🚗 Can I drive 10 km/h over the speed limit in Albania?

Quick answer

No. There is no legal 10 km/h “tolerance” — even a small excess is an offence. Up to 10 km/h over the limit the fine is 1,000–3,000 lekë; more than 10 and up to 20 km/h it becomes 2,000–6,000 lekë. For heavier excesses, DPSHTRR's official material gives 5,000–15,000 lekë plus a licence suspension of 1–3 months, stretching to 3–6 months for drivers licensed under 3 years. The myth: “the radar automatically forgives 10 km/h”. Wrong — a device's technical margin concerns measurement and calibration, not a right to drive above the limit. Watch the currency too: a 3,000 new-lek fine is spoken of as “30 thousand lekë” in old lek. Same money.

📋 The rules

For cars, where signs say nothing else, the general limits are 40 km/h in built-up areas, 80 km/h on secondary interurban roads, 90 km/h on main interurban roads and 110 km/h on the motorway.
Exceeding the limit by up to 10 km/h is fined 1,000–3,000 lekë — there is no forgiven margin below that.
Exceeding by more than 10 km/h but no more than 20 km/h is fined 2,000–6,000 lekë.
For heavier excesses the Code provides not only a fine but a licence suspension; DPSHTRR's official material gives 5,000–15,000 lekë and a 1–3 month suspension for that category.
For a driver holding a licence for less than 3 years, the suspension for a serious excess extends to 3–6 months.

🔓 Exceptions

A road sign overrides the general limit: a posted 30 km/h or 60 km/h must be respected even where the road looks like it "allows" more.
In rain, fog, ice, a bend or heavy traffic you can be in breach even below the posted limit, if your speed is not adapted to conditions.
Buses, trucks, vehicles with trailers and some other categories have their own, lower limits than a passenger car.

⚠️ Penalties & fines

The fine is only the first step. A serious excess also brings a licence suspension — 1–3 months, or 3–6 months if you have held the licence under 3 years — and a suspension means months without driving, not just an invoice. If your speed causes a crash, civil or criminal liability may follow depending on the outcome; that does not flow automatically from the kilometres over the limit, but from the harm caused. And do not panic at the numbers people quote: a 6,000-lek fine will be talked about as “60 thousand lekë” — that is old lek, the same amount.

📎 Official sources

Last verified: 2026-07-12

❓ Frequently asked

Is there really a 10 km/h tolerance?

No. The law grants no forgiven margin, and exceeding the limit by up to 10 km/h is fined 1,000–3,000 lekë. A radar's technical margin is about measurement accuracy and calibration, not a licence to drive above the limit.

What is the fine if I am 15 km/h over?

More than 10 and up to 20 km/h is fined 2,000–6,000 lekë. The figures are in new lek — in conversation Albanians will quote the same fine as “20 to 60 thousand lekë”, because they speak in old lek.

Why do sources give different tables for serious speeding?

DPSHTRR's summary page presents the serious threshold simply as “over 20 km/h”, while its own theory material splits it by zone and size of the excess. For the full table you need the consolidated text of article 140, not the summary.

Can I lose my licence for speeding alone?

Yes. The serious categories carry a suspension on top of the fine, and for drivers licensed under 3 years it stretches to 3–6 months. The suspension is a separate measure and does not disappear because you paid the fine.

Does the law passed in June 2026 change the fines?

Parliament passed an amending law to the Road Code on 17 June 2026, but as of the 12 July 2026 check the promulgation of law no. 58/2026 could not be found in the Official Gazette. Until it appears, the figures in force apply; we will re-check on publication.

🔎 Common searches

What people search to land here:

“speeding fine albania”
“is 10 km over the limit allowed in albania”
“albania speed limits for cars”
“licence suspension for speeding albania”
“city speed limit albania”
“motorway speed limit albania”