Israel Police

Fines and Double Fines

This headline applies mainly up until September 30, 2002, since double fines were canceled as of October 1, 2002, thereby giving delinquent traffic violators – drivers who had not paid their fine by the 90-day legal deadline - a discount of sorts.

History: Up until September 30, 2002, the law stipulated 14 different levels of fines, ranging from NIS 40 for minor violations to NIS 1,000 for particularly serious violations. Up until September 30, 2002, a double fine was levied after 91 days on drivers who neither paid their fine nor asked for a trial. After every six additional months, 50% of the original fine was added to the outstanding fine.

Present time: New regulation went into effect on October 1, 2002, including the following provisions:

The number of different levels of fine was reduced to five: NIS 100, NIS 250, NIS 500, NIS 750, and NIS 1,000.
The penalty fine after 90 days was an addition of 50% to the original fine, and only 5% of the original fine was added after each additional six months.

The Knesset, Israel’s legislative body, passed the new regulations, but the initiative came from the Israel Police. The police realized that it was very difficult and complex to determine whether the fine for a given violation should be NIS 70 or NIS 85 (some of the fines differed by as little as NIS 15). The Traffic Department council went over the publication with the list of violations and fines section by section (see next chapter for details), and chose the new fine for each item from five levels, starting from NIS 100 for minor violations, NIS 250, NIS 500, NIS 750, and NIS 1,000 for the most serious violations. In addition to attempting to preserve the status quo to the greatest degree possible where the amount of the fine was concerned, the following principles were also observed:

Fines were increased for more serious offenses.
Fines were increased for deliberate offenses. For example, no driver drives on the road shoulder by mistake or by accident, and no driver speaks on a cell phone in his car without a hands-free microphone without meaning to so.

After the police determined its position in the matter, a committee was established, in which personnel from the Police Traffic Department, the police legal advisor, the Ministry of Internal Security, the Ministry of Transport Road Safety Authority, and the Ministry of Justice took part. The committee studied the matter for a number of weeks, and eventually reached a consensus. The entire matter was presented to the Knesset Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee, and later to the Knesset Economics Committee, which also made a contribution. Some discussion took place and some sections were changed, until a final version of the regulations was agreed upon, and went into effect on October 1, 2002.

Some offenses previously requiring a court procedure were changed to give violators the option of a fine without trial.

The double fine clause was also eliminated; this sanction was replaced by a less severe provision. Under the new law, a driver who did not request a trial and who did not pay his fine within 90 days automatically has 50% added to the sum of his fine. For example, the NIS 1,000 fine for a driver who ran a red light and did not pay within three months is automatically increased to NIS 1,500, and thereafter by 5% of the original fine for each additional six months. The fine in this case (for a driver who ran a red light) is as follows:

For 90 days from the time the fine is imposed – NIS 1,000
From 91 days to nine months – NIS 1,500
From 9-15 months – NIS 1,550
From 15-21 months – NIS 1,600, etc.

As part of improving and streamlining service to the public, the job of notifying drivers who did not pay their tickets was divided as follows: the initial notification of a 50% increase in the fine is sent by the police, after which the police are no longer responsible for the ticket. The matter is then referred to the Fines, Fees, and Expenses Collection Center in the Ministry of Justice, which notifies the driver of the amount of his debt, and also notifies the Department of Motor Vehicles not to renew the driver’s license if the driver persists in refusing to pay his tickets, or has asked to be tried.

While it is not yet possible to pay through the Internet or by telephone using a credit card, inquiries can be made through the Internet, and the driver can clarify his status with the Fines, Fees, and Expenses Collection Center: whether he owes money for traffic tickets, and whether or not his offenses disqualify him from renewing his license.