From this week, Gardaí can now issue €60 fines for illegible or non-compliant licence plates, as enforcement of long-standing road safety laws finally becomes operational through the Garda Mobility App.
The change follows the 2023 Road Safety Act, which introduced penalties for drivers whose licence plates do not meet legal requirements covering colour, shape, font, and design. While the regulations were signed into law in May 2023 by then-Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan, enforcement was delayed due to limitations in Garda ICT systems.
The An Garda Síochána press office confirmed that fixed charge notices (FCNs) for licence plate offences “can now be facilitated by the Garda Mobility App.”
Road safety group Parc had long called for action, after a member of the public raised concerns about “the number of grey number plates and dangerous drivers,” according to chairwoman Susan Gray.
“When she reported it to the Gardaí, they continually told her they could not do anything about illegal number plates,” Ms Gray said, “because of the ICT system.”
Earlier this month, Fine Gael TD Emer Currie brought the issue to the Oireachtas Transport Committee, attended by senior Gardaí, the Road Safety Authority (RSA), and Ms Gray. She asked why the law hadn’t been enforced and whether illegible plates interfere with automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) or speed camera systems.
Garda Deputy Commissioner Dr Shawna Coxon responded:
“There had been an issue in the past, but currently there is none.”
Following the meeting, it was confirmed that Garda mobility devices have now been updated to issue €60 penalties at the roadside, with non-payment resulting in an automatic court summons.
Ms Gray welcomed the long-overdue change:
“I’m delighted that a law passed two and a half years ago has finally been incorporated into the Garda’s IT systems to allow Gardaí on the ground to automatically issue fixed charge notices.”
Ms Currie also expressed satisfaction that enforcement is finally in place:
“Good legislation was passed to make roads policing more productive and efficient—to clamp down on instances where drivers might evade automatic number plate recognition—but it wasn’t implemented.”
She criticised the delay and raised broader concerns:
“I’ve been chasing the Minister for Justice on this for months, and a week after raising it at the Oireachtas Transport Committee, it has been dealt with. It makes you question if our departments and agencies are working together as effectively as they should.”
Oireachtas Transport Committee Chairman Michael Murphy echoed the concerns, calling the delay a major flaw in road enforcement:
“It’s a serious enforcement gap since 2023. It’s such a significant loophole—and there are so many loopholes out there undermining road traffic enforcement.”
