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CRIMINAL LAW

Driving offences committed in other jurisdictions

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Penalty points and endorsements on driving licences acquired in other countries (including EU/EEA member states) are not recognised between states. Although a European Convention on driving disqualifications was signed by the member states in June of 1998 which allowed making certain disqualification effective throughout the EU, the Convention has not yet come into force.

In practice therefore, this means if you acquired penalty points or have endorsements on your driving licence before coming to Ireland, these penalty points or endorsements will not transfer over to an Irish driving licence.

If, however, you have been disqualified from driving in another country and this was in addition to a prison sentence for driving offences it may not be possible for you to exchange your full foreign driving licence for a full driving licence here in Ireland.

Mutual recognition of driving disqualifications between Ireland and the UK (including Norther Ireland) came into operation from 28 January 2010. It does not include disqualifications resulting from the accumulation of penalty points.

Driving on a foreign licence in Ireland

If you are driving on a foreign driving licence in Ireland and acquire penalty points here, a record will be created and the points added to the record. If you accumulate 12 penalty points on the record in a 3-year period you will be disqualified from driving in Ireland.

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