In Montenegro the police usually punish a traffic offence with a fine order (prekršajni nalog). If you accept it and pay half the fine within the deadline in the order, the fine counts as paid in full; this rule has applied since 14 March 2026, while before it you paid two thirds. If you disagree, you ask for a court decision within 8 days of receiving the order. Since 7 August 2026 fines are higher: speeding by 10 to 20 km/h in a built-up area costs 100 to 300 euros, and driving with 0.5 to 1 g/kg of alcohol costs 300 to 600 euros plus a 60-day driving ban.
The rules come from the Law on Misdemeanours, amended in March 2026, and the Law on Road Traffic Safety, amended in July 2026. This guide explains the fine order, payment, contesting a fine, the amounts, penalty points, the rules for foreigners and how to check fines.
How does a fine order work?
- The police issue the order on the spot, and where that is not possible, for example when a camera records the offence, they deliver it within 60 days of establishing the offence.
- For illegal parking a copy of the order is left on the vehicle, and the owner is notified to collect the order within 8 days.
- The order states the offence, the fine, the penalty points, the account for payment and your right to a court decision.
- You accept liability by paying the fine or by letting the deadline for contesting it pass, and the order then becomes final and enforceable.
- If you do not accept liability, within 8 days of receipt you deliver the signed original of the order to the competent misdemeanour court, in person, through another person or by post, together with your evidence.
How much do you pay: half or the full amount?
| Situation | How much you pay |
| You accept the order and pay within its deadline | Half the fine imposed, and the fine counts as paid in full |
| You do not pay in time | The full amount, with forced collection or replacement of the fine with prison or community work |
| You have no permanent or temporary residence in Montenegro or are leaving abroad, and there is a suspicion you would avoid enforcement | Two thirds of the fine, if you pay it immediately |
Fines imposed are entered in the Register of Fines and Misdemeanour Records as a debt and stay there until the fine is paid. Since March 2026 misdemeanour proceedings cannot be started or conducted once two years have passed since the offence, while the period used to be one year.
What are the speeding fines?
| Excess in a built-up area | Excess outside built-up areas | Fine since 7 August 2026 |
| No such band | Up to 10 km/h | 60 to 200 euros |
| Up to 10 km/h | 10 to 30 km/h | 80 to 250 euros |
| 10 to 20 km/h | 30 to 40 km/h | 100 to 300 euros |
| 20 to 30 km/h | 40 to 50 km/h | 150 to 300 euros |
| 30 to 50 km/h | 50 to 70 km/h | 200 to 400 euros, 2 penalty points and a driving ban of up to 2 months |
| 50 to 60 km/h | 70 to 80 km/h | 300 to 600 euros, 2 penalty points and a 60-day driving ban |
| 60 to 70 km/h | 80 to 90 km/h | 500 to 1,000 euros or up to 60 days in prison, 3 penalty points |
| 70 km/h or more | 90 km/h or more | 15 to 60 days in prison |
Since August 2026 speed limits apply to both the instantaneous speed and the average speed over a section. Young and novice drivers are fined on the same bands, but measured against their own limits of 70 km/h and 100 km/h on the motorway.
What are the fines for alcohol, phones, seat belts and red lights?
| Offence | Fine since 7 August 2026 |
| Alcohol of 0.3 to 0.5 g/kg | 150 to 300 euros |
| Alcohol of 0.5 to 1 g/kg | 300 to 600 euros, 2 penalty points and a 60-day driving ban |
| Alcohol of 1 to 2 g/kg | 500 to 1,000 euros or up to 60 days in prison, 3 penalty points |
| Alcohol of 2 g/kg or more, drugs, or refusing a test | 15 to 60 days in prison |
| Young or novice driver with 0.1 to 0.3 g/kg of alcohol | 100 to 300 euros |
| Running a red light | 500 to 1,000 euros or up to 60 days in prison, 3 penalty points |
| Using a phone without hands-free equipment | 150 to 400 euros and 1 penalty point |
| Not giving way to a pedestrian at a marked crossing | 150 to 400 euros and 1 penalty point |
| Driving without a seat belt, for the driver and passengers | 150 to 300 euros |
| A child up to five years old without a child seat | 80 to 250 euros |
Anyone who causes immediate danger or an accident gets two extra penalty points.
