Speeding FinesSpeeding in Portugal 2026: Four Fine Bands, EUR 60 to 2,500
Cars: EUR 60-300 up to 20 km/h over in town (30 outside), rising to EUR 500-2,500 above 60 (80 outside). Serious bands add a 1-month to 2-year ban and lost points.
Portugal fines speeding from EUR 60 to EUR 2,500, and the bands are tighter in town than on the open road. The amounts are written into article 27 of the Código da Estrada (Código da Estrada); what really hurts is the driving ban attached to the higher bands.
The four fine bands (cars and motorcycles)
| Fine | Over the limit in towns | Over the limit outside towns |
|---|---|---|
| EUR 60–300 | up to 20 km/h | up to 30 km/h |
| EUR 120–600 | 21–40 km/h | 31–60 km/h |
| EUR 300–1,500 | 41–60 km/h | 61–80 km/h |
| EUR 500–2,500 | more than 60 km/h | more than 80 km/h |
Drivers of other motor vehicles, such as heavy goods vehicles, move up a band 10 to 20 km/h sooner. Average-speed sections count too: article 27(4) treats covering a stretch at an average speed above the limit as an offence, recorded where the controlled section ends.
Serious and very serious: bans and points
The fine band is only half the picture. Articles 145 and 146 classify the offence:
| Classification | Car in town | Car outside towns | Driving ban (art. 147) | Points lost (art. 148) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serious (grave) | more than 20 km/h over | more than 30 km/h over | 1 month to 1 year | 2 |
| Very serious (muito grave) | more than 40 km/h over | more than 60 km/h over | 2 months to 2 years | 4 |
Speeding inside a shared-space zone (zona de coexistência) costs more points: 3 for a serious offence and 5 for a very serious one.
Paying: the minimum and the deposit
Article 172 lets you settle at the minimum of the band — EUR 60 in the lowest one — within 15 working days of notification. That closes the fine, but the proceedings continue if a driving ban applies.
At the roadside, article 173 requires a deposit equal to the minimum fine, paid immediately or within 48 hours. If it isn’t paid, officers seize the driving licence and issue a temporary substitute until the case is settled.
Calculate the exact fine for any speed
Calculate Your FineCross-border notices
Speeding is one of the offences covered by Directive (EU) 2015/413, so Portugal can trace an EU-registered car’s keeper and post the notice abroad (EUR-Lex).
Sources
- Código da Estrada (DL 114/94), articles 27, 145–148, 172 and 173 — consolidated text, Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Lisboa
- Directive (EU) 2015/413 — EUR-Lex
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Related Questions
For a car or motorcycle, article 27 of the Código da Estrada sets EUR 60-300 for up to 20 km/h over in towns or 30 km/h outside them, EUR 120-600 for the next band, EUR 300-1,500 for the third, and EUR 500-2,500 for more than 60 km/h over in towns or 80 km/h outside.
Yes. More than 20 km/h over in town or 30 km/h outside is a serious offence with a ban of one month to one year; more than 40 in town or 60 outside is very serious, with a ban of two months to two years.
If you are notified at the roadside, article 173 requires a deposit equal to the minimum fine immediately or within 48 hours. If you don't pay it, officers seize your driving licence and issue a temporary replacement document.