Photo: Raul Ling / Pexels. Illustrative photograph.
Speed limits in Ireland are set by road type: 120 km/h on motorways, 100 km/h on national primary roads, 80 km/h on regional roads and 60 km/h on rural local roads (cut from 80 km/h on 7 February 2025). Built-up areas default to 50 km/h, and councils are moving many urban streets to 30 km/h by 31 March 2027. This guide covers each limit, what changed, and the vehicle limits that apply on top.
Key facts
- Speed limits in Ireland are in km/h. A limit is the maximum, not a target speed.
- Rural local roads (L roads, or roads with no number) dropped from 80 km/h to 60 km/h on 7 February 2025.
- Urban 30 km/h limits are being brought in street by street by local authorities. Nationwide rollout is expected by 31 March 2027.
- Learners and novices follow the same limits as everyone else. A speeding offence is 3 penalty points, though, and they are banned at 7 points.
- Speeding fixed charge: €160 and 3 penalty points (5 if convicted in court), as of November 2026.
What are the speed limits in Ireland?
| Road type | How to recognise it | Default limit (November 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Motorway | Blue signs, M numbers | 120 km/h |
| National primary road | Green signs, N numbers | 100 km/h |
| National secondary road | Green signs, N numbers | 100 km/h, unless signed lower; the planned 80 km/h default is not yet in force (see below) |
| Regional road | White signs, R numbers | 80 km/h |
| Rural local road | L numbers or no number | 60 km/h since 7 February 2025 |
| Built-up area (city, town, borough) | Urban streets | 50 km/h, or 30 km/h where a council has signed it |
A default limit applies whenever no speed limit sign says otherwise. Where a sign shows a different figure, the sign wins.
What changed in 2025 and 2026?
Rural local roads: 60 km/h
From 7 February 2025 the default limit on rural local roads fell from 80 km/h to 60 km/h. The Department of Transport says these are roads that mainly serve local traffic, marked with an “L” and a number or with no number at all. The Road Traffic Act 2024 sets the 60 km/h local roads limit in law, outside built-up areas.
The rural speed limit sign now means 60 km/h
The rural speed limit sign is a white circle with five black diagonal lines, used on some narrow rural roads instead of a number. It used to mean 80 km/h. Since 7 February 2025 it means a maximum of 60 km/h.
Urban roads: 50 km/h to 30 km/h
The next phase covers built-up areas. Many urban roads, especially residential streets and town and village centres, are moving from 50 km/h to 30 km/h. Local authorities introduce the changes after consultation and legal steps. The Department of Transport expects nationwide implementation by 31 March 2027. Until a street is signed 30 km/h, the limit shown on the signs applies.
National secondary roads: 80 km/h is planned
The Road Traffic Act 2024 provides for a cut on national secondary roads from 100 km/h to 80 km/h. That change is in section 8 of the 2024 Act, and it needs a commencement order before it takes effect. The Irish Statute Book lists section 8 as not yet commenced (updated to 21 October 2026), so the default on national secondary roads is still 100 km/h. Watch for a Department of Transport announcement of a start date. A council can set a lower special speed limit on a particular stretch, so the sign on the road is what you obey.
Special and periodic speed limits
Councils can set special limits, for example:
- outside schools at drop-off and collection times
- in tunnels, where the limit can drop if a lane is closed
- on a series of bends
- at roadworks
A periodic limit applies only at the times shown, either on a plate under the sign or on an electronic sign that is blank outside those times. While it is lit, it is the legal limit.
Speed limits for vehicles
Some vehicles have their own maximum, whatever the road limit. Where the vehicle and road limits differ, the lower one applies.
| Vehicle | Vehicle limit |
|---|---|
| Any vehicle towing a trailer, caravan or horsebox | 80 km/h on all roads |
| Goods vehicle over 3,500 kg | 80 km/h (90 km/h on motorways) |
| Bus or coach designed to carry standing passengers | 65 km/h on all roads |
| Bus or coach not designed for standing passengers | 80 km/h (100 km/h on motorways and dual carriageways) |
So a car towing a caravan on a 120 km/h motorway is still limited to 80 km/h.