How do penalty points work, and when is a vehicle seized?
- Penalty points are given to a driver whose licence was issued in Montenegro, at most 6 points for one incident.
- A driver who collects 12 points within two years gets a temporary restriction of the right to drive for 90 days.
- A driver who then collects another 9 points in the next two years gets a restriction of six months.
- Since August 2026 the police temporarily seize the vehicle of a driver who commits one of the most serious offences, such as driving with more than 1 g/kg of alcohol or running a red light, if they have already been finally convicted of such an offence in the last two years. The vehicle stays seized until the court proceedings end, and the driver pays the storage costs.
Unlike points, a driving ban applies to every driver in Montenegro, including one with a foreign licence. When a foreigner has to exchange a licence is explained in our article on the driving licence for foreigners.
What applies to cameras, rental cars and tolls?
When a camera records an offence, the vehicle owner is liable unless they prove unauthorised use. Since August 2026 the owner or user of the vehicle must provide reliable details of the driver within 8 days of the notice, and if they do not, a private person pays 300 to 600 euros and a legal entity 1,500 to 4,000 euros. So with a rental car the fine goes to the driver named in the contract, as our article on renting a car explains. Separate fines apply to unpaid tolls, covered in our guide to tolls.
If you were involved in an accident, when a European accident report is filled in and when the police are called is explained in our article on car insurance, and you can book repairs to the vehicle through the Glatko platform.
What applies to foreigners?
- A driver with no permanent or temporary residence in Montenegro who is given an order during bank or post office hours is told to pay the fine immediately at a bank or post office.
- If the order is issued outside those hours or outside a built-up area, the police may offer payment on the spot against a receipt.
- Anyone who does not pay is treated as having asked for a court decision and is taken straight to the misdemeanour court.
- If there is a risk they will leave Montenegro, the police may take their passport or other identity document until they are brought before the court, and the court may extend that measure until the fine is enforced.
If you face prison or court proceedings, RoNa Legal provides representation in misdemeanour and criminal cases in Montenegro.
How do you check fines imposed on you?
The Register of Fines and Misdemeanour Records is kept by the Ministry of Justice. Since March 2026 the law no longer limits a citizen's right to ask for data on their own fines to exercising rights in another country. You apply online through the eUprava portal, by post or at the Directorate for Criminal and Misdemeanour Records in Podgorica, with a copy of your ID card or passport and an administrative fee of 3 euros.
Frequently asked questions
How much do I pay if I accept a fine order? Half the fine imposed, if you pay it within the deadline in the order. The fine then counts as paid in full.
How do you contest a traffic fine? Within 8 days of receipt, deliver the signed original of the order to the competent misdemeanour court, with your evidence.
What is the fine for driving 15 km/h over the limit in a built-up area? 100 to 300 euros, since 7 August 2026.
What is the drink-driving limit? A driver may not have more than 0.3 g/kg of alcohol, and young and novice drivers are fined from 0.1 g/kg.
Does a foreigner have to pay the fine immediately? Yes, if they have no permanent or temporary residence in Montenegro. Anyone who does not pay is taken before the misdemeanour court.
Do penalty points apply to a foreign driving licence? No. Points are given only to drivers with a Montenegrin licence, but a driving ban applies to every driver.
Sources
The fine order, payment and limitation periods are governed by the Law on Misdemeanours (Official Gazette of Montenegro 1/2011, 39/2011, 32/2014, 43/2017, 51/2017, 31/2026 and 137/2026, Articles 53, 54, 59, 131, 144 to 150, 166, 169 and 234). Fines and penalty points are governed by the Law on Road Traffic Safety (Official Gazette of Montenegro 33/2012, 58/2014, 14/2017 and 66/2019, amended by 111/2026, Articles 204 to 206, 307a, 308 and 317a to 325). The procedure for record data is published by the Ministry of Justice. The legislation was checked on 25 September 2026. Fijaka is a classifieds platform and does not give legal advice; for a specific case contact the misdemeanour court or a lawyer.