Pay or appeal a fixed charge notice (speeding fine)

Got a speeding fine or another fixed charge notice? Here is how to pay it on time, name the real driver, or ask the Gardaí to cancel it.

A fixed charge notice (FCN) is a fine from An Garda Síochána for offences such as speeding. Pay it at a post office or by post within 28 days, for example €160 for speeding, or within 56 days at 50% more. After 56 days you get a court summons.

Who this is for

This is for anyone who gets an FCN for a road traffic offence, from a camera or a Garda. If you own the car but were not driving, you can name the driver instead of paying. Most offences also bring penalty points on your licence.

What you need

• The full original notice. It must go with any payment.
• For a penalty point offence: the Declaration Section filled in and signed, with your name exactly as it is on your licence
• A photocopy of your driving licence (strongly advised)
• Cash, an Irish debit card, a cheque, postal order or bank draft
• If you were not driving: the driver's name and address, plus a date of birth and birth certificate copy if they are under 18

Step by step: pay the fine

1. Check the date on the notice. Your 28 days run from that date, not the date of the offence.
2. Fill in and sign the Declaration Section if the offence carries penalty points.
3. Bring the whole notice to any post office. Pay by cash, Irish debit card, cheque, postal order or bank draft. Make cheques out to An Post.
4. Or post the notice and payment to An Garda Síochána, P.O. Box 55, Kilrush, Co Clare, in the envelope provided, with full postage. Make cheques out to Member in Charge.
5. For an offence with no penalty points, you can also pay online with An Post, using the link on the Garda fixed charge page, or by card on 0818 50 60 80.
6. Keep your receipt. You then get a notice confirming any points, which go on your licence 28 days later.

Step by step: name the driver

1. Fill in the Statement of Nomination of Name and Address of Driver of Vehicle on the notice. Only the registered owner can do this.
2. Send the full notice to the Fixed Charge Processing Office, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, within 28 days. Do not send money.
3. Tell the driver to expect a new notice. Their own 56 days start from its date.

How to challenge a notice

You can ask the Gardaí to cancel a notice with the FCN Cancellation Request Form. Grounds include a wrong speed limit, place, date, time or registration, a stolen car, or a seatbelt medical exemption. Send it with proof to npo@garda.ie or Fixed Charge Processing Office, Parnell St., Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

Other exceptional reasons are judged case by case. A routine medical appointment or going to a funeral does not count. The 28-day and 56-day periods do not stop while your request is checked.

If you do not pay, the case goes to the District Court. You can appeal a District Court conviction to the Circuit Court within 14 days.

How much it costs and how long it takes

With a summons, you can still pay double the original fine up to 7 days before the court date. For speeding that is €320. A court can fine you up to €1,000 and give 5 points for speeding.

Points stay on your licence for 3 years. Since 7 February 2025, the default limit on rural local roads is 60km/h, down from 80km/h.

Common mistakes

• Counting from the day of the offence. The clock starts on the date of the notice.
• Sending money without the full notice or the signed declaration.
• Waiting to hear about a cancellation request before paying. The deadlines keep running.
• Paying with a debit card from a bank outside Ireland. It is not accepted.
• Naming someone who was not driving. False nomination is a serious offence.

Related guides

• How to pay an M50 toll
• How to renew your driving licence
• How to change the owner of a vehicle
• How to get a learner permit