Guides · 94 at launch
The District Court, chapter by chapter
Each guide names the Act or official page it comes from, is written for the person who has to go to court, and carries the date it was last checked. The figures in them are the figures the tools use.
Chapter 1
Something arrived
A summons, a charge sheet and bail, a fixed charge notice, the third payment option, a TV licence summons, and the summons that never arrived.
- GuideA charge sheet and station bail in Ireland: what you signed and what comes nextAfter arrest and charge at a Garda station you get a charge sheet and usually station bail, with a court date often within a day or two. The conditions, the caution and the first appearance.Read →
- GuideA court summons in Ireland: what it means and what to do firstA District Court summons is applied for by the Garda, issued by the court office and served by registered post or in person, twelve to fourteen weeks before the first date. What to do first.Read →
- GuideA fixed charge notice in Ireland: pay, nominate the driver, or go to courtA fixed charge notice gives 28 days to pay, a further 28 days at the charge plus 50%, then a summons. Nomination, the cancellation grounds, the court route, and whether paying is a conviction.Read →
- GuideA TV licence summons in Ireland: An Post's prosecution and what the court doesAn Post prosecutes an unlicensed television set in the District Court under the Broadcasting Act 2009; the fine is up to €1,000. Buying the licence before the court date is taken into account.Read →
- GuideThe summons that never arrived or went to the wrong addressA District Court summons is served by registered post or in person. If it went to an old address you can be convicted in your absence or a bench warrant can issue. How to find out and who to ring.Read →
- GuideThe third payment option in Ireland: ending a summons at double the chargeSection 44 of the Road Traffic Act 2010 lets you pay double the fixed charge up to seven days before the court date and end the prosecution with the fixed-charge points. 10,902 used it in 2025.Read →
Chapter 2
Road traffic
Penalty points, the full list of offences, the 12 and 7 thresholds, speeding, no insurance, no NCT or tax, phones, dangerous and careless driving, learners, and contesting a notice.
- GuideCan you appeal penalty points in Ireland? Contesting a fixed charge notice and the court's higher pointsPenalty points cannot be appealed once a fixed charge is paid. The lawful routes: a Garda cancellation on listed grounds, a not guilty plea at the summons, and a Circuit Court appeal within 14 days.Read →
- GuideDangerous driving and careless driving in Ireland: sections 52 and 53, the penalties and the disqualificationDangerous driving under section 53 of the Road Traffic Act 1961 carries a Class A fine, up to six months and a disqualification. Careless driving is a fixed charge without a collision.Read →
- GuideDriving without insurance in Ireland: court only, five points or a ban of at least two yearsDriving without insurance in Ireland is a court matter under section 56 of the Road Traffic Act 1961: five penalty points or a ban of at least two years, a fine of up to €5,000 and up to six months.Read →
- GuideFailing to stop and hit and run in Ireland: section 106, the duties after a collision and the penaltiesAfter a collision the driver must stop, remain, give details and report to the Garda. Failing to do so is an offence under section 106 of the Road Traffic Act 1961, heavier where there is injury.Read →
- GuideList of penalty points and fixed charges in Ireland, 2026Every penalty point offence with the points on payment, on conviction and the fixed charge: speeding €160 and 3 or 5 points, phone €120, no NCT €60, learner alone €160, and the court-only offences.Read →
- GuideMobile phone while driving in Ireland: the €120 fixed charge, the points and the courtHolding a mobile phone while driving in Ireland is a €120 fixed charge with three penalty points, five on conviction. What counts as holding, what hands-free means, and the 24,500 notices in 2025.Read →
- GuideNo NCT, no tax, no licence in Ireland: the fixed charges, the points and the courtNo NCT is a €60 fixed charge with three penalty points, five on conviction, and the car can be seized. No motor tax is €60 with no points and the arrears pursued separately. No licence goes to court.Read →
- GuidePenalty points in Ireland: how they work, how long they last and how to check themPenalty points in Ireland last three years from endorsement. Twelve in three years means six months off the road, seven for learners and novices. How to check your record and what insurers ask.Read →
- GuideSpeed vans, GoSafe and the tolerance myth: how camera detection works and what to do when a notice arrivesThere is no speed tolerance in Irish law: the limit is the limit, and the Garda does not publish enforcement thresholds. How GoSafe vans detect, the 169,000 notices in 2025 and what to do with yours.Read →
- GuideSpeeding in Ireland: the €160 fixed charge, the points and the courtA speeding fine in Ireland is a €160 fixed charge with three penalty points, rising to €240 and then €320. In the District Court a conviction carries five points and a fine. The limits since 2025.Read →
- GuideUnaccompanied learner driver in Ireland: the €160 fixed charge, the points and the seized carA learner driving unaccompanied faces a €160 fixed charge with two penalty points, four on conviction, and since 2018 the Garda can seize the car. Seven points disqualifies a learner for six months.Read →
- GuideWhat happens when you get 12 penalty points in Ireland (7 for learners and novices)Twelve penalty points in three years means six months off the road, seven for learners and novices. The notice, when the six months start, surrendering your licence and getting back on the road.Read →
Chapter 3
Drink and drug driving
The limits, the first offence, the disqualification bands, drug driving, refusing the test, getting your licence back, insurance after a ban, and the record.
