Stricter License Plate Enforcement Announced by Police Along with New Fines

License Plate Monitoring Tightened

According to Radiotrek — Світ: Authorities are ramping up checks on vehicle license plates and reminding drivers of penalties for non-compliance. A car without properly mounted or legible plates is not permitted to be on the road. Violations now include:

• Non-standard license plates;
• Plates installed in unauthorized locations;
• Dirt or damage making symbols unreadable from 20 meters away;
• Inverted or unlit plates.

Law enforcement officials emphasized that any alteration or obstruction hindering plate identification constitutes an offense.

Penalties for Violations

The baseline fine for dirty, darkened, inverted, or unlit plates is 1,190 hryvnias. Drivers caught using special plates-such as military, police, or diplomatic ones-without authorization face a fine of 2,550 hryvnias. A second offense within a year can raise the penalty to 5,100 hryvnias. In repeated cases, a court may suspend driving privileges for three to six months.

Recently in Ternopil, patrol officers stopped a Volkswagen driver who had altered the characters on his license plate with a black marker. The man admitted to modifying the plate himself, but this did not prevent a fine. He received a citation for 1,190 hryvnias. Police also urge immediate reporting of stolen plates, as they can be used in criminal activities. Fines can be appealed in court within 10 days of receiving the citation.

This stricter oversight of license plates is part of broader efforts to improve road safety and deter violations.

Properly maintained plates are crucial for efficient crime investigations and can prevent stolen plates from being exploited in illegal schemes. Drivers should ensure their plates meet all requirements to avoid fines and legal trouble.