El Álamo approves sanctioning ordinance for the municipal register of inhabitants

The El Álamo City Council has finalized the municipal ordinance regulating the management of the municipal register of inhabitants and the sanctioning procedure for citizen non-compliance, as no allegations were presented during its public exhibition period. The regulation, initially approved in a plenary session held on May 28, 2026, is published in full in the Official Gazette of the Community of Madrid number 196, of August 18, 2026 (pages 155 to 163), in compliance with article 70.2 of Law 7/1985, of April 2, Regulating the Bases of Local Regime.

The ordinance, signed by Mayor Alberto Cabezas Ortega on August 7, 2026, establishes a sanctioning regime for those who fail to comply with their obligations regarding the register, with special attention to fraudulent registrations and improper enrollments. The text is based on Law 7/1985, Royal Decree 1690/1986 (Population and Territorial Demarcation Regulations), Law 39/2015 on Common Administrative Procedure, and Law 40/2015 on the Legal Regime of the Public Sector, as well as the technical instructions issued by the National Statistics Institute in 2020.

Infractions and amount of sanctions

The ordinance classifies infractions into three degrees, with maximum limits set in article 140 of Law 7/1985:

• Minor: up to 750 euros, for the initiation of two deregistration proceedings due to improper registration or for providing false information in the declaration regarding another person’s residence.
• Serious: between 750.01 and 1,500 euros, when three deregistration proceedings accumulate or when false information is repeatedly provided.
• Very serious: between 1,500.01 and 3,000 euros, for four or more deregistration proceedings or for documentary forgery during registration or change of address.

The authority to impose sanctions corresponds to the Mayor, who is responsible for the formation, review, and control of the register. The principles of legality, non-retroactivity, typicity, responsibility, and proportionality are applied, and the principle of non bis in idem is respected.

Residence control and ex officio deregistration

The El Álamo City Council may verify the truthfulness of the data provided by residents and request supporting documentation of the residence, such as a title deed, a current lease agreement, or utility bills. When registration is requested for more than 8 people at the same address, the actual and continuous residence of the applicants will be verified.

Ex officio deregistration for improper, duplicate, or fraudulent registration is also contemplated, as well as collaboration with the Provincial Section of the Registration Council in Madrid. Fraudulent actions may lead to the loss of residency and reports to tax administrations or SEPBLAC.

Deadlines and Entry into Force

The statutes of limitations for infractions are three years for very serious offenses, two years for serious offenses, and six months for minor offenses; for sanctions, they are three, two, and one year respectively. The sanctioning procedure shall expire if the resolution is not notified within a maximum period of six months from its initiation.

The ordinance shall enter into force on the day following its publication in the Official Gazette of the Community of Madrid, and interested parties may file a contentious-administrative appeal in the established form and deadlines. The regulation also includes a mandatory regulatory evaluation to analyze its impact.

The new regulation reinforces citizen co-responsibility and seeks to ensure that the municipal register is a faithful reflection of the demographic reality of El Álamo, preventing the enjoyment of public welfare services from falling upon those who do not hold actual administrative residency in the municipality.

Source: Official Gazette of the Community of Madrid, no. 196, August 18, 2026, section III (Local Administration), pp. 155-163 (official reference: 03/13.263/26).