- GuideCar insurance after a drink driving conviction in IrelandAfter a drink driving conviction or disqualification you must answer the insurer's questions honestly; refusals go to Insurance Ireland's declined cases agreement. When the conviction is spent.Read →
- GuideDrink driving disqualification periods in Ireland: the section 65 tableThe Road Traffic Act 2010 fixes a minimum drink driving ban by reading: 6 months to 3 years for a first offence, 1 to 6 years for a second, 4 years for incapable of control. When it starts.Read →
- GuideDrink driving first offence in Ireland: notice or court, and what the court weighsA first drink driving offence up to 100 mg can end with a fixed penalty notice: €200 or €400 and 3 or 6 months off the road. Above that the court must disqualify for at least 2 years.Read →
- GuideDrink driving limits in Ireland: blood, urine and breathThe drink driving limit is 50 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood, 67 mg in urine or 22 µg in breath; 20, 27 and 9 for learners, novices and professional drivers. The test, and what follows.Read →
- GuideDrug driving in Ireland: the specified drugs, the roadside test and the disqualificationDriving with cannabis, cocaine or heroin above the limit carries a minimum 1 year disqualification, 2 for a repeat; driving while impaired by any drug carries 4 years. The oral fluid test.Read →
- GuideGetting your licence back after a ban in IrelandWhen a disqualification ends you apply to the NDLS for a new licence; the court may have ordered a driving test or a certificate of fitness. A ban of 2 years or more can be removed early after half.Read →
- GuideIs drink driving a criminal record in Ireland?A drink driving conviction in the District Court is a criminal record; a fixed penalty notice paid in time is not. Spent after seven years as a minor motoring offence. Vetting and travel.Read →
- GuideRefusing the breath or blood test in Ireland: an offence in its own rightRefusing or failing to provide a breath, blood or urine specimen is a separate offence under the Road Traffic Act 2010, with a minimum 4 year disqualification and up to €5,000 and/or 6 months.Read →
Chapter 4
Drugs
Section 3 possession, the Adult Caution Scheme, section 15, a first offence, the Drug Treatment Court, and what a conviction means for travel, vetting and work.
- GuideA drugs conviction in Ireland: travel, Garda vetting and workA drug conviction with a fine can be spent after seven years, but drugs are outside the minor carve-outs, the US ESTA asks about drug offences regardless, and Garda vetting shows it for seven years.Read →
- GuideA first drug offence in Ireland: what the District Court can doA first drug possession charge: the District Court can dismiss under the Probation Act with no conviction, take a poor box donation, fine within Class C, or adjourn for treatment. What it weighs.Read →
- GuideCaught with cannabis in Ireland: section 3 possession and what happens nextCannabis for personal use is a section 3 offence: a Class C fine for a first or second offence, up to 12 months only from a third, and an Adult Caution possible for a first offence.Read →
- GuideSection 15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act: possession for sale or supply in IrelandSection 15, possession for sale or supply, is indictable: the District Court hears it only with the DPP's consent, up to 12 months. Drugs worth €13,000 or more are section 15A, Circuit Court only.Read →
- GuideThe Adult Caution Scheme and the Health Diversion Programme in IrelandAn Adult Caution is a Garda superintendent's caution instead of a prosecution for listed minor offences, including a first cannabis possession since December 2020. Not a conviction, but recorded.Read →
- GuideThe Drug Treatment Court in Dublin: who is eligible and how the programme worksThe Drug Treatment Court is a District Court programme in Dublin for people whose offending is linked to drug use: supervised treatment, reviews and testing in place of a sentence, on a guilty plea.Read →
Chapter 5
Public order, assault, theft and damage
Sections 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9, drunk and disorderly, section 2 and section 3 assault, shoplifting, criminal damage, harassment and stalking, civil restraining orders, knives, and the peace bond.
