Warning fines in Estonia: what they are and how to challenge them

A warning fine (hoiatustrahv) is usually sent to the owner or registered responsible user of a vehicle when a traffic offence has been recorded on camera but the driver was not identified on the spot. In most cases it is a speed camera fine. A warning fine is not a punishment and is not entered in the criminal records database (karistusregister). If you disagree with the fine, you can challenge it in writing within 30 days.

What is a warning fine?

A warning fine is imposed without stopping the driver. This happens when the offence has been detected by an automatic traffic surveillance system, such as a speed camera, or when an officer could not identify the driver straight away but the offence was captured in a photo or video. The recording must show the vehicle’s registration plate and the time and place of the offence.

Under § 54¹ of the Code of Misdemeanour Procedure (väärteomenetluse seadustik), a warning fine is not a punishment. It is therefore not entered in the criminal records database and is not taken into account when it is later assessed whether you have committed offences repeatedly. The situation is different if the police stop you on the spot and impose a punishment in ordinary misdemeanour proceedings. Such a punishment is entered in the criminal records database and may affect the choice of any later punishment.

Since 2025, a warning fine can be up to 420 euros. The amount for a specific offence is set out in the Traffic Act (liiklusseadus).

Who receives a warning fine?

The fine notice (trahviteade) is sent to the person who was the registered owner of the vehicle at the time of the offence. If a responsible user (vastutav kasutaja) has been entered in the register, for example under a leasing agreement, the notice goes to that person.

The person who receives the notice is not necessarily the person who was driving. The car may have been driven by a family member, an employee or a friend. Even so, you should not ignore the notice. If you were not driving and want to challenge the fine for that reason, your complaint must state who was driving the vehicle.

How to challenge a warning fine

The complaint must be submitted in writing and signed, to the authority that issued the fine notice. You have 30 days from receiving the notice. If you challenge the notice (that is, submit a complaint), the warning fine does not take effect.

In other types of proceedings, for example if the police stop you on the spot, the deadlines for challenging a decision are shorter. You will find a comparison table in our guide to speeding and driving bans.

If you are submitting the complaint as a private individual, include:

• the authority to which you are submitting the complaint, meaning the out-of-court authority that issued the fine notice
• your name, residential address, telephone number and email address
• if you have a representative, their name, address, telephone number and email address
• the name and address of the authority that imposed the warning fine
• the number and date of the fine notice
• what you are asking for and why you consider the notice to be wrong

If you are challenging the fine because someone else was driving, include that person’s name, residential address, driving licence number and date of birth or personal identification code. You do not have to provide these details if, before the offence, the competent authority had been notified of the theft, loss or destruction of the vehicle or its registration plate and you have official confirmation of this. Nor do you have to provide them if you have evidence that the offence was justified by law, for example in a situation of necessity.

A challenge may be justified, for example, if the notice names the wrong vehicle, the recording does not show what the notice says, someone else was driving, or there is doubt as to whether the offence was committed at all.

What happens after you submit a complaint?

What happens next depends on why you are challenging the fine.

• Someone else was driving. The authority sends the fine notice to the person you named in your complaint. Because you challenged it, the warning fine imposed on you does not take effect.
• The car was stolen or the offence was justified. If you provide evidence of this, the authority may cancel the notice and not continue the proceedings.
• You do not accept that there was an offence. For example, you believe the recording does not prove the offence or the act is not a misdemeanour. The authority then continues the case in ordinary misdemeanour proceedings.

Ordinary misdemeanour proceedings also begin if the driver you named in turn challenges the notice sent to them. In the new proceedings, the authority is not bound by the amount stated in the fine notice. The outcome may be a higher fine or another punishment that is entered in the criminal records database. You should therefore think through what a challenge may lead to before you make one. To find out when speeding can lead to a driving ban, read our guide to speeding and driving bans.

If a decision imposing a punishment is made in the resumed misdemeanour proceedings, you can generally challenge it in the county court within 15 days. When that period starts depends on whether the decision was made in expedited (kiirmenetlus) or general proceedings (üldmenetlus). In this way, a court can review the facts on which the warning fine was based. The fine notice itself cannot be challenged directly in court. In its judgment of 12 December 2017 in case no. 5-17-12/9, the Supreme Court explained that if the vehicle owner challenges a warning fine on the merits, the proceedings must be continued precisely so that they have the opportunity to go to court.

What happens if you neither pay nor challenge a warning fine?

A warning fine must be paid within 30 days of receiving the fine notice. If you neither pay nor challenge the fine within that time, the authority sends the notice to a bailiff for enforcement. Bailiff’s fees and other costs may then be added to the fine.

Once a warning fine has been paid or sent to a bailiff for enforcement, you can no longer be punished for the same act in misdemeanour proceedings.

What to do after receiving a fine notice

1. Check the notice. Look at the time, place, vehicle and description of the offence.
2. Think about who was driving. Find out who was using the car at that time.
3. Ask for the recording if needed. You are entitled to a copy of the photo, video or other recording on which the offence was established.
4. Decide within 30 days. If you accept the fine, pay it. If not, submit a reasoned complaint within that time.
5. Seek a lawyer’s advice in a more complex dispute. Especially if the issue concerns the accuracy of the measurement, the evidence, or whether the offence was correctly classified.

