Penalty points are designed to encourage safe driving and reduce casualties on our roads. For more information see penalty points page here.
Penalty point offences are recorded on your driving licence record if:
- You are convicted of a driving offence that attracts penalty points, or
- You are served with a fixed charge notice for an alleged offence that attracts penalty points and you opt to pay the fine. If the fine is not paid it will be referred to the courts where a higher number of penalty points will apply.
Any driver accumulating 12 penalty points within any given three-year period will be automatically disqualified from driving for six months. A lower threshold of seven penalty points leading to disqualification will apply to any driver who is granted their first learner permit on or after 1 August 2014 while they drive under a learner permit, and subsequently during the first two years while they drive under their first driving licence.
Where a driver held a learner permit before 1 August 2014 and obtain a first full licence after 1 August 2014 they will be disqualified on accumulating 12 penalty points in a 3 year period or on accumulating 7 new penalty points after 1 August 2014 whichever first until they have held the driving licence for 2 years.
Where a driver has a foreign licence a record will be created and the penalty points recorded on that record. The driver is required to surrender his/her Irish or foreign driving licence to the National Driver Licence Service within 14 days of disqualification commencing. It is an offence not to surrender a licence. It is also an offence to drive while disqualified.
For further details see FAQs on Penalty Points here.