Up to €300 for not cleaning up after your dog in the street, or up to €1,500 for drinking in public. On Tuesday, Barcelona will launch its new Ordinance on Coexistence and Civility, which will impose stricter fines to control nighttime noise, alcohol consumption in public places, and pet hygiene.
To ensure compliance with the regulations, the local police will deploy a specific unit this week in the most problematic areas of the city’s ten districts.
According to municipal data, coexistence problems already account for one in four incidents handled by the 112 emergency telephone number.
What are the fines under the new ordinance that comes into force today in Barcelona?
Photo: Barcelona City Council
The legal text updates the amounts to punish more severely the behaviors that most disrupt neighborhood life. These are the main fines that offenders will face:
- Noise: In areas considered to be noisy, fines for causing a disturbance will rise to €3,000. The aim is to reduce the impact of crowds of people leaving nightclubs.
- Alcohol on the street: Drinking in public will be penalized with fines of up to €1,500 if it takes place in areas with nighttime restrictions or in the presence of minors. In addition, organized alcohol-drinking routes are prohibited.
- Physiological needs: Urinating in public will cost up to €750, with special surveillance in narrow streets, leisure areas, or spaces near public toilets.
- Pets: Dog owners must not only pick up their pets’ feces, but now they are also required to dilute their pets’ urine with water. Failure to comply will result in fines of up to €300 (except for service dogs).
- Graffiti: Graffiti artists will have to pay the corresponding fine and also bear the cost of cleaning and repairing the damage caused. Promoting such behavior will also be punished.
In addition to the punitive aspect, the regulation incorporates measures to protect dignity and sexual freedom, with its own system of penalties to combat harassment and discrimination in public spaces.
Immediate collection from tourists and the fight against street vending
One of the most significant administrative changes is the fight against impunity for visitors. The City Council has set up a system for immediate notification of disciplinary proceedings.
This will allow fines (minor, serious, or very serious) to be collected immediately from non-resident offenders, preventing them from leaving the city without paying.
Last year’s figures show that 114,528 complaints related to civic behavior were recorded. Unauthorized street vending remains the main problem, accounting for 47.66% of penalties, followed by alcohol consumption on the street (35.54%) and noise (7.36%).