Environmental label B for older diesel cars: how to get it?

Many older diesel cars, due to their type approval, should have the environmental label B.

It is common to find drivers who, even though their cars meet the requirements set out in the General Vehicle Regulation , do not have the corresponding environmental label, and some have not received any at all. We are referring to the environmental badge B. Is it possible to get label B for older diesel cars?

This issue affects diesel vehicles registered before 2006 and petrol models registered before 2000. It is worth noting that the affected models do meet the Euro IV and Euro III emissions standards. Furthermore, although the requirements of the emissions regulation can be found in the Official State Gazette, the Directorate-General for Traffic has decided that environmental badges are assigned based on the year of registration and not on the approval of the vehicle’s emissions.

How to apply for label B on older cars?

First, the driver must check that the vehicle in question meets the requirements for environmental label B, that is, that it has Euro IV approval if it is a diesel car, and Euro III if it is a petrol model. The requirements can easily be checked in the publication in the BOE.

Once the driver has personally verified that their vehicle should carry label B, they will need to obtain a certificate from the manufacturer stating that it complies with the type-approval regulations mentioned above. This certificate can be obtained from any official dealership of the brand in question.

The next step is to go to the Traffic Headquarters closest to their home and request that the model be added to the real-world emissions database. Once the model has been added, the driver can then go to the Post Office to collect the badge.

Environmental badge B, possible for older diesel cars

Many drivers have been concerned about this issue, since if vehicles were classified by type of approval rather than by registration date, many brands and models would fall into those categories.

Another point to consider is that, despite the restrictions on diesel cars, many brands are investing in the development of vehicles with this type of fuel that also hold the ECO label. This is the case of Audi or Mercedes.