Albania tightens penalties for drunk drivers and minors — amended law foresees permanent licence loss and higher fines

Albania has enacted sweeping changes to its traffic law designed to tighten penalties for a range of violations, with officials saying the aim is to reduce accidents and improve road safety.

Major new sanctions for drunk drivers and younger motorists

“According to the law, these amendments provide for the permanent revocation of driving licences for drivers who are found to be driving under the influence of alcohol, i.e. who again operate a vehicle with more than 0.5 per mille in the blood, after having previously been warned or fined for that. This drastic measure is taken to eliminate chronic alcoholics from the road, who are considered the most dangerous drivers.”

Under the revised rules, minors caught driving without a licence will only be allowed to enrol in driving school once they reach 20 years of age. Young drivers will also face new limits on motorway speeds: they will not be permitted to drive on highways at speeds above 90 kilometres per hour.

Traffic offences for exceeding speed limits in populated areas and near schools have been toughened. A separate penalty scale applies for the use of mobile phones while driving: drivers who are found twice within a twelve‑month period using a phone while behind the wheel will have their licence suspended for three months.

Financial penalties were specified for several breaches: fines range from 5,000 (54 euros) to 15,000 lek, accompanied by a one‑month suspension of the driving licence and a deduction of penalty points. A night‑time driving ban has been introduced for persons under 21.

Another notable change removes the previous option to replace licence withdrawal with the payment of a double fine, meaning revocations must now be enforced directly.

Photo: press material from the event