- GuideBound to the peace in Ireland: what the peace bond is and what it is notBound to the peace means a bond to keep the peace and be of good behaviour for a period, with a sum forfeited on breach. It is not a conviction. How it is recorded, breach, and the 792 bonds in 2025.Read →
- GuideCaught shoplifting in Ireland: theft under €1,000 and the District CourtShoplifting is theft under the 2001 Act: up to 12 months and a Class A fine in the District Court. The Adult Caution for a first offence under €1,000, the civil recovery letter, and the record.Read →
- GuideCivil restraining orders in Ireland: stalking and harassment by someone who is not a partnerSince September 2024 anyone can apply to the District Court for a civil restraining order against stalking or harassment by someone who is not a partner or family member. The hearing and breach.Read →
- GuideCriminal damage in Ireland: the 1991 Act in the District CourtCriminal damage under the 1991 Act carries up to 12 months and a Class A fine in the District Court. Intent and recklessness, lawful excuse, compensation orders, and the Adult Caution.Read →
- GuideDrunk and disorderly in Ireland: the €100 fixed charge, the court and the recordDrunk and disorderly is sections 4 and 5 of the Public Order Act 1994. A €100 or €140 fixed charge ends it without a conviction; in court the maximum is a Class E or D fine, no custody.Read →
- GuideHarassment, threatening behaviour and stalking charges in IrelandHarassment under section 10 of the 1997 Act carries up to 12 months in the District Court and 10 years on indictment; the 2023 Act added stalking. Bail conditions and the orders the court can make.Read →
- GuideKnives and offensive weapons in Ireland: a knife charge in the District CourtA knife or any bladed or pointed article in a public place without good reason is an offence under section 9 of the 1990 Act: up to 12 months and a fine in the District Court. Good reason, the record.Read →
- GuidePublic order offences in Ireland: sections 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9 explainedSections 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9 of the 1994 Act in plain English, each with its fine class and custody maximum, the €100 fixed charge, the Adult Caution, and what the court does with a first offence.Read →
- GuideSection 2 assault in Ireland: minor assault in the District CourtSection 2 of the 1997 Act is tried in the District Court only: a Class C fine, up to €2,500, and/or up to 6 months. The Adult Caution, self-defence, compensation orders and the record.Read →
- GuideSection 3 assault causing harm in Ireland: District Court or Circuit CourtSection 3 is an either-way offence: up to 12 months and a Class A fine in the District Court, up to 10 years on indictment since the 2023 Act. What harm means, the DPP's election, bail and legal aid.Read →
Chapter 6
At court
The first appearance to the hearing, pleas, adjournments, bail, disclosure, legal aid and the 2026 dispute, representing yourself, what to wear, a character reference, interpreters.
