12 points in 3 years = 6-month ban (7 for learners/novice drivers). Points last 3 years. The most common offences — speeding (3 pts, €160), mobile phone (3 pts, €120), seatbelt (3 pts, €120) — cost more at court (5 pts, up to €1,000). Points often push up your insurance. To see your points, request a free Driver Statement from the NDLS.
How the penalty points system works
Accumulate 12 points in any rolling 3-year period and you are automatically disqualified for 6 months.
If your first learner permit was issued on or after 1 August 2014: 7 points while learning and for the first 2 years of your first full licence.
Points stay on your record for 3 years. Time with an out-of-date licence or serving a court ban doesn’t count.
Points are applied when you either pay a fixed charge notice or are convicted in court — not straight away, but 28 days after you are notified that they will be added. For every offence on the RSA list, a conviction carries more points than paying the fixed charge.
Most common offences
The offences most drivers come across. Fixed charges include the October 2022 increases; figures checked against the RSA’s offence list in October 2026.
| Offence | Fixed charge pts | Fine (28 days) | Next 28 days | Court pts | Court fine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding | 3 | €160 | €240 | 5 | Up to €1,000 |
| Holding a mobile phone while driving | 3 | €120 | €180 | 5 | Set by the court |
| Driver not wearing a seatbelt | 3 | €120 | €180 | 5 | Up to €2,500 (first offence) |
| Driving without insurance | Court only | — | — | 5 | Up to €5,000 and/or 6 months’ prison |
| Car without a valid NCT certificate | 3 | €60 | €90 | 5 | Set by the court |
| Breaking a red light | 3 | €80 | €120 | 5 | Set by the court |
| Too close to the vehicle in front | 3 | €160 | €240 | 5 | Set by the court |
| Defective or worn tyres | 2 | €80 | €120 | 4 | Set by the court |
| Dangerous overtaking | 3 | €80 | €120 | 5 | Set by the court |
| Crossing a continuous white line | 3 | €80 | €120 | 5 | Set by the court |
| Failing to stop at a stop sign or line | 3 | €80 | €120 | 5 | Set by the court |
| Not displaying an L or N plate | 2 | €120 | €180 | 4 | Set by the court |
Driving without insurance is a mandatory court offence — there is no fixed charge option. Conviction carries 5 penalty points, a fine of up to €5,000 and up to 6 months in prison, and the court can disqualify you from driving. Gardaí can also detain an uninsured vehicle.
Speeding: points and fines by speed
A question we get a lot: does the fine go up the faster you were going? Right now in Ireland, no. Speeding is a flat penalty — 3 penalty points and a €160 fixed charge — whether you were caught 5 km/h or 50 km/h over the limit.
| Speed over limit | Fixed charge pts | Fine | Court pts | Court fine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any amount over | 3 | €160 | 5 | Up to €1,000 |
Pay within 28 days and it's €160. Miss that and it rises to €240 (still 3 points). Ignore it and you're summonsed to court — up to 5 points and a fine of up to €1,000.
If you’re summonsed for not paying, you can still pay €320 (double the original fine) up to 7 days before the court date and take the 3 points.
The Government says the next Road Traffic Bill will include graduated speeding penalties, so the points would rise with how far over the limit you were (Road Safety Action Plan 2025–2027, Action 7.D). In January 2026 the Minister for Transport said points could rise “from three to as many as seven”. As of October 2026 no bands or fines have been published and nothing has been passed — so be wary of tables online that show “proposed” fines by speed.
At very high speeds, Gardaí can prosecute dangerous driving instead of issuing a fixed charge — which brings a mandatory ban. See the penalties alongside the fastest speeds the Garda have caught in our fastest speeds caught in Ireland guide.
Full offences list
Every penalty point offence on the Road Safety Authority’s list, with the points and fixed charges. (The four offences for passing a maximum length, width, weight or axle-load sign share one row, as they carry the same penalty.) “Court only” offences have no fixed charge: you are summonsed and the court sets the fine.
