Title of Offence
Penalty Points on Payment of Fixed Charge
Penalty Points on Court Conviction
Fixed Charge
Amount paid in 28 days
Amount paid in next 28 days
Speeding (introduced
31 Oct 2002
)
2
4
€80
€120
Driving without Insurance (introduced
1 June 2003
)
M
5
Court Fine
Failure by Driver to comply with front seat belt requirements
2
4
€60
€90
Driver permitting passenger to occupy rear seat without wearing a seatbelt (under 17) or appropriate child restraint (introduced
25 August 2003
)
2
4
€60
€90
Driver found to be driving carelessly (introduced
4 June 2004
)
M
5
Court Fine
Using mobile phone while driving
2
4
€60
€90
Dangerous overtaking
2
5
€80
€120
Failure to act in accordance with a Garda signal
1
3
€80
€120
Failure to stop a vehicle before stop sign/ stop line
2
4
€80
€120
Failure to yield right of way at a yield sign/ yield line
2
4
€80
€120
Crossing continuous white line
2
4
€80
€120
Entry by driver into hatched marked area of roadway, e.g. carriageway reduction lane
1
3
€80
€120
Failure to obey traffic lights
2
5
€80
€120
Failure to obey traffic rules at railway level crossing
2
5
€80
€120
Driving a vehicle on a motorway against the flow of traffic
2
4
€80
€120
Driving on the hard shoulder on a motorway
1
3
€80
€120
Driving a HGV or bus on the outside lane on a motorway
1
3
€80
€120
Failure to drive on the left hand side of the road
1
3
€60
€90
Failure to obey requirements at junctions, e.g. not being in the correct lane when turning onto another road
1
3
€60
€90
Failure to obey requirements regarding reversing of vehicles, e.g. reversing from minor road onto main road
1
3
€60
€90
Driving on a footpath
1
3
€60
€90
Driving on a cycle track
1
3
€60
€90
Failure to turn left when entering a roundabout
1
3
€60
€90
Driving on a median strip, e.g. boundary between two carriageways
1
3
€60
€90
Failure to stop for a school warden sign
1
4
€80
€120
Failure to stop when so required by a member of the Garda Siochana
2
5
€80
€120
Failure to leave appropriate distance between you and the vehicle in front
2
4
€80
€120
Failure to yield
2
4
€80
€120
Driving without reasonable consideration
2
4
€80
€120
Failure to comply with mandatory traffic signs at junctions
1
3
€60
€90
Failure to comply with prohibitory traffic signs
1
3
€60
€90
Failure to comply with keep left/keep right signs
1
3
€60
€90
Failure to comply with traffic lane markings
1
3
€60
€90
Illegal entry onto a one-way street
1
3
€60
€90
Driving a vehicle when unfit
M
3
Court Fine
Parking a vehicle in a dangerous position
M
5
Court Fine
Breach of duties at an accident
M
5
Court Fine
A system of penalty points was introduced in Ireland on 31 October, 2002. Since then, motorists guilty of speeding, driving without insurance, guilty of careless driving, and guilty of seatbelt offences are awarded penalty points and fines. In January 2006 the Minister for Transport announced a further 31 driving offences that incur penalty points (pdf). These new penalty point offences take effect from 3 April, 2006 and include dangerous overtaking, blocking junctions, etc.
From 1 September 2006, penalty points are extended to drivers who hold a mobile phone while driving. A driver who is detected committing a mobile phone offence will have to pay a fixed charge of 60 euro. You must pay this fine within 28 days, or face an increased fine of 90 euro payable within 56 days of the offence. 2 penalty points will be added to your licence if you opt not to go to court. If you are convicted in court, 4 penalty points will be added to your licence and you will be liable to pay a fine up to 2,000 euro. However, a driver can use a hand-held mobile phone to contact emergency services only. The numbers to which this applies are 999 and 112 at which the gardaí, fire service, ambulance service, coast guard service and mountain rescue can be contacted. You may have to go to court to prove this.
In the case of penalt point offences that incur fixed charges, a person has 28 days from the date of the fixed charge notice to pay. If it is not paid within 28 days the charge increases by 50 per cent. If it is still unpaid after a further 28 days, court proceedings are initiated.
The orginal offences, introduced in 2002, that incur penalty points are:
- Speeding offences: an on-the-spot fine of 80 euro, together with 2 penalty points. If you have been caught speeding on police traffic camera, you will receive notice of your fine and penalty points of the offence by post. You have 28 days in which to pay your fine from the date the notice issues to you to pay your fine. If you do not pay your fine, the fine then increases to 120 euro which you pay within 28 days. If after this time (56 days) you still have not paid your fine, you will have to go to your District court. If you are convicted in Court of speeding offences and non-payment of fines, you will automatically receive 4 penalty points and a fine to a maximum of 800 euro.
- Seatbelt offences: Failure to wear a seatbelt or allow children under 17 years to travel in your vehicle without a seatbelt will incur an on-the-spot fine of 60 euro. You must pay this fine within 28 days, or face an increased fine of 90 euro payable within 56 days of the offence. 2 penalty points will be added to your licence if you opt not to go to court. If you are convicted in court for non-wearing of a seatbelt, 4 penalty points will be added to your licence and you will be liable to an 800 euro fine for a first offence. Read more about the regulations regarding the wearing of seatbelts in Ireland here
- Motor insurance offences : generally punishable by a fine of up to 2,500 euro, disqualification of one year or more for a first offence and two years or more for a second offence, and, at the discretion of the court, a term of imprisonment not exceeding six months. Since 1 June 2003, where the court decides not to impose a disqualification drivers convicted of a first offence of driving without insurance will incur 5 penalty points on their licence record in addition to any other penalty imposed by the court.
- Careless driving : This is defined as 'driving a vehicle in a public place without due care and attention'. The Gardai enforce careless driving offences and this involves a mandatory court appearance. From 4 June 2004, a driver charged and subsequently found guilty of careless driving will receive 5 penalty points on their licence. Drivers may also be fined up to a maximum of 1,500 euro, or given a prison sentence to a maximum of 3 months. (You should note, the courts also have discretion to impose both the 1,500 euro fine and the 3 month prison sentence together).
Any driver that receives 12 penalty points in any 3 year period, will be automatically faced with a 6-month disqualification from driving.
No driver in Ireland is allowed drive a vehicle while holding 12 current penalty points on their licence. View an analysis of penalty points issued to date here.
M = Mandatory Court Appearance
21-12-2006 - Analysis of Penalty Points Issued to October 2006 - CLICK HERE
21-12-2006 - Analysis of Penalty Points Notices Issued by Offence Type to October 2006 - CLICK HERE
