Valdemorillo classifies refusing to uncover one's face as a…

The Valdemorillo City Council has published the final modification of its Citizen Coexistence Ordinance, which classifies the refusal to uncover one’s face upon request by the municipal authority as a serious offense and enables the creation of reinforced security zones or periods with identity verification. The text appears in the Official Gazette of the Community of Madrid number 253, dated October 23, 2026, in section III (Local Administration), pages 382 to 385, with the reference BOCM-20261023-95.

Final approval after a partially upheld allegation

The initial approval agreement was adopted by the municipal Plenary on March 19, 2026, and was published in the OFFICIAL GAZETTE OF THE COMMUNITY OF MADRID number 146, dated June 22, 2026. During the public information period, an allegation was filed against the provisional agreement, which was resolved with partial approval, such that the final text incorporates the aspects derived from that approval. The final approval corresponds to the plenary agreement of September 17, 2026, in accordance with article 49 of Law 7/1985, of April 2, Regulating the Bases of the Local Regime. The announcement was signed in Valdemorillo on October 14, 2026, by the mayor, Santiago Villena Acedos.

Prohibition of concealing the face and access control

The new article 47 bis prohibits access to and presence in any municipal building, office, or facility for anyone wearing elements that prevent the full visual identification of the user. The regulation lists the cases:

Full-face motorcycle helmets.
Balaclavas and masks.
Any other garment or accessory that, regardless of its type, conceals the face.

The measure is based on the City Council’s power of self-organization and the duty of identification provided for in the legislation on citizen security. The use of protective elements for duly justified work or health reasons is excepted. The same article prohibits capturing images or sounds of public employees and users within the premises without prior and express authorization.

In the sanctioning regime, article 75 incorporates as serious offenses the unjustified refusal to uncover the face upon request by the municipal authority, its agents, or authorized security personnel, as well as ignoring access controls that require identity verification and persisting in the total concealment of the face. Article 70.5 includes the same conduct among those obstructive to control, investigation, or sanctioning tasks, with reference to article 16 of Organic Law 4/2015, on the protection of citizen security.

Reinforced security zones and mediation

Article 85.4 empowers the Mayor’s Office to establish, on a temporary and reasoned basis, reinforced security zones or periods in specific areas of the municipal district when objective risks or events occur that warrant increased guarantees. These measures may include the obligation to allow identity verification and the prohibition of completely concealing the face at entrances or within the delimited perimeter, with strict application of the principle of proportionality, sufficient publicity, signaling of the perimeter and timeframe, and the admission of justified causes for health, professional, or other analogous reasons.

The modification also creates, in Article 60, a mediation service for coexistence conflicts, which will be provided by the Local Police Mediation Unit of Valdemorillo at the request of the parties and without substituting the payment of the fine or sanction.

Noise, swimming pools, and motorhomes

The text updates other matters of daily coexistence. Regarding noise, Article 56 sets the general nighttime rest period between 22:00 and 08:00 hours, with specific rules for Saturdays and eves of holidays:

In summer, from June 15 to September 15, the rest period is between 24:00 and 08:00, with a mandatory interruption of activity between 15:00 and 17:00.
For the rest of the year, between 22:00 and 09:00.

In municipal swimming pools, Article 47 ter limits bathing to one- or two-piece garments made of technical materials that leave the face, neck, and limbs exposed, prohibits full-coverage garments and the use of street clothes, and requires technical swimming caps. It also bans nudism and “topless” bathing, requires children under three to wear swimwear and specific diapers, and prohibits access with glass or ceramic containers. Regarding parking, motorhomes and residential vehicles may remain for a maximum of 72 consecutive hours in the same place, without deploying elements that exceed the perimeter of the vehicle.

Impact for residents and visitors

The regulation affects both residents and visitors of the municipality, who must identify themselves at entrances to municipal facilities and in areas declared as reinforced security zones by the Mayor’s Office, with specific exceptions for health or work. The final agreement may be challenged through a contentious-administrative appeal within two months from the day following the publication of the announcement, before the High Court of Justice of Madrid.

Source: Official Gazette of the Community of Madrid, no. 253, October 23, 2026, section III (Local Administration), pp. 382-385 (official reference: BOCM-20261023-95).