Is Jaywalking Illegal in Spain? 2026 Fines Up to EUR 100
Yes: Spain fines jaywalking as a minor offence of up to EUR 100. France sets a EUR 4 fixed fine, Italy EUR 26-102, Germany EUR 5-10; the UK has no offence.
Spain, France, Italy and Germany all write a jaywalking offence into their road rules: up to EUR 100 in Spain, a EUR 4 fixed fine in France, EUR 26-102 in Italy and EUR 5-10 in Germany. Britain has none.
Is jaywalking illegal in Spain? Yes. Article 124 of the Reglamento General de Circulación says that where a pedestrian crossing exists, people must cross at it and not near it. Spain’s Traffic Act classes the breach as a minor offence, with a fine of up to EUR 100. France, Italy and Germany have the same kind of offence in their codes, though the fines run from a few euros to about a hundred. Britain is the odd one out, because it never made jaywalking an offence.
Spain, France, Italy and Germany side by side
| Country | What the pedestrian must do | Legal text | Fine set in law |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | Cross at a crossing where one exists; elsewhere only without risk, at right angles | Reglamento General de Circulación art. 124 | Up to EUR 100 (minor offence) |
| France | Use a crossing less than 50 m away; judge the speed and distance of traffic | Code de la route R412-37 | EUR 4 fixed fine |
| Italy | Use a crossing, underpass or footbridge; elsewhere only if none is within 100 m | Codice della Strada art. 190 | EUR 26 to EUR 102 |
| Germany | Cross quickly, by the shortest route, at crossings when traffic demands it | StVO § 25(3) | EUR 5 with danger, EUR 10 with damage |
| United Kingdom | Advice in the Highway Code, no general duty | None | No offence |
The figures are the legal amounts. None of these governments publishes how often pedestrians are actually ticketed.
Spain: article 124 and the EUR 100 ceiling
Article 124 sets out three duties. Where crossings exist, pedestrians must use them, and they must not cross close to one instead. At a signalled crossing they follow the pedestrian light. If only the traffic has lights or an officer, they wait while the traffic is moving. Away from a crossing, they may cross only after making sure they can do it without risk or holding anyone up. They must walk at right angles to the road and not linger on it. The same article bars pedestrians from walking across the carriageway of a square or roundabout unless a crossing is provided, and article 125 keeps them off autopistas and autovías altogether.
The penalty comes from the Traffic Act (Real Decreto Legislativo 6/2015). Under article 75, any breach the Act does not expressly class as serious or very serious is a minor offence. Article 80 caps minor offences at EUR 100. The texts quoted here are from the consolidated version on the BOE, which carries the changes made by Real Decreto 518/2026 from 1 October 2026.
Is jaywalking illegal in France?
Yes, and the rule is written as a distance. Article R412-37 of the Code de la route tells pedestrians to cross with regard to visibility and to the distance and speed of vehicles, and to use a pedestrian crossing whenever one is less than 50 metres away. Breaching the pedestrian rules is a first-class contravention. Article R49 of the Code of Criminal Procedure sets the fixed fine for pedestrian offences against the Code de la route at EUR 4, against EUR 11 for other first-class offences. That makes it the smallest fine on this page.
Is jaywalking illegal in Italy?
Yes. Article 190 of the Codice della Strada makes pedestrians use zebra crossings, underpasses and footbridges. Only where none exists, or the nearest is more than 100 metres away, may they cross elsewhere, at right angles and with care to avoid danger. Paragraph 10 sets the fine for any breach of the article at EUR 26 to EUR 102, the figure shown in the Automobile Club d’Italia’s text of the code.
Germany: EUR 5 or EUR 10, and only in some cases
Section 25(3) of the StVO tells pedestrians to cross quickly, by the shortest route and at right angles to the traffic. When traffic density, speed or visibility requires it, they must cross at junctions, at lights, at refuges or on zebra crossings. The federal fine catalogue (BKatV) prices careless crossing only when it endangers someone (no. 112.1, EUR 5) or damages property (no. 112.2, EUR 10). Ignoring a red pedestrian light is EUR 5 (no. 130), and EUR 10 if it causes damage.
Where jaywalking is not an offence: the UK, and the US exception
The United Kingdom has no jaywalking offence. The Highway Code’s pedestrian rules advise using crossings where there are any but do not oblige anyone to. The one firm prohibition is that pedestrians must not be on motorways or their slip roads except in an emergency. The United States is the reverse case. Each state and city writes its own pedestrian rules, so whether crossing mid-block is an offence depends on where you are standing.
The driver’s side of the crossing
For visitors driving rather than walking, the bigger fines sit with the driver. Germany’s catalogue charges EUR 80 for failing to let a pedestrian use a zebra crossing (no. 113). Our pedestrian crossing rules by country set out the driver’s duty at crossings country by country. The national pages cover the rest of each code: Spain, France, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom. If a ticket reaches you after the trip, read what happens with a traffic fine from abroad, and see how driving fines compare between countries in the fines comparison.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Article 124 of the Reglamento General de Circulación requires pedestrians to cross at a pedestrian crossing wherever one exists, not near it. Breaking it is a minor offence (infracción leve) under the Traffic Act, which carries a fine of up to EUR 100.
Yes. Article R412-37 of the Code de la route obliges pedestrians to use a crossing if one is less than 50 metres away and to cross with regard to the speed and distance of traffic. The fixed fine for a pedestrian offence is EUR 4 under article R49 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Yes. Article 190 of the Codice della Strada makes pedestrians use zebra crossings, underpasses or footbridges, and only lets them cross elsewhere, at right angles, when none is within 100 metres. The fine is EUR 26 to EUR 102.
In the United Kingdom. The Highway Code advises pedestrians on where to cross but does not make crossing away from one an offence. Motorways and slip roads, where pedestrians must not be except in an emergency, are the exception.