General driving
| Offence | Fixed charge pts | Fine (28 days) | Next 28 days | Court pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding | 3 | €160 | €240 | 5 |
| Holding a mobile phone while driving | 3 | €120 | €180 | 5 |
| Dangerous overtaking | 3 | €80 | €120 | 5 |
| Dangerous overtaking of a cyclist | 3 | €120 | €180 | 5 |
| Too close to the vehicle in front | 3 | €160 | €240 | 5 |
| Parking a vehicle in a dangerous position | 3 | €80 | €120 | 5 |
| Driving carelessly | Court only | — | — | 5 |
| Driving a vehicle when unfit | Court only | — | — | 3 |
| Failing to drive on the left | 2 | €60 | €90 | 4 |
| Driving against the flow of traffic on a motorway | 2 | €80 | €120 | 4 |
| Driving without reasonable consideration | 2 | €80 | €120 | 4 |
| Breaking a U-turn ban | 2 | €60 | €90 | 4 |
| Reversing rules (e.g. reversing from a minor road onto a main road) | 1 | €60 | €90 | 3 |
| Mini-roundabout rules | 1 | €60 | €90 | 3 |
Seatbelts and child restraints
| Offence | Fixed charge pts | Fine (28 days) | Next 28 days | Court pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Driver of a car or goods vehicle not wearing a seatbelt | 3 | €120 | €180 | 5 |
| Driver not ensuring passengers under 17 wear rear seatbelts | 3 | €120 | €180 | 5 |
| Child under 3 carried without an appropriate child restraint | 3 | €120 | €180 | 5 |
| Child over 3 carried without an appropriate child restraint | 3 | €120 | €180 | 5 |
| Rear-facing child seat in front of an active airbag | 3 | €120 | €180 | 5 |
| No seatbelt or child restraint in a specified vehicle category | 3 | €120 | €180 | 5 |
| Bus driver not wearing a seatbelt | 3 | €60 | €90 | 5 |
Vehicle roadworthiness
| Offence | Fixed charge pts | Fine (28 days) | Next 28 days | Court pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Car without a valid NCT certificate | 3 | €60 | €90 | 5 |
| Defective or worn tyres | 2 | €80 | €120 | 4 |
| Driving a dangerously defective vehicle | Court only | — | — | 5 |
| Commercial vehicle without a certificate of roadworthiness | Court only | — | — | 5 |
| Driving before fixing a dangerous defect | Court only | — | — | 3 |
Learner and novice drivers
| Offence | Fixed charge pts | Fine (28 days) | Next 28 days | Court pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Learner driving unaccompanied by a qualified driver | 2 | €160 | €240 | 4 |
| Not displaying an L plate or tabard | 2 | €120 | €180 | 4 |
| Not displaying an N plate or tabard | 2 | €120 | €180 | 4 |
Vehicle safety standards
| Offence | Fixed charge pts | Fine (28 days) | Next 28 days | Court pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle without an authorisation plate | 3 | €60 | €90 | 5 |
| Vehicle altered so its authorisation plate is inaccurate | 3 | €60 | €90 | 5 |
| Missing or non-compliant speed limitation device | 3 | €120 | €180 | 5 |
| Exceeding the maximum permitted weight (laden or unladen) | 1 | €200 | €300 | 3 |
| Passing a maximum length, width, weight or axle-load sign while over the limit | 1 | €60 | €90 | 3 |
Traffic lights, signs and signals
| Offence | Fixed charge pts | Fine (28 days) | Next 28 days | Court pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breaking a red light | 3 | €80 | €120 | 5 |
| Failing to stop at a stop sign or line | 3 | €80 | €120 | 5 |
| Failing to yield at a yield sign or line | 3 | €80 | €120 | 5 |
| Failing to stop for a school warden sign | 2 | €160 | €240 | 5 |
| Failing to stop when required by a Garda | 2 | €80 | €120 | 5 |
| Failing to obey mandatory signs at junctions | 2 | €80 | €120 | 4 |
| Failure to yield | 2 | €80 | €120 | 4 |
| Failing to act on a Garda signal | 1 | €80 | €120 | 3 |
| Ignoring prohibitory traffic signs | 1 | €60 | €90 | 3 |
| Ignoring keep left / keep right signs | 1 | €60 | €90 | 3 |
| Passing a “no entry” sign | 1 | €60 | €90 | 3 |
| Passing a traffic lane control sign wrongly | 1 | €60 | €90 | 3 |
Road markings, lanes and zones
| Offence | Fixed charge pts | Fine (28 days) | Next 28 days | Court pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crossing a continuous white line | 3 | €80 | €120 | 5 |
