Penalty points help to enforce rules and improve road safety.

If you commit a motoring offence that incurs penalty points, your driving licence will be endorsed. Some traffic offences have other penalties, such as fines and imprisonment.

The points do not physically appear on the licence.

Your penalty points are recorded on your driving licence record, which is held on the National Vehicle and Driver File operated by the Department of Transport.

If you have penalty points endorsements on your licence record, you must notify your insurance company when applying for motor insurance.

Motor insurance companies have access to the National Vehicle and Driver File.

Endorsements will often lead to an increase in your motor insurance premium.

How do penalty points work?

Points are recorded on your driving licence when you are convicted in court of a driving offence that attracts penalty points or you pay a fixed charge notice that was issued to you for an offence that also carries penalty points.

If you get 12 penalty points in any three years, you are automatically disqualified from driving for six months.

Learner permit drivers are disqualified if they have seven penalty points.

This lower threshold also applies for the first two years of a driver’s first full driving licence.

How long do points stay on my licence?

Penalty points remain on your licence record for three years.

Any period where your licence is out of date or you are serving a court disqualification does not count as part of the three years. 

What happens if someone else is driving my car?

If the registered owner was not driving at the time of the offence, they should fill out the Statement of Nomination of Name and Address of Driver of Vehicle section giving details of the person who was driving.

This should then be returned to the Fixed Charge Processing Office with the original notice, within 28 days of the notice being issued.

Do penalty points apply to all Irish driving licences?

Yes. Penalty points also apply to drivers with foreign driving licences driving in Ireland.

If someone is driving in Ireland on a foreign licence, a record will be created for penalty points. 

How do you find out how many penalty points you have?

Complete the Driver’s Statement Form.

Fill in the details as it appears on your licence.

You select the option to receive it by email or post.

There is no charge.

Can penalty points be cancelled?

If you have been issued with penalty points (or a fixed charge without penalty points), you can apply to the gardaí for the points to be cancelled.

You will have to show that there are good procedural or exceptional grounds for cancellation.

You can get the Fixed Charge Notice Cancellation Request Form and guidance notes on filling out the form on www.garda.ie.

For more information contact your local Citizens Information Service in Bantry (0818 07 8390).

Offices are staffed from 10am-5pm Monday to Thursday and on Friday from 10am-4pm.

Alternatively you can email on [email protected] or visit www.citizensinformation.