Speeding fines
Ireland does not price speeding by how far over the limit you were. The fixed charge for exceeding a speed limit is one flat amount, set by the schedule the offence sits in — so unlike Germany or the Netherlands, there is no band table to look up. The variable is time, and the points are separate from the money.
The amount
One flat charge, whatever the excess
Exceeding a speed limit is a fixed charge offence under section 47 of the Road Traffic Act 1961, and it sits in Schedule 2 of the amounts instrument. There is no band table: 5 km/h over and 50 km/h over carry the same fixed charge. What differs is whether you are given a notice at all, and what a court does if you are prosecuted.
- €160Fixed charge, first period
- €240Second period
- €320On summons
- 3Penalty points if you pay the fixed charge
- 5Penalty points if you are convicted
The limits
Default speed limits in force today
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| Road class | Limit | Provision |
|---|---|---|
| Built-up areas | 50 km/h | Road Traffic Act 2004, s. 5(1) |
| Regional roads | 80 km/h | Road Traffic Act 2004, s. 6(1) |
| Local roads | 60 km/h | Road Traffic Act 2004, s. 6(2) |
| National roads | 100 km/h | Road Traffic Act 2004, s. 7(1) |
| Motorways | 120 km/h | Road Traffic Act 2004, s. 8(1) |
Tolerance
Ireland states no measurement tolerance
This is a finding, not a gap in our research
Irish law states no tolerance, margin or deduction for speed measurement. Section 81 of the Road Traffic Act 2010 is the provision that governs speed evidence: it admits readings from electronic apparatus, including a camera or a radar gun, and it sets out no deduction and points to no regulation that would. That is a finding about the statute, not a gap in what we read — the Oireachtas wrote an express margin-of-error power for alcohol testing in section 13(1A) of the same Act, so it plainly knows how to create one, and it created none for speed. So if you are wondering how many kilometres per hour come off a reading before a fixed charge notice issues, the answer under the legislation is none. Any figure you have seen quoted is enforcement practice, not law, and we do not publish it as though it were.