Finland Traffic Fines 2026: fixed fees + income-based day-fines

Finnish fine system: liikennevirhemaksu + day-fines

Finland reformed its road traffic law in 2020 (Road Traffic Act 729/2018 took effect 1 June 2020). Two mechanisms now apply.

Traffic penalty fees (liikennevirhemaksu)

Fixed amounts, administrative (no criminal record). Range €20-200. Speeding table per Road Traffic Act §165:

Other fixed penalty fees:

Day-fines (päiväsakko)

Applied for speeding above 20 km/h over the limit, alcohol offences, and other endangering-traffic-safety offences. Formula:

• Day-fine value = (monthly net income after tax minus €255 basic subsistence) divided by 60
• Minimum: €6 per unit (floor applies below that)
• Number of units: set by the court or prosecutor based on severity (typically 12-30 for standard speeding above the threshold)
• Motor vehicle speeding floor: €200 total minimum (€100 for mopeds)

Because the formula uses actual income, high earners face very high totals. Anssi Vanjoki, then a Nokia executive, was fined about €116,000 in 2002 for speeding 75 km/h in a 50 km/h Helsinki zone (later reduced on appeal after Nokia’s share price drop reduced his notional income).

For foreign visitors caught by roadside police without documented Finnish income, a standard tariff is applied rather than an income calculation.

Alcohol violations

Finland treats drink-driving strictly. Everyone has the same limit: there is no reduced limit for young or novice drivers.

Allowing a drunk person to drive your car is a separate offence (up to 12 months prison).

Alcohol interlock (alkolukko) may be offered as an alternative to a driving ban after a DUI conviction, if the driver commits to installing one in their vehicle for a set period.

Winter tyres

Legally required per Road Traffic Act §108: November through March, when weather or road conditions require it. This is weather-conditional inside those five months, not a fixed calendar rule as before the 2020 reform. Minimum tread depth for winter tyres: 3.0 mm (general tyres: 1.6 mm per §107).

Studded tyres are permitted from 1 November to Easter Monday, or later if conditions require. Rental cars in Finland are pre-fitted for the season.

Non-compliance is issued as a traffic penalty fee. Police can also prohibit continued driving if conditions make it dangerous.

Elk and reindeer collisions

Wildlife collisions are one of the most Finland-specific hazards for foreign drivers. Duty per Hunting Act §84a and Road Traffic Act §183:

• Call 112 immediately to report the collision (applies to elk, deer, reindeer, wild boar, bear, wolf, lynx)
• Mark the spot with a broken branch, plastic tape, or reflector so the local wildlife-first-aid team (SRVA) can find any injured animal
• Do not leave the scene before reporting; failure to report is a punishable offence
• Insurance: basic liability (LVK) does not cover damage to your own vehicle from wildlife impact; you need collision cover (kasko). Rental agreements typically include this, but check before you sign

Speed cameras

Finland has hundreds of fixed automatic speed cameras plus mobile units, one of Europe’s higher densities per capita. Vehicle-owner liability applies for camera offences: the notice goes to the registered owner, who may nominate the actual driver if it was someone else. Important for rental car users, since the rental company receives the notice first and passes it on with an administration fee.

Cross-border enforcement (EU Directive 2015/413)

Finland transposed the 2015/413 CBE Directive and applies the 2024/3237 recast (transposition deadline 1 May 2025). Process for foreign drivers:

1. Camera or roadside enforcement captures the violation
2. Finnish authorities query the foreign vehicle registry via EUCARIS (typically week 4-8)
3. Notice sent by post to the registered owner’s home address (typically week 8-16)
4. Payment deadline: 30 days from receipt
5. Non-payment: referred to the Finnish Legal Register Centre (Oikeusrekisterikeskus) and eventually to home-country collection under EU mutual assistance

Practical advice: pay Finnish fines. The 2024 recast broadens the list of enforceable offences and streamlines mutual-assistance requests, so ignoring a Finnish fine gets harder each year.

Appeal

Written objection within 30 days to Poliisi, or for camera fines to the address on the notice. Common grounds: not the driver at the time, plate misidentified, notice contains errors. Foreign visitors may appeal in English.

Other things to know

Trailer / caravan speed: capped at 80 km/h, or 100 km/h for compliant motorhomes displaying an approved “100” sticker.

Warning triangle: mandatory in every vehicle. Hazard lights alone are not sufficient after a breakdown or accident.

Waterway intoxication: 1.0 g/l blood alcohol limit for boat drivers, relevant if you rent a boat or houseboat.

Repeat-offence driving ban: 4 fee-punishable infractions in 2 years (or 3 in 1 year) triggers a driving ban; during the 2-year novice period the thresholds are lower (3 in 2 years or 2 in 1 year).

Parking (pysäköintivirhe): municipal fine €40-80 depending on city; Helsinki is the strictest.

Official sources

• Poliisi.fi: poliisi.fi/en/ (traffic offences, fine counter, driving bans)
• Finlex: finlex.fi/fi/lainsaadanto/2018/729 (Road Traffic Act 729/2018)
• Traficom: traficom.fi/en (transport rules and road safety)
• Legal Register Centre: oikeusrekisterikeskus.fi/en (unpaid fine collection)