What happens if you speed in Ireland?
| Outcome | Penalty (November 2026) |
|---|---|
| Pay within 28 days | €160 and 3 penalty points |
| Pay in the next 28 days | €240 (50% more) and 3 penalty points |
| Convicted in court | 5 penalty points and a fine set by the court |
Speed is checked by Gardaí, GoSafe vans, static cameras and average speed camera zones. It is an offence to carry or use any device that detects or interferes with Garda speed equipment. If a camera catches your car, the registered owner gets the notice and must name the driver within 28 days. See penalty points in Ireland.
Driving at the right speed, not just under the limit
The law also requires you to drive at a speed that lets you stop within the distance you can see to be clear. Driving too fast for the conditions is a separate fixed charge offence (€160 and 3 points), even if you are under the posted limit. Driving too slowly is not an offence in itself, but the Rules of the Road says you should keep up with the flow of traffic where it is safe. For gaps and stopping distances, see the two second rule and stopping distances.
On a 60 km/h local road the safe speed is often well below the limit. Slow down more when:
- a bend or high hedge hides the exit, since a parked van, walkers or an animal may be just out of sight
- the road is too narrow for two cars, because an oncoming driver needs stopping room in the same space
- there are gateways, mud on the road or farm machinery, which can mean a slow or wide vehicle is about to appear
- it is wet, dark or the sun is low
If someone follows closely, keep the speed the road allows. Don’t speed up into a bend or brake sharply. Let them pass when a safe place comes up.
Common questions
What is the speed limit on a country road in Ireland?
Rural local roads (L roads or unnumbered roads) are 60 km/h by default since 7 February 2025. Regional R roads are 80 km/h. Signs override the default.
Is there a lower speed limit for learner drivers?
No. Learners and novices follow the same limits. The difference is the ban threshold: 7 penalty points instead of 12.
What is the speed limit in a housing estate?
The default in a built-up area is 50 km/h, but many estates are being signed 30 km/h. Follow the sign at the entrance.
Can I go over the limit to overtake?
No. Only fire engines, ambulances and Garda vehicles may exceed the road limit. See overtaking rules in Ireland.
Is the 80 km/h limit on national secondary roads in force?
Not yet. The cut is in section 8 of the Road Traffic Act 2024, but the Irish Statute Book lists that section as not yet commenced (updated to 21 October 2026). Until a commencement order is made, the default stays 100 km/h. Obey the signs, and check the Department of Transport for any start date.
What does the white circle with black diagonal lines mean?
It is the rural speed limit sign. Since 7 February 2025 it means a maximum of 60 km/h. Don’t read it as the similar looking national speed limit sign used in Great Britain, which has a different meaning there.
Related: motorways and tunnels in Ireland, Irish road signs explained, tractors and rural roads, reversing, U turns and towing. Back to learning to drive in Ireland.
Sources
- Department of Transport, “Speed limits on rural and local roads change from 80km/h to 60km/h” (gov.ie)
- Department of Transport, “Slower Speeds, Safer Roads” (gov.ie)
- Department of Transport, “About the Slower Speeds Campaign” and “Policy background” (gov.ie)
- Department of Transport, “How Slower Speeds are Enforced” (gov.ie)
- Irish Statute Book, “Road Traffic Act 2024”, Part 3 Speed Limits (irishstatutebook.ie)
- Irish Statute Book, “Road Traffic Act 2024”, Commencement table, updated to 21 October 2026 (irishstatutebook.ie)
- Law Reform Commission, “Road Traffic Act 2004”, section 7, revised, with annotations on Road Traffic Act 2024 section 8 (revisedacts.lawreform.ie)
- Irish Statute Book, “S.I. No. 227/2024, Road Traffic Act 2010 (Part 3) (Fixed Charge Offences) Regulations 2024” (irishstatutebook.ie)
- Law Reform Commission, “Road Traffic Act 2002”, First Schedule, revised (revisedacts.lawreform.ie)
- Law Reform Commission, “Road Traffic Act 2010”, Part 3 Fixed charge offences, revised (revisedacts.lawreform.ie)
- Road Safety Authority, “Rules of the Road”, Section 8 Speed limits (Revision 5, hosted on garda.ie)