| Railway level crossing rules | 2 | €80 | €120 | 5 |
| Driving along or across a median strip | 2 | €60 | €90 | 4 |
| Entering a hatched area (e.g. a lane-reduction area) | 1 | €80 | €120 | 3 |
| Driving on a motorway hard shoulder | 1 | €80 | €120 | 3 |
| Vehicle limited to 90 km/h or less in the outside lane of a motorway | 1 | €80 | €120 | 3 |
| Ignoring road markings | 1 | €60 | €90 | 3 |
| Junction rules (e.g. wrong lane when turning) | 1 | €60 | €90 | 3 |
| Driving on a footpath | 1 | €60 | €90 | 3 |
| Driving on a cycle track | 1 | €60 | €90 | 3 |
| Not turning left on entering a roundabout | 1 | €60 | €90 | 3 |
| Wrong way into a one-way street | 1 | €60 | €90 | 3 |
Court-only offences
| Offence | Fixed charge pts | Fine (28 days) | Next 28 days | Court pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Driving without insurance | Court only | — | — | 5 |
| Breach of duties at an accident | Court only | — | — | 5 |
| Bridge strikes | Court only | — | — | 3 |
Source: the RSA’s types of offences lookup, checked October 2026.
Court conviction vs fixed charge: the difference
Fixed charge (pay the fine)
You receive a Fixed Charge Notice (FCN). Pay within 28 days (or the next 28 days with 50% added) and you get the lower number of penalty points (1–3, depending on the offence). No court appearance needed.
Court conviction
If you don't pay within 56 days, you are summonsed to the District Court — which is also how you dispute a notice. Conviction carries higher penalty points (3–5), a fine set by the court and a conviction on your record.
0–28 days: Pay the original fine (e.g. €160 for speeding, 3 points).
28–56 days: Fine increases by 50% (e.g. €240, still 3 points).
After 56 days: Court summons issued.
Up to 7 days before court: Pay double the original fine (e.g. €320 for speeding) and take the fixed charge points.
In court: If convicted, the higher points (5 for speeding) and a fine of up to €1,000 for speeding.
How to check your penalty points
There’s no account where you can look up your points yourself. Instead, you ask the National Driver Licence Service (NDLS) for a Driver Statement:
Use the NDLS online contact form (reason: Driver Statement Request) at ndls.ie.
Your name as it appears on your licence or learner permit, your Driver Number, date of birth and PPSN.
The statement is sent only to the email or postal address on your driver record. For other questions, call the NDLS on 0818 700 800 (Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm).
Your penalty point information is only sent to the email or postal address associated with your licence record. It cannot be sent to a third party. There is no fee to check your points.
How penalty points affect your insurance
Penalty points usually cost more than the fine. Citizens Information notes that penalty points will often lead to an increase in your motor insurance premium, and insurers have had access to the National Vehicle and Driver File, where points are recorded. How much more you pay depends on the insurer, the offence and the rest of your record — there is no official figure, so be wary of fixed percentages quoted online.
When you apply for or renew insurance you must tell your insurer about any penalty points. Answer their questions honestly — giving wrong information can affect a claim or your cover.
See our car insurance guide for tips on reducing your premium.
Disqualification: what happens at 12 points
When you reach the limit, the RSA writes to you with the date your disqualification starts.
Return your licence (Irish or foreign) to the NDLS within 14 days of the disqualification starting. Not surrendering it is an offence: a fine of up to €1,000, or up to €2,500 for a second or further conviction.
You may not drive for 6 months. Driving while disqualified is a separate offence.
The NDLS keeps your licence and returns it when the disqualification ends. Expect your insurance to be affected.
Driving while disqualified can mean a fine of up to €5,000, up to 6 months in prison, or both.
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