Frequently asked questions

Is a warning fine entered in the criminal records database?

No. A warning fine is not a punishment and is not entered in the criminal records database. Nor is it taken into account when it is later assessed whether you have committed offences repeatedly.

Does a warning fine affect my driving licence?

No. A warning fine is only a financial obligation. In written warning proceedings (kirjalik hoiatamismenetlus), the right to drive is not taken away, and the warning fine is not taken into account when it is later assessed whether you have committed offences repeatedly. The situation may be different if the fine is challenged and the case continues in ordinary misdemeanour proceedings.

How much can a warning fine be?

Up to 420 euros. The amount for a specific offence is set out in the Traffic Act.

How long do I have to pay a warning fine?

30 days from receiving the fine notice. The fine is considered paid on time if the money has reached the bank account stated in the notice by the last day of the period. It is therefore best to pay a few days before the deadline.

What happens if I did not receive the fine notice?

The fine notice is sent within ten working days of the offence being established. A private individual receives it electronically or by registered letter at the address in the population register. If receipt of an electronic notice is not confirmed within 15 days, it is sent by registered letter. The 30-day period for paying and challenging the fine starts when you receive the notice. If a person does not live at the address in the register and the notice cannot be delivered in any other way, it may be published in the official publication Ametlikud Teadaanded. It is then deemed delivered 30 days after publication, or earlier if you confirm receipt in the Ametlikud Teadaanded information system. A company receives the notice at the address entered in the register or at the email address published in the register, and it is deemed delivered 30 days after it was sent. It is therefore worth keeping your address and email address up to date in the registers. If you believe the notice was not properly delivered to you, ask the authority for the delivery details and an explanation of how the deadline was calculated.

What if someone else was driving when the camera fine was issued?

Challenge the fine notice within 30 days and include the driver’s name, residential address, driving licence number and date of birth or personal identification code in your complaint. The notice will then be sent to that person.

What if I know who was driving but do not have all their details?

If you are challenging a warning fine because someone else was driving, you must provide their first name and surname, residential address, driving licence number and date of birth or personal identification code. A name alone is generally not enough. If you do not have all the details, ask the person who used the car. If that is not possible, still submit your complaint within 30 days with the details you know and an explanation of why you cannot provide the rest. A complaint with incomplete details does not guarantee that the notice will be sent to the other person. The law requires a vehicle owner who lets someone else use the vehicle to keep information on these details for the whole period of use and for six months afterwards. Breaching this obligation can lead to a fine of up to 800 euros for a private individual and up to 3,200 euros for a company.

Who receives a fine incurred in a company car?

The fine notice is sent to the registered owner or responsible user of the vehicle. For a company car, this is usually the company, not the employee who was driving. The company may pay the fine or challenge it within 30 days. If the company challenges the fine, its complaint must state the name, residential address, driving licence number and date of birth or personal identification code of the person who was using the car at the time of the offence. The notice will then be sent to that person. The driver’s details do not have to be provided if, before the offence, the competent authority had been notified of the theft, loss or destruction of the vehicle or its registration plate and official confirmation of this is provided, or if the company has evidence that the offence was justified by law.

Will I receive the fine for a rented or leased car?

With a leased car, the lessee is often entered in the register as the responsible user. The fine notice is then sent directly to them. With a short-term rental car, the notice is usually sent to the rental company if it is the registered owner or responsible user of the vehicle. The rental company may challenge the notice and provide the details of the person who was using the car at the time of the offence. The notice is then sent to that person, who in turn has 30 days to pay or challenge the fine. Many rental agreements also provide for an administration fee charged to the renter for handling the fine. You will find its terms in your rental agreement.

Can I see the speed camera photo?

Yes. If you ask, you will be sent a copy of the photo, video or other recording on which the offence was established.

Is a private car park charge a warning fine?

No. A private car park charge, often called a fine, is usually a civil law claim arising from a contract, meaning the car park’s terms of use. A warning fine can only be imposed by an out-of-court authority, such as the police or a rural municipality or city government, if a vehicle is parked in a prohibited place or in breach of parking rules. Such a parking warning fine is 40 euros, or 80 euros if the parking endangers other road users or significantly obstructs traffic. Nor is a warning fine the same as the late payment charge (viivistasu) that a rural municipality or city government imposes for failing to pay the parking fee in a paid parking area. A private car park charge, a parking late payment charge and a warning fine are therefore different claims, and they are challenged in different ways.

When to contact a lawyer

A lawyer’s help is useful if the dispute is not only about who was driving but also concerns the reliability of the measurement, the recording, the legal assessment of the act or the authority’s conduct. It is also worth seeking advice if challenging the fine may lead to ordinary misdemeanour proceedings. The lawyers of Law Firm NAMM advise and represent clients in misdemeanour proceedings and fine disputes.

This article was last updated on 13 October 2026.