What speed can I do and what's the fine?
Conditional on the road and the excess. For light vehicles: 50 km/h in built-up areas, 90 outside, 100 on reserved roads and 120 on motorways (minimum 50 on motorways). Heavy vehicles are lower. Fines depend on how much you exceed: up to ~20/30 km/h is minor (€60–€300); 21–40/31–60 is serious (€120–€600 + ban); 41–60/61–80 is very serious (€300–€1,500); above that (€500–€2,500 + ban of 2 months to 2 years). The radar margin (Ordinance 352/2023) is a metrological correction already deducted by the device, not a personal "buffer." In short: respect the road's limit and local signage.
📋 The rules
- Light: 50 town, 90 outside, 100 reserved, 120 motorway
- Minor excess: fine €60–€300
- Serious excess: €120–€600 + ban 1 month–1 year
- Very serious: €300–€2,500 + ban up to 2 years
- Radar margin: already deducted by the device
🔓 Exceptions
- Local signage overrides the generic limit
- Heavy vehicles and those with a trailer: lower limits
- Repeat offences: escalating penalties
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Speeding fines run from €60 (minor) up to €2,500 (very serious), with a driving ban of 1 month to 2 years in the serious and very serious tiers, plus licence points. The radar margin (Ordinance 352/2023, ~±3 km/h up to 100 km/h on fixed devices, ±5% above) is a metrological correction applied by the device itself — it's not permission to drive X km/h over. Beware a myth: many "fine table" pages online are Brazilian (CTB, CNH, points) and don't apply to Portugal. To stay compliant: respect the road's limit and local signage, which prevails, and don't count on the radar margin as a buffer — it's already built into the measurement.
📎 Official sources
❓ Frequently asked
What are the speed limits in Portugal?
For light cars, the limit is 50 km/h in built-up areas, 90 km/h outside, 100 km/h on roads reserved for cars and 120 km/h on motorways, where there's also a minimum of 50 km/h. Heavy and trailer-towing vehicles have lower limits. Local signage prevails.
What's the fine for speeding?
It depends on how much you exceed and the road. Minor excess costs €60 to €300. Serious, €120 to €600, with a driving ban. Very serious, €300 to €2,500, with a ban of 2 months to 2 years. In all cases there are also licence points.
Is there a tolerance margin on radars?
There's a metrological error margin, set by Ordinance 352/2023, of about 3 km/h up to 100 km/h on fixed radars and 5% above. But that margin is deducted by the device itself. It's not a buffer that lets you drive over the limit.
Do the fine tables I see online apply to Portugal?
Not always. Many fine and points tables that appear in searches are Brazilian, based on the Brazilian Traffic Code, and don't apply to Portugal. In Portugal, the Highway Code and the fines set by ANSR are what count.
Do I lose licence points for speeding?
Yes. Besides the fine and a possible driving ban, speeding means losing points on your driving licence. Repeat offences escalate the penalties. Staying within the limits and watching the signage is the only way to avoid these consequences.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “speed limits portugal”
- “speeding fine table”
- “radar margin ordinance 352/2023”
- “motorway speed 120”
- “speeding fine ban”
- “licence points speeding”