Vehicles

Yes, third-party motor insurance is compulsory for all vehicles used on public roads in Ireland.

If caught driving without insurance in Ireland, you face a fine of up to €5,000, possible imprisonment for up to 6 months, and automatic disqualification from driving for at least 12 months.

In Ireland, the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for fully licensed drivers is 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.

If you fail a roadside breath test in Ireland, you will be arrested and taken to a garda station for a more detailed evidential breath test. Refusing or failing that test is a criminal offence under the Road Traffic Act 2010.

In Ireland, drug driving is a criminal offence under the Road Traffic Act 2010. Penalties include a mandatory disqualification from driving for at least 1 year, a fine of up to €5,000, and/or up to 6 months’ imprisonment.

Yes, it is a criminal offence in Ireland to refuse or fail to provide a breath specimen when lawfully required by a garda.

Speeding in Ireland typically results in 2 to 5 penalty points, depending on how far over the speed limit you were — no fixed number applies automatically under the Road Traffic Act 1961.

In Ireland, using a mobile phone while driving is illegal and carries a fixed charge of €200, 5 penalty points, and possible court prosecution for repeat offences.

If you accumulate 12 or more penalty points within a 3-year period in Ireland, your driving licence is automatically disqualified for 6 months.

Yes, you can dispute a fixed charge penalty notice in Ireland by requesting a court hearing within 28 days of the notice issue date.

Driving on a provisional licence without a qualified accompanier is illegal in Ireland and carries a fixed charge of €120 or prosecution with possible disqualification.

Yes, you can appeal a driving disqualification in Ireland, but only to the Circuit Court and only within 14 days of the conviction.

It is illegal for a learner driver in Ireland to drive unaccompanied, and doing so is an offence under the Road Traffic Act 1961. The learner may face prosecution, penalty points, and disqualification.

Yes, you must report a road traffic accident in Ireland if it causes injury to any person or damage to property (including vehicles) belonging to another person.

In Ireland, if you were injured in a hit-and-run accident, you can claim through the Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) — not the driver — provided you report the incident to the Gardaí within 24 hours and cooperate fully with their investigation.

Yes, as a victim of dangerous driving in Ireland, you may claim compensation through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme or by suing the driver civilly — the Road Traffic Act 1961 makes dangerous driving a criminal offence.

The MIBI (Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland) is an agreement between the Irish government and motor insurers to compensate victims of accidents caused by uninsured or untraced drivers. You can claim from it when you’re injured or suffer loss in a road traffic accident involving such a driver.

If your insurance company refuses to pay a valid claim, you may have rights under the Road Traffic Act 1961 — especially if the claim arises from a motor accident and involves injury or property damage.

No — it is illegal to drive a car on a public road in Ireland after it fails the NCT, unless you're driving directly to a pre-booked retest or an approved repair garage.

E-scooters are not legally permitted on public roads, footpaths, or cycle lanes in Ireland because they do not meet the legal definition of a 'mechanically propelled vehicle' that is approved for use under current law.

Yes, it is legal to use a dashcam in Ireland, but you must comply with data protection law and avoid obstructing your view while driving.

Failing to stop at a Garda checkpoint in Ireland is a criminal offence under the Road Traffic Act 2010, punishable by a fine of up to €5,000, up to 6 months’ imprisonment, or both.

Driving while disqualified in Ireland is a criminal offence under the Road Traffic Act 1961, carrying penalties including fines up to €5,000, imprisonment up to 6 months, or both.

Careless driving in Ireland means driving without due care and attention, or without reasonable consideration for other road users, as defined by the Road Traffic Act 1961.

If you caused an accident while under the influence in Ireland, you may be charged with dangerous driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs under section 4 of the Road Traffic Act 2010.