- GuideA character reference for court: who should write it and what it should sayA character reference for the Irish District Court: who should write one, what it should say in the writer's own words, what it must not say, how it is handed up in mitigation, and the template.Read →
- GuideAdjournments and why District Court cases take so longWhy District Court cases are adjourned, how long they take (a median of 182 days from summons to disposal in 2025), the 2026 legal aid dispute, asking for an adjournment, and if you cannot attend.Read →
- GuideBail and bail conditions in Ireland: station bail, court bail, sureties and breachStation bail and court bail in the Irish District Court: the Bail Act 1997 and the O'Callaghan test, the conditions a judge can set, sureties and the third lodged, breach, and the High Court route.Read →
- GuideCriminal legal aid in Ireland: who qualifies and how to applyHow to get legal aid in the Irish District Court: the means and gravity tests in the 1962 Act, the statement of means, asking the judge at the first appearance, no contribution, and the 2025 figures.Read →
- GuideDisclosure in the District Court: the Gary Doyle orderA Gary Doyle order, from DPP v Doyle [1994] 2 IR 286, gives you the prosecution's statements before a summary trial in the Irish District Court: what you get, how to ask, CCTV and the hearing.Read →
- GuideInterpreters, disability access and children in the District CourtInterpreters in the Irish District Court are provided on request at no cost, including Irish Sign Language. How to ask, disability access via the court office, children and vulnerable witnesses.Read →
- GuidePleading guilty or not guilty in the District Court: what each plea meansWhat a guilty plea and a not guilty plea each mean in the Irish District Court: the facts outlined, mitigation, the probation report, the hearing, changing a plea, and what the court weighs.Read →
- GuideRepresenting yourself in the District Court: your rights and how the day worksRepresenting yourself in the Irish District Court: your rights, the judge's duty to help, disclosure, cross-examination, mitigation, a McKenzie friend, and when legal aid or a solicitor is better.Read →
- GuideThe 2026 legal aid dispute: what to do if your solicitor has withdrawnThe 2026 criminal legal aid dispute in Ireland: the flat €520 fee from 1 July, the solicitors' withdrawal, July certificates down from 10,277 to 702, the High Court case, and what to do now.Read →
- GuideWhat happens in the District Court: from the door to the decisionArriving, the list, the call-over, the first appearance, the plea, legal aid, adjournments and the hearing in the Irish District Court, step by step. In 2025 the median summons case took 182 days.Read →
- GuideWhat to wear to the District Court and how to address the judgeThere is no dress code in the Irish District Court: plain and clean is what most people wear. How to address the judge, when to stand, phones, children, timing, the list and the court office.Read →
Chapter 7
Sentences and outcomes
What the court can do, the Probation Act, the poor box, fines and instalments, suspended sentences, community service, disqualification, the record, spent convictions, vetting and travel.
- GuideA criminal record in Ireland: what is recorded and who can see itWhat a conviction, a caution and a Probation Act dismissal each leave on the Garda PULSE record, who can see it through vetting or a police certificate, how to ask for your own, and the 7-year rule.Read →
- GuideA driving ban in Ireland: mandatory and discretionary disqualification, when it starts and what it meansA District Court driving ban takes effect on day 15 unless appealed. The mandatory minimums the Road Traffic Acts fix, discretionary bans, the stay on appeal, the NDLS and driving while disqualified.Read →
- GuideA suspended sentence in Ireland: section 99, the conditions and what breach meansA suspended sentence is a prison term you do not serve unless you breach its conditions in the period. Section 99 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006, the bond, breach and the conviction it leaves.Read →
- GuideCommunity service in Ireland: 40 to 240 hours in place of prisonA community service order is 40 to 240 hours of unpaid work in place of a prison sentence of up to 12 months, with your consent and a Probation Service report. How it is made, done and breached.Read →
- GuideCourt fines in Ireland: classes A to E, paying online and paying by instalmentsFines in the District Court run from Class E (€500) to Class A (€5,000) under the Fines Act 2010, fixed after the court considers your means. How to pay, instalments over 12 months, and default.Read →
- GuideGarda vetting, police certificates and travel with a convictionWhat Garda vetting discloses and the section 14A seven-year rule, what a police certificate shows, and how a conviction such as drink driving affects the US ESTA, Canada, Australia and the UK.Read →
- GuideSpent convictions in Ireland: the seven-year rule explainedUnder the 2016 Act a conviction ending in a fine, community service, a suspended sentence or custody of 12 months or less becomes spent after 7 years. The one-conviction rule and the exclusions.Read →
- GuideThe court poor box in Ireland: what it is and when the court uses itThe court poor box is a practice, not a statute: a donation to charity the judge may direct in place of a conviction and penalty. About €1.5 million went through it in 2025.Read →
- GuideThe Probation Act in Ireland: section 1(1) and section 1(2) explainedSection 1(1) of the Probation of Offenders Act 1907 dismisses a proved charge without a conviction; section 1(2) records one with a conditional discharge. What each means for your record and vetting.Read →
- GuideWhat the District Court can do: sentencing options in IrelandThe District Court's maximum is 12 months on one charge and 2 years in all. Every outcome it can order, from a strike out to custody, with the 2025 count for each one.Read →
Chapter 8
Appeals and warrants
The 14 days to the Circuit Court, staying a disqualification, bench warrants, a missed date, case stated and judicial review.
