Gardaí Now Issuing €60 Fines for Non-Compliant Number Plates
Gardaí can now fine drivers €60 per plate for non-compliant number plates including wrong fonts, sizes, colours, or missing EU flags.
Motorists across Cork and Ireland face on-the-spot fines of €60 per plate for vehicles displaying non-compliant registration plates, following a significant upgrade to the Garda Mobility App announced today.
An Garda Síochána confirmed this afternoon that officers can now issue fixed charge notices for number plates that fail to meet strict legal requirements. The regulations require registration plates to display black characters on a white reflective background, the county name in Irish, and the EU flag with 'IRL' on a blue reflective background on the left side of the plate.
The enhanced enforcement capability means Gardaí can now penalise drivers for various infringements, including non-conforming fonts, incorrect sizes or colours, and plates missing the mandatory EU flag or 'IRL' designation.
Gardaí demonstrated the new powers today when they stopped a vehicle in Naas displaying illegal number plates. The car was fitted with non-reflective grey background plates, which make registration numbers more difficult to read, and was issued with a fixed charge notice.
Under Irish law, specifically SI 318/92 Vehicle Registration and Taxation Regulations 1992, failure to display compliant registration plates can result in fines. Revenue can impose penalties of up to €5,000 for serious breaches of registration plate laws.
The current registration format requires plates to display the year identifier, county code, and sequence number separated by hyphens. The county name must appear in Irish above the registration characters, with examples including 'Corcaigh' for Cork and 'Baile Átha Cliath' for Dublin.
Common violations that will now attract fixed charge notices include fancy fonts that impair readability, incorrect character dimensions, coloured backgrounds instead of white reflective material, and missing or incorrect EU symbols. Characters must measure 70mm in height and 36mm in width, with uniform spacing between letters and numbers.
The timing of this enforcement upgrade comes as custom and novelty number plates have grown in popularity. Whilst 3D and 4D raised character plates remain legal provided they meet official specifications, many aftermarket plates fail to comply with regulations regarding font type, dimensions, or border requirements. Popular grey or coloured backgrounds, despite their aesthetic appeal, are illegal as they do not meet the reflective white background requirement.
Motorists should verify their number plates meet the following essential criteria: white reflective background material, black characters only, EU flag with twelve gold stars and 'IRL' beneath on blue reflective background, county name displayed in Irish, and a solid black 5mm border around the plate edges. No other numbers, letters or marks should appear on the plate.
The legislation behind this enforcement was passed in the 2023 Road Safety Act, which established penalties for drivers whose plates do not comply with legal standards. Regulations were signed into law in May 2023, but enforcement was delayed whilst the Garda ICT systems were upgraded to facilitate the automatic issuing of fines through the mobility app.
The new mobile enforcement capability allows Gardaí to issue fines immediately at the roadside without requiring vehicles to attend a station. With potential fines of €60 per non-compliant plate, drivers with illegal plates on both front and rear could face penalties totalling €120. Non-payment of the fine results in an automatic court summons.
Registration plates are not supplied by Revenue and can be acquired from any source once they meet the required standards. Vehicle owners concerned about their plate compliance should consult registered suppliers who guarantee NCT-compliant plates meeting all legal specifications.
The upgrade to Garda systems represents a significant expansion in roadside enforcement capabilities for traffic violations beyond traditional speeding and parking offences. The move has been welcomed by road safety campaign groups who have long called for action on illegal plates, which can make it more difficult for automatic number plate recognition systems to identify vehicles.
