How to modify a DeCA: change of lorry, breakdown or data error

If the lorry changes during the transport, the vehicle breaks down or you find a wrongly entered detail, the DeCA (Documento electrónico de Control Administrativo) is modified in one of the two ways set out in section five (apartado quinto) of the technical resolution of 5 June 2026 (Resolución de 5 de junio de 2026): by editing the existing PDF or by generating a new one. In both cases the updated document has to reach the driver, and in neither case is correcting the printed copy by hand valid.

The two methods, as set out in the Resolution

Section five begins like this: “Where, during the performance of the transport service, the modification or updating of the DeCA data is required, one of the following methods may be used” (our translation):

1. Modification of the existing electronic file. “The new data shall be added to the existing PDF, together with the reason for the change, and the old data shall be kept, clearly indicating that they are no longer valid. In this case, since the same PDF is kept, the URL will not change and the existing QR code will remain valid.”
2. Generation of a new electronic file. “A new PDF shall be generated with all the data. In this case, since it is a different PDF, it will have a new URL and, therefore, the QR code will be different. In this case, the original file must be kept for the purposes of traceability of the modification of the data.”

And it ends: “In both cases, the modified PDF or the new PDF must be delivered to the driver”. Spain’s Ministry of Transport (Ministerio de Transportes y Movilidad Sostenible) repeats this text in its frequently asked questions (question 12), and in its webinar summed it up like this (slide 19): if the PDF is edited, same link and same QR; if a new one is generated, new URL and new QR.

What happens to the link and the QR with each method

With the first method, the QR the driver already has keeps working, because it points to the same PDF. In return, the document has to show at the same time the new data, the reason for the change and the old data clearly marked as no longer valid. Even though the QR does not change, a copy printed before the change does not show the new data, and section five still requires the modified PDF to be delivered to the driver.

With the second method, the new PDF comes out clean, with all the data updated, but it has a different URL and a different QR. The copy the driver carries, on the phone or printed, contains the QR of the previous file, so it has to be replaced. The original file is not deleted: it is kept so that there is a record of the change.

The Resolution lets you choose between the two, and its section seven closes the door on any other route. More about the link in the DeCA’s QR code (in Spanish).

What not to forget when modifying

• Resend it to the driver. Section five requires the modified or the new PDF to be delivered to them, whichever method is used, and section seven requires the copy carried on board, on the phone or on paper, to contain the QR code.
• Date and time of the change. Under section one, the application must record the date and time the file was created and “the date and time shall also be recorded if there is a modification”. Section two adds that both will be metadata of the PDF.
• Keep the original. With the second method, section five requires the original file to be kept “for the purposes of traceability”. Like any DeCA, it is kept for at least one year (section two of the Resolution and article 9 of Order FOM/2861/2012 (Orden FOM/2861/2012)).

Handwritten corrections do not count

Carrying the DeCA printed is allowed, as long as the copy has the QR. What does not work is writing on it. Section seven is clear: “If a printed copy is carried, handwritten notes on it shall not be taken into account. The only valid way to modify a DeCA is the one indicated in section five of this resolution”. It is one of the common mistakes when generating the DeCA.

Three common situations

Change of lorry or trailer

Article 6 g) of the Order expressly provides for it: “If, once the transport operation has begun, a change of vehicle occurs, this circumstance must be recorded in the control documentation by the transport company”. For an articulated vehicle both number plates count, the tractor unit’s and the semi-trailer’s or trailer’s, and under article 7.3 the effective carrier (transportista efectivo) answers for them. The first of the two Ministry examples referred to in slide 25 of the webinar, an ADR transport document followed by a DeCA, has a “Cambio vehículo” (vehicle change) column in the DeCA’s vehicle table so that it can be recorded.

Breakdown

If the breakdown means the load has to be moved to another vehicle, it is a change of vehicle and is handled the same way: the DeCA is modified with the new number plates using one of the two methods and delivered to the driver who continues the journey, who may not be the same one.

Data error

A mistyped tax ID (NIF), a wrong weight or a destination that changes during the service are corrected the same way. Before touching anything, bear in mind who answers for each item under article 7 of the Order: the contractual shipper (cargador contractual) for points a) to d) (the parties, origin and destination, the goods and their weight), and the effective carrier for points e) to g) (the special authorisation, the date and the number plates). If the item belongs to the other party, confirm it with them. In the DeCA for transport companies (in Spanish) you will find the full split.

How DeCAya does it

DeCAya uses the second method. Modifying a DeCA generates a new PDF with a new QR and a new link, and the application reminds you that it has to be resent to the driver. The new PDF carries the label “DeCA · versión 2” (version 2, or 3, 4…) and a note stating which version it replaces and that the replaced version is no longer valid for the service. The “Reason for the modification” field is optional (section five only asks for the reason under the first method): if you fill it in, it appears in that note; if not, the note says “Motivo: no indicado” (reason: not stated). Previous versions are kept, and the form has a vehicle change field that is printed in the “Cambio vehículo” column.