Speeding fine in Malta: pay, petition or contest it
Speeding in Malta is a scheduled offence under the Commissioners for Justice Act (Cap. 291). It is not treated as a criminal act; it is tried by a Commissioner for Justice sitting at a local tribunal, who can order you to pay a penalty and, through the driving licence rules, record penalty points. The general limits for private cars are 50 km/h in towns and villages and 80 km/h outside them, unless a lower limit is signed (regulation 127 of the Motor Vehicles Regulations, S.L. 65.11).
A speed camera record is admissible and proves its contents if it comes with a certificate signed by a police or community officer, and the device is presumed accurate unless you prove otherwise. The registered owner is responsible unless the driver was stopped and identified by the police on the spot (regulation 127(6)).
You have four options: pay the fine within the time on the notice, which counts as an admission; ask the Petitions Board to waive the proceedings or the penalty; contest the charge before the Commissioner, in person, through a representative or in writing; or, after a decision, apply to the Court of Magistrates within thirty days. This guide explains each route, the evidence that matters and the deadlines.
Key facts
Deadline
Thirty days from the Commissioner's decision to apply to the Court of Magistrates (article 11(1) of Cap. 291) and, separately, no later than thirty days from the tribunal judgement to petition the Petitions Board (regulation 4(2) of S.L. 291.04); fifteen days from learning of a decision given without valid service to ask for a re-trial (article 11A); payment of the penalty alone is possible up to three days before the hearing (article 5(4)).
What to do
Read the notice and identify the procedure. Most speeding notices are issued under the special procedure in article 14 of Cap. 291: the notice describes the offence, the penalty, where and by when to pay, and the consequences of non-payment. The payment period may not be shorter than seven days (article 14(3)). Police notices under article 62 of the Traffic Regulation Ordinance (Cap. 65) give ten days to pay the fixed fine in the Second Schedule, which has separate bands for up to 15 km/h over the limit and more than 15 km/h over the limit.
Check the date, time, place, registration number, the limit claimed and the speed recorded. Note the exact amount on the notice: the fixed fines in the Schedule are set out in a table whose figures should be confirmed on the notice itself (ověřit).
Decide whether to pay. If you pay within the time stated, no proceedings follow, but payment is deemed for all purposes of law to be an admission of the offence (article 14(5) of Cap. 291; article 62(5) of Cap. 65). The minimum penalty points for the offence are then recorded against the driver's licence (regulation 36B(2) of S.L. 65.18).
If you do not pay, ordinary proceedings start and you will be summoned before a Commissioner. Even then, you may settle by paying only the penalty up to three days before the hearing (article 5(4)). Paying is sensible when the record is clear and you were the driver; it is not sensible if the car was not yours, someone else was driving, or the details are wrong.
If you were not driving, identify the driver. The owner shown in the camera record is responsible for the offence unless the driver was stopped and identified by the police immediately after it (regulation 127(6) of S.L. 65.11). The owner must, if asked by the police, a community officer or an enforcement officer of the Authority, give information that may lead to the identification of the driver (regulation 73).
Penalty points can be imposed only on the licence of the person who actually committed the contravention, never merely because the vehicle is registered in someone's name (regulation 36F of S.L. 65.18). Rental companies, employers and family members should therefore name the driver promptly and keep the hire contract or log that proves who had the car.
Check the camera evidence. A record from a prescribed speed monitoring device is admissible and constitutes proof of its contents only if it is accompanied by a certificate signed by a police officer or community officer stating the date, time and place it was produced (regulation 127(3) of S.L. 65.11). The device must be one prescribed by order of the Minister responsible for transport (regulation 127(4)).
The device is presumed to have worked accurately unless the contrary is proved (regulation 127(9)), so general doubts are not enough. Look for concrete defects: a missing or unsigned certificate, a photograph that does not show your registration plate clearly, a location where the signed limit was different, or a time when you can prove you were elsewhere. You may require the officer who signed the certificate to attend for cross-examination (regulation 127(10)).
Consider a petition to the Petitions Board. The Board can waive or discontinue proceedings or remit the penalty in whole or in part (regulation 3 of S.L. 291.04). It accedes only for impelling reasons, such as an evident mistake in the identity of the offender or of the vehicle, an evident mistake leading to a wrong finding of guilt, humanitarian reasons, a charge that is manifestly unjust or oppressive, or failure to follow the rules on service of the notice by mail (regulation 6(1)).
The petition must state its reasons, on pain of nullity, and must be filed not later than thirty days from the tribunal judgement; no petition is allowed once the penalty has been paid (regulation 4). While it is pending, the tribunal proceedings and the prescriptive period are suspended (regulation 6(2)).
Contest the charge before the Commissioner. The summons states the day of the hearing and warns that if you do not appear you will be deemed to have admitted the charge (articles 5(3) and 7 of Cap. 291). You may appear in person, appoint a representative in writing (article 8), or send the registry written representations or a sworn declaration on the facts contesting the charge, which the Commissioner must consider as if you had spoken in court (article 7).
The Commissioner hears and decides the case on the first day of hearing and accepts a postponement only exceptionally (article 14(9)). If the case is adjourned, nobody will notify you of the new date; checking it is your responsibility (article 14(4)(b)). Bring the notice, photographs of the road and signs, the hire contract or proof of where you were.
Understand the decision and its consequences. If the Commissioner finds the offence not proved, you cannot be charged again for it (article 10(1) of Cap. 291). If it is proved, the Commissioner orders a penalty not exceeding the maximum fine for the offence and, where the law provides, the suspension of a licence (article 10(2)). Penalty points within the range in the Sixth Schedule to S.L. 65.18 are imposed and recorded by Transport Malta.