- GuideA bench warrant in Ireland: what it is and what to do todayA bench warrant issues when you do not appear on a summons or a bail date. Ring the court office that day, attend the next sitting, and ask for it to be executed and struck out there.Read →
- GuideAppealing a District Court decision to the Circuit CourtYou have 14 days to appeal a District Court conviction or sentence to the Circuit Court on Form 101.2. The recognisance stays the order, it is a full rehearing, and the sentence can go up or down.Read →
- GuideCase stated and judicial review of a District Court decisionWhen the District Court got the law wrong, the routes are a case stated to the High Court on a point of law, or judicial review within three months. Neither is a second appeal; the costs are real.Read →
- GuideMissed a court date in Ireland: what happened and what to do nowMiss a District Court date and one of two things happened: a conviction in your absence on a minor summons, or a bench warrant on a bail date. How to find out which, and the same-day steps.Read →
- GuideStaying a driving disqualification while you appealA disqualification takes effect from day 15 after the order unless you appeal and enter the recognisance, which stays it until the Circuit Court decides. What that means for driving.Read →
Chapter 9
Family law in the District Court
Safety, protection and barring orders, the hearing, maintenance and its limits, enforcement, guardianship, custody and access, and the Family Courts Act.
- GuideA domestic violence hearing in the District Court: what happens on the dayA safety or barring order hearing is in camera. What to bring, how evidence is given, what the respondent can say, how the order is made and served, the waits by district and who can sit with you.Read →
- GuideBreach of an access order in Ireland: the enforcement applicationWhen access under a court order is denied, the remedy is an enforcement application to the District Court under the 2015 Act: compensatory access, expenses, a parenting course or contempt.Read →
- GuideCustody and access applications in the District CourtHow a parent, grandparent or relative applies to the District Court for custody or access, how the child's views are heard, what an access order contains, and how it is varied.Read →
- GuideEnforcing or varying a maintenance order in IrelandA maintenance order that is not paid can be enforced through the District Court office: attachment of earnings, an enforcement summons and arrears. Either side can apply to vary it.Read →
- GuideGuardianship for unmarried fathers in Ireland: automatic, by declaration or by applicationAn unmarried father is a guardian automatically after 12 months living with the mother, including 3 after the birth; otherwise by statutory declaration or by application to the District Court.Read →
- GuideMaintenance in the District Court: the limits and how the judge decidesIreland has no maintenance formula. The District Court can order up to €500 a week for a spouse, €150 a week per child and a lump sum of €15,000; the judge weighs needs and means.Read →
- GuideSafety, protection and barring orders in Ireland: which is which and how to applySafety orders last up to 5 years and barring orders up to 3 in the District Court; a protection order can be made the same day without notice. Who can apply, the forms, the hearing and breach.Read →
- GuideThe Family Courts Act 2024: what changes, and whenThe Family Courts Act 2024 creates a Family District Court. Phase 1 starts in January 2027 in three locations not yet named; nothing operates in 2026. What changes for applicants and what does not.Read →
Chapter 10
Civil and small claims
The Small Claims procedure, a debt claim notice against you, claims up to €15,000, instalment orders, personal injuries, and dog, noise and neighbour applications.
