Fines & Administrative Penalties in Romania

A fine in Romania (amendă) for a minor offence, a contravenție as opposed to a crime, is set out in an official report, the proces-verbal de constatare a contravenției. The ones residents and visitors meet most are traffic fines, penalties for driving without a valid road vignette (rovinietă), local police fines for parking or public order, and administrative penalties from the tax office or other authorities. People search for how to appeal a fine or “contest a proces-verbal”; the legal remedy is a complaint to the court, the plângere contravențională. Some older lists and lawyer pages call this service “Dealing with Fines & Administrative Matters”. English-speaking lawyers in Romania help with paying and with challenging.

How a fine works in Romania

The report is handed over on the spot or sent by post to the address on record; for vignette and camera offences it usually goes to the vehicle's registered keeper. It states the facts, the legal provision broken and the amount, and normally offers a reduced payment if the fine is paid quickly. A fine left unpaid is passed to the tax authorities and collected like a tax debt.

Challenging a fine

The challenge does not go back to the authority that issued the fine: it is filed with a local court (judecătorie) within a short period counted from the day the report was received, so that date matters. The court checks whether the report contains the details the law requires, whether the facts are proven and whether the penalty fits; it can cancel the fine, replace it with a warning (avertisment) or confirm it.

Points to watch

• Reports in Romanian are hard to follow; the lawyer checks names, dates, the registration number and the legal basis.
• A fine is not a criminal conviction, but some driving offences are crimes rather than contravenții. If a criminal case may be involved, see arrest warrant check.
• Living abroad does not stop the procedure; a lawyer can act on a lawyer's mandate or a power of attorney.

What a lawyer does

Reads and translates the report, explains whether paying or challenging makes more sense, drafts and files the complaint, represents you at the hearing and reports the outcome. This page is general information, not legal advice.

Questions and answers

Can I challenge the fine with the authority that issued it?

As a rule, no. A minor offence report is challenged before the court.

Are road vignette fines sent to foreign drivers?

Vignettes are checked by cameras on national roads and the report goes to the registered keeper; how it reaches a vehicle registered abroad depends on the data exchanged between countries.

Does paying the reduced amount close the matter?

Payment settles the fine. Whether a challenge is still worthwhile after paying is something the lawyer looks at with the report in hand.

Do I have to attend the hearing?

No; a lawyer can represent you. More on related matters: administrative law in Romania.