If you do not pay within one month from when the case is finally decided, an additional €11.65 is added (article 10(2)). The order is an executive title and the penalty is a civil debt that can be enforced against you (article 10(5)).
Appeal to the Court of Magistrates or ask for a re-trial. Any person aggrieved by a Commissioner's decision may apply to the Court of Magistrates within thirty days of the decision; the court decides the merits and its decision cannot be appealed further (article 11(1)–(2) of Cap. 291). If the court finds the application frivolous or vexatious, it may add a penalty of up to €116.47 (article 11(3)).
If you were found guilty without ever being duly served with the charge, for example because the notice went to an old address, apply to the Court of Magistrates for a re-trial within fifteen days of the day you learned, or should reasonably have learned, of the decision (article 11A).
Watch your penalty points. A full driving licence is revoked if its holder accumulates twelve or more penalty points within any twelve months (regulation 36C of S.L. 65.18); a probationary licence is revoked on reaching twelve points during the three-year probation (regulation 41). After a first revocation of a full licence, a new licence is granted on application after two months without a new test (regulation 36E).
Attending a safety awareness course approved by the Authority and passing its test halves the points recorded, but you may take the course only once every two years (regulation 36D). If you have several pending charges, compare the total points with the threshold before deciding which ones to pay.
What to watch out for
- Paying a notice you believe is wrong. Payment is an admission (article 14(5) of Cap. 291), records penalty points and closes the door to a petition (regulation 4(4) of S.L. 291.04).
- Ignoring the summons. Not appearing, and not sending written representations, counts as admitting the charge (article 7 of Cap. 291).
- Missing an adjourned hearing. The tribunal does not notify new dates (article 14(4)(b)); check them with the registry.
- Not naming the driver. The registered owner is responsible for camera offences unless the driver was stopped on the spot (regulation 127(6) of S.L. 65.11).
- Relying on general doubts about the camera. The device is presumed accurate (regulation 127(9)); you need concrete evidence or a defect in the certificate.
- Letting the thirty-day deadline for the Court of Magistrates or the Petitions Board pass while waiting for a reply from the authorities.
- Visitors refusing an on-the-spot fine. Under S.L. 291.10 the police may hold a non-resident's travel document until the fine is paid or the case is decided.
Legal basis
Frequently asked questions
What is the speed limit in Malta?
For private cars, motorcycles and taxis, 50 km/h in towns and villages and 80 km/h outside them, under the table in regulation 127(1) of the Motor Vehicles Regulations (S.L. 65.11). Some heavier and industrial vehicles have lower limits, and the Authority may set a lower limit on any particular road or area (regulation 127(2)).
Can I contest a speed camera fine in Malta?
Yes. Do not pay; attend the hearing before the Commissioner for Justice, appoint a representative in writing, or send written representations or a sworn declaration (articles 7 and 8 of Cap. 291). You can also petition the Petitions Board on grounds such as a mistake in the vehicle or driver's identity (regulation 6 of S.L. 291.04).
Does paying a speeding fine mean I admit the offence?
Yes. Under article 14(5) of the Commissioners for Justice Act and article 62(5) of the Traffic Regulation Ordinance, payment within the period on the notice is deemed for all purposes of law to be an admission. The minimum penalty points for the offence are then recorded (regulation 36B(2) of S.L. 65.18).
I was not driving my car. Am I still responsible?
As registered owner you are responsible for a camera-recorded offence unless the driver was stopped and identified by the police immediately (regulation 127(6) of S.L. 65.11). Give the authorities the driver's details as regulation 73 requires; penalty points can only go on the licence of the person who actually drove (regulation 36F of S.L. 65.18).
How many penalty points before I lose my licence in Malta?
Twelve. A full licence is revoked if the holder accumulates twelve or more points in any twelve-month period (regulation 36C of S.L. 65.18), and a probationary licence on reaching twelve points during the three-year probation (regulation 41). An approved safety awareness course can halve your points once every two years (regulation 36D).
What happens if I do not attend the local tribunal?
If you were duly served and neither appear nor send a representative or written representations, you are deemed to have admitted the charge and the Commissioner orders payment of the penalty in your absence (article 7 of Cap. 291). If you were never duly served, you can ask the Court of Magistrates for a re-trial within fifteen days of learning of the decision (article 11A).
How do I appeal a Commissioner for Justice decision?
By application to the Court of Magistrates within thirty days from the day the decision was given (article 11(1) of Cap. 291). The court decides the case on the merits and there is no further appeal. A frivolous or vexatious application can cost you an extra penalty of up to €116.47 (article 11(3)).
What is the Petitions Board and when should I use it?
A board under S.L. 291.04 that can waive proceedings or remit a penalty for impelling reasons, such as an obvious mistake about the vehicle or driver, humanitarian reasons, or a manifestly unjust charge (regulation 6). File no later than thirty days from the tribunal judgement and before paying; no petition is allowed once the penalty is paid (regulation 4).
What if I pay the fine late?
Once the notice period passes, ordinary proceedings follow, but you can still settle by paying only the penalty up to three days before the hearing (article 5(4) of Cap. 291). After a decision, if you do not pay within one month, an extra €11.65 is added and the penalty can be enforced as a civil debt (article 10(2) and (5)).
I am a tourist. What happens if I get a fine in Malta?
Under the On the Spot Fines (Non-habitual Residents) Regulations (S.L. 291.10), in force since 8 July 2026, an officer may require immediate electronic payment. Paying works as a deposit and does not stop you petitioning or contesting the fine (regulation 4(4)). If you refuse to pay, the police may hold your travel document until payment or decision (regulation 6).
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