The Low Emission Zones (ZBE) of Madrid have once again become the center of political and judicial debate after the Supreme Court upheld the ruling that annulled several essential articles of the previous Sustainable Mobility Ordinance. The resolution has caused a wave of doubts among drivers, especially regarding the validity of fines imposed in recent years and whether traffic restrictions are still in force. The answer is yes: the ZBEs continue to operate, albeit under new regulations approved by the City Council of José Luis Martínez-Almeida.
What are Low Emission Zones?
ZBEs are urban areas where the circulation of certain vehicles is restricted based on their pollutant emission level, identified by the DGT environmental sticker. Their objective is to reduce air pollution and improve air quality, an obligation that state legislation imposes on municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants.
In Madrid, the system is structured through a ZBE that covers practically the entire municipal area and two Special Protection Low Emission Zones (ZBEDEP): Distrito Centro and Plaza Elíptica, where restrictions are more severe due to high pollution levels.
What has happened in the courts?
The origin of the controversy dates back to a ruling by the Superior Court of Justice of Madrid (TSJM), which annulled several essential provisions of the Sustainable Mobility Ordinance, considering that the City Council did not adequately justify the economic impact of the restrictions or their proportionality. The City Council appealed the decision, but the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, thus making the ruling final.
The judicial resolution does not question the environmental objective of the low emission zones, but rather the way in which they were regulated in the previous municipal ordinance.
The City Council's response
Even before the Supreme Court definitively ruled on the appeal, the City Council approved the Ordinance 2/2026, which modifies the mobility regulations to correct the deficiencies pointed out by the courts and provide new legal coverage for traffic restrictions. The new regulation came into force last April and maintains both the general ZBE and the special protection zones of Distrito Centro and Plaza Elíptica.
The municipal government maintains that the ruling only affects the previous regulation and that current restrictions continue to be fully applicable as they are based on a different ordinance.
The debate over fines
The greatest controversy now centers on the penalties imposed under the annulled regulation. Motorists' associations maintain that the finality of the ruling obliges the City Council to review and annul all fines that are not yet final, understanding that they were issued on a legal basis declared null. Some organizations estimate that millions of fines could be affected.
The City Council, for its part, defends that the fines imposed since the new ordinance came into effect maintain full validity and that the nullity of the previous regulation does not automatically imply the annulment of all sanctions already processed. The definitive scope of this discussion will depend on the judicial resolutions issued on the appeals currently underway.
And now what
As of today, the Low Emission Zones remain fully operational in Madrid. Vehicles without an environmental sticker continue to be subject to the access limitations provided for in the current regulation, and the cameras maintain control of access with the corresponding imposition of penalties when applicable. The difference is that these restrictions are no longer based on the ordinance annulled by the courts, but on the new regulation approved by the City Council Plenary in March 2026.