Traffic fines in Portugal are checked on ANSR's Portal das Contraordenações, logging in with your Citizen Card (with a card reader) or the Chave Móvel Digital. There you see the cases in your name and your offence record, and you can file a defence or ask to pay in instalments.
If you got a fine, pay it within 15 working days of the notification, so you avoid costs. Minor parking fines do not appear on the portal, because the local council handles them.
In this guide we explain how to check fines, whether you can check fines by number plate, how to pay, the deadlines and what to do if you were not the driver.
How to check fines on the Portal das Contraordenações
The Portal das Contraordenações is the road safety authority (ANSR) service for road traffic offences. Any citizen can use it.
- go to the ANSR portal and log in with your Citizen Card (you need a card reader) or the Chave Móvel Digital;
- check the offence cases in your name and your driver offence record;
- from there, you can file a defence, ask to pay in instalments or ask to see the case file.
According to the ANSR FAQ guide, you can also find out whether you have unpaid fines in person, at the offences section of the PSP District Command or the GNR Traffic Command or Detachment.
Checking fines by number plate or tax number
ANSR has no open search of fines by number plate for any car. Fines are checked on the portal, logged in as yourself, and it shows the cases where you are the defendant, as driver or as the vehicle's registered keeper.
If you are buying a used car, there is no way to see the seller's fines. What protects the buyer is registering the car in their own name straight away. We explain why below.
Parking fines: contact the council
Since Decree-Law 107/2018, minor offences for illegal, abusive or improper parking are handled by the municipality where they happened. That is why they do not appear on the ANSR portal. To check, pay or contest them, contact the local council (in Lisbon, EMEL) or the body named in the notice.
How to pay a fine and the deadlines
On ANSR's road offences page, the rule is clear: you should pay the fine voluntarily within 15 working days of being notified, following the instructions in the notice.
- within 15 working days: you pay the fine with no costs, as long as you do not file a defence;
- after 15 working days and until the decision: you can still pay, but with costs of at least €52.50 (half a unidade de conta, worth €105);
- extensions: there are none; the rules do not allow the payment deadline to be extended;
- deposit: if you are going to file a defence, you can pay the fine as a deposit within 48 hours of the notification; it is refunded if you are not convicted. If you do not file a defence within 15 working days, the deposit becomes payment.
Paying a fine in instalments
You can ask to pay in instalments, with form F303, at any stage until the case goes to court. ANSR only accepts it when the fine initially set for the offence is €210 or more, each instalment is at least €50 and the plan lasts no more than 12 months.
Note: asking for instalments adds case costs (at least €52.50). Missing an instalment cancels the plan.
Minor, serious and very serious offences
- minor: fine only; once paid, the case is closed;
- serious: as well as the fine, a driving ban of 1 month to 1 year;
- very serious: a driving ban of 2 months to 2 years.
For serious and very serious offences, paying the fine does not close the case, which goes on to decide the ban. These offences also cost licence points: see our guide on how to check your licence points and how they are lost.
I got a fine but I was not driving
If the fine came in your name because you are the car's registered keeper, but someone else was driving, identify the driver on form F306 within 15 working days of the notification. You can do it on the portal, by email signed digitally with your Citizen Card, by registered post or at the PSP or GNR.
In this case, do not pay the fine. The identified driver will then be notified in their own name.
Sold your car and fines keep arriving?
Notices go to whoever is on record as the vehicle's registered keeper. If you sold the car and the buyer did not register it, their fines may reach you. To avoid this, complete the car registration in the buyer's name on the day of the sale, online or in person.
On AUTO.MOTO.pt, 91% of the 7,776 cars for sale on 22 October 2026 were advertised by dealers. When buying from a dealer, ask who handles the registration and when it will be done. When buying privately, agree on the registration before handing over the keys. See the used cars for sale and filter by district.
Note that fines and taxes are different things. If the problem is IUC, see what happens with overdue IUC.
When traffic fines expire
According to ANSR, a road offence case expires 2 years after the offence, but that period can be suspended or interrupted, for example by notification of the decision. The fine and any additional penalties expire 2 years after the decision becomes final. Do not count on this to avoid paying.
Beware of fake fine texts and emails
ANSR has warned about messages that imitate fine notices and ask for payment through a link. In its June 2026 ANSR warning, the authority says it never sends offence notices by email or SMS, never asks for payment through links and always sends official notices by post.
- do not tap the link or reply to the message;
- do not give personal or bank details;
- if in doubt, check the portal or contact ANSR at mail@ansr.pt or on 214 236 800.
Frequently asked questions about traffic fines
Which website do I use to check fines?
ANSR's Portal das Contraordenações, logging in with your Citizen Card or the Chave Móvel Digital. Minor parking fines are checked with the local council.
How long does a fine take to appear on the Portal das Contraordenações?
ANSR does not give a time frame. What counts for payment is the notification, which arrives by post. The 15 working days run from then.
How can I pay fines?
By following the instructions in the offence notice, within 15 working days of the notification. If the fine is €210 or more, you can ask to pay in instalments.
Can I check fines by number plate?
There is no open search by number plate. Each person sees the cases in their name on the portal, as driver or registered keeper.
How much are traffic fines in Portugal?
It depends on the offence and is set in the Highway Code. The amount you have to pay is stated in the notice. If you pay after 15 working days, costs of at least €52.50 are added.