- GuideA debt claim notice against you: the 28 days and what happens nextA District Court claim notice gives you 28 days to enter an appearance and defence; if you do not, judgment is marked in the office without a hearing. What a judgment does, and the instalment order.Read →
- GuideDog, noise and neighbour applications in the District CourtA barking or dangerous dog is dealt with under the Control of Dogs Act 1986, noise under section 108 of the EPA Act 1992, and damage by a civil claim up to €15,000. The notice to serve first.Read →
- GuideHow to sue someone in Ireland: a District Court claim up to €15,000A civil claim up to €15,000 starts with a claim notice in the District Court: fees of €25 to €80, service by registered post, the respondent's 28 days, the hearing, the decree and enforcement.Read →
- GuideInstalment orders and the examination of means in the District CourtAfter a civil judgment a creditor can summon you to an examination of means; the District Court sets instalments you can afford. The 2009 Act's safeguards: no committal without a hearing.Read →
- GuidePersonal injuries claims in the District Court: the Injuries Resolution Board first, then up to €15,000A personal injuries claim goes to the Injuries Resolution Board before any court. The District Court hears claims up to €15,000 after the Board's authorisation; the limitation period is two years.Read →
- GuideThe Small Claims procedure in Ireland: what qualifies, the €25 fee and how it runsThe Small Claims procedure covers consumer, property-damage, holiday-deposit and business claims up to €2,000 for a €25 fee, online through CSOL. What is excluded, the 15 days and the hearing.Read →
Chapter 11
Licensing
The annual licensing court, renewals, special exemption orders, occasional licences, and Garda objections.
- GuideGarda objections to a licence in Ireland: who can object, the grounds and the hearingThe Garda, the fire authority, the HSE and residents can object to a licence or its renewal in the District Court, on the licensee's character, the conduct of the premises or their fitness.Read →
- GuideOccasional licences for events in IrelandAn occasional licence lets an existing licensee sell drink at an event somewhere that is not licensed, on an application to the District Court with notice to the Garda. Fee €150; the conditions.Read →
- GuideSpecial exemption orders and late bars in IrelandA special exemption order lets a licensed premises open late for a night. Lodged at least 48 hours before the court date (72 online) with the stamped notice and the Garda's evidence; fee €150.Read →
- GuideThe annual licensing court and renewing a pub licence in IrelandThe District Court's annual licensing court sits each September before the licensing year starts on 1 October. What renews there, what renews through Revenue, objections and the 2026 dates.Read →
Chapter 12
Young people
A child charged, the Garda Youth Diversion Programme, the Children Court, rights at the station, and the juvenile liaison officer.
- GuideA child arrested in Ireland: rights at the Garda station and what a parent should doWhen a child is arrested the Garda must inform a parent or guardian, who is entitled to be present at questioning. The child has a right to a solicitor, paid for by the Garda station scheme.Read →
- GuideA child charged with an offence in Ireland: the Garda Youth Diversion Programme comes firstUnder the Children Act 2001 a child who admits an offence is considered for the Garda Youth Diversion Programme before prosecution: a juvenile liaison officer's caution, with or without supervision.Read →
- GuideThe Children Court in Ireland: the District Court sitting for under-18sThe Children Court is the District Court sitting in private for under-18s: a parent or guardian must attend, the child cannot be identified, detention is a last resort. 3,653 orders in 2025.Read →
- GuideThe juvenile liaison officer: a parent's guideA juvenile liaison officer is a garda trained to run the Garda Youth Diversion Programme: they assess the child, give the caution and supervise. What the meetings involve and the record.Read →
Chapter 13
Your court
The busiest venues, hand-written: the Criminal Courts of Justice, Dolphin House, Cork city, and the Dublin suburban courts with Bray.
- Your courtCork District Court: Anglesea Street and Washington StreetCork city's District Court sits in two buildings: criminal lists at Anglesea Street, civil, family, licensing and the Children Court at Washington Street. Both offices, District 19 and getting there.Read →
- Your courtDolphin House: the Dublin District Family Law CourtDolphin House on East Essex Street is the Dublin District Court's family law venue: domestic violence, maintenance, guardianship, custody and access, heard in private. The office, forms, waits and support.Read →
- Your courtThe Criminal Courts of Justice: where the Dublin District Court hears criminal casesWhere the Dublin District Court hears criminal cases: the Criminal Courts of Justice on Parkgate Street, its office, the Bridewell and Cloverhill custody courts, the lists and what to do on arrival.Read →
- Your courtThe Dublin suburban District Courts: Blanchardstown, Tallaght, Swords, Balbriggan, Dún Laoghaire and BrayThe Dublin Metropolitan District's suburban courthouses, each with its office, hours and what sits there, plus Bray in District 16 for north Wicklow. Swords is temporarily sitting at Balbriggan.Read →
