One year, for both parties
Article 9 of Orden FOM/2861/2012 requires the contractual shipper and the actual carrier to keep a copy of every DeCA for at least one year, available to the land transport inspectorate.
It can be kept in any format, as long as all the required information is kept and stays legible.
With the electronic DeCA
The Resolution of 5 June 2026 spells it out for the electronic DeCA:
- Each party can keep the PDF in its own repository or share one.
- If one party created the file, it's enough that the other can download it during that year.
- If the DeCA was changed by creating a new PDF, the original must be kept too.
The QR link isn't the archive
The QR link is for inspectors during the trip and may be switched off seven calendar days after the service ends. So keeping the QR code isn't enough: you need to be able to download the PDF for the whole year.
How DeCA by Routyn handles it
- We keep every version of every DeCA for at least a year, with its change history.
- The shipper and the carrier request their archive copy with their email, even without an account, and download it whenever they need it during that year.
- With an account, you can also import the DeCAs you receive from others, issued with any software, and keep them all in one list.
That way you meet the retention rule without filing documents by hand. Create your free account or read who issues the DeCA to see what each party answers for.
This summary is for guidance only and is not legal advice. For specific cases, read the BOE text or ask a specialist adviser.
More guides
- The DeCA on your phone, what the driver carries and what inspectors doThe driver can carry the DeCA on a phone or printed, always with its QR code. Here is how it reaches the driver, what happens at a check and what to do when there's no signal.
- Who issues the DeCA, the shipper or the carrierThe DeCA is issued by the contractual shipper or by the carrier on its behalf, but both answer for it. Here is who is who, what happens with agencies and subcontractors, and which data each party answers for.
- The electronic DeCA is mandatory from 5 October 2026Since 5 October 2026 the road freight DeCA in Spain has to be electronic. Here is what the Resolution of 5 June 2026 requires of the PDF, the QR code and the link, and what you need to do to comply.