are from Logroño and from the province of Álava. The unit responsible is the Grupo de Investigación y Análisis de Tráfico, or GIAT, which identified the alleged offences during its traffic checks. They are suspected of an offence against road safety for driving without a valid driving licence.
According to the Guardia Civil, the findings are based on identity checks on the roads and searches of driving licence records with the Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico. In Spain, losing all points results in the formal invalidation of a driving licence; from that point onwards, the person concerned may no longer drive a motor vehicle. Anyone who nevertheless drives may be committing a criminal offence, depending on the circumstances.
The criminal-law framework is set out in the road safety regulations. Proven driving without a valid driving licence can incur fines or prison sentences. Additional measures, such as driving bans or compulsory attendance at rehabilitation and awareness courses, may also be imposed. In its guidance, the Guardia Civil highlights the risks to road safety posed by people deemed no longer fit to drive under the points system.
The investigation and its key details – the number of suspects, their age group, places of residence and the GIAT’s responsibility – were reported on 10 November by Europa Press and picked up by elDiario.es in its regional edition for La Rioja. The reports available do not give specific times for individual journeys or the current status of any further measures. No information is available on charges, court proceedings or possible verdicts, so no claims are made about them.
In La Rioja, the case underscores the Guardia Civil’s ongoing checks on driving without a valid driving licence. At the same time, the number of such cases highlights the importance of preventive measures and consistent enforcement. The authorities have so far given no indication of changes to their checking practices or additional initiatives beyond their ongoing work.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).