Over €500,000 in fines issued for illegal number plates since last October

More than €500,000 in fines have been issued to motorists in Ireland since October last year for using non-compliant licence plates.

According to figures released to Dublin West TD Emer Currie, 8,374 fixed-charge notices have been issued since new regulations were introduced in October 2025, totalling €502,440 in fines.

November 2025 saw the highest number of fines issued for illegal number plates, at 1,451.

The latest figures for June 2026 saw Gardaí stop 840 vehicles for non-compliant licence plates.

Some motorists use illegal number plates with the aim of thwarting speed cameras, while others knowingly opt for the incorrect design and font.

Other incidents include motorists driving with broken plates where letters and numbers are missing.

A €60 fine is attributed to each fixed-charge notice issued by Gardaí.

Ms Currie said a clampdown of illegal plates can lead to the detection of other road-traffic violations.

To date this year, 124 people have lost their lives on Irish roads, 15 more than this time last year.