Demystifying Traffic Fines in Vietnam: Your Burning Questions Answered, Ngọc Prinny style
1. What are traffic fines ("Phạt nguội")?
Traffic fines are penalties imposed on individuals who
commit traffic violations, which are detected through the use of technical
equipment by law enforcement agencies or recorded by devices owned by
organizations, individuals, or through information and images posted on public
media platforms or social networks, which cannot be immediately addressed by
the law enforcement authorities.
In addition, according to Article 24 of Circular No.
65/2020/TT-BCA, the Traffic Police Department is also allowed to impose traffic
fines based on images or videos received from the following sources:
- Recorded by technical equipment owned by organizations or
individuals (not professional technical equipment).
- Posted on public media platforms or social networks.
In Vietnam, the implementation of traffic fines has been
carried out since 2004 and has brought about many positive results in the
management of traffic safety, particularly in raising awareness among road
users. Despite some limitations, with the increasing coverage of traffic
surveillance cameras, traffic fines promise to tighten the legal framework for
penalizing traffic violations.
2. Methods of checking fines
2.1. Checking traffic fines on the Traffic Police
Department's website
Since June 1, 2019, the Traffic Police Department has
launched a software for managing driver's licenses. Here, citizens can check
traffic violations by vehicles such as cars, motorcycles, and electric bicycles
through images using this software by entering the vehicle's license plate
number.
With just a few simple steps, all information regarding the
license plate number, time, location, and the unit that detected the violation
will be displayed. At the same time, the vehicle owner or the person in charge
of the vehicle can contact the address or phone number provided to resolve the
violation at the relevant police unit.
To perform the checking, citizens should follow these steps:
Step 1: Access the website of the Traffic Police Department:
https://www.csgt.vn/. The "Tra cứu phương tiện vi phạm giao thông qua hình
ảnh" section is located on the right side of the screen.
Step 2: Enter the complete license plate number to be
checked and select the type of vehicle (car or motorcycle).
Step 3: Enter the security code (combination of letters and
numbers next to the blank box).
Sometimes, there may be issues with entering the security
code. In such cases, please try again multiple times and enter the correct
combination of letters and numbers.
Step 4: Click on "Tra cứu" to retrieve the
results.
The system will then provide the results of the traffic
violation captured by the camera. If no results are found, it means the vehicle
has not incurred any traffic fines.
(images
below)
2.2. Checking car fines on the website of the Vietnam
Register
Step 1: Visit the website of the Vietnam Register at
www.vr.org.vn and go to the "Phương tiện xe cơ giới cho chủ phương tiện"
section under the "Tra cứu dữ liệu" on the right side of the screen.
Step 2: Enter all the necessary information for the search.
For vehicles with 5-digit license plates: Add the letter
"T" for white plates, the letter "X" for blue plates, and
the letter "V" for yellow plates.
Similarly, for sticker numbers and current certificates,
enter a dash "-" to separate the letters and numbers.
Step 3: Scroll down, and the screen will display
notifications from relevant authorities regarding the vehicle at the bottom.
If the vehicle has incurred fines, all the information will
be listed in the results section.
If this section is empty, it means the vehicle has not been
fined, and the registration process can proceed as normal.
If there is a black box with violation processing
information inside it, it indicates that the vehicle has not settled the fines
and will be denied registration.
2.3. Direct checking on the website of the Department of
Transport
This method of checking fines is only applicable to
provinces and cities that have integrated fine checking on the traffic fine
website.
Step 1: Access the local traffic fine website:
- Checking fines in Hanoi:
https://csgt.congan.hanoi.gov.vn/tra-cuu-phuong-tien-gt
- Checking fines in Ho Chi Minh City:
http://csgt.catphcm.bocongan.gov.vn/wps/portal/Home/tra-cuu-vi-pham
- Checking fines in Da Nang:
https://vpgtcatp.danang.gov.vn/
Step 2: Enter all the necessary vehicle information to
perform the search.
Step 3: Scroll down to view the search results.
2.4. Using mobile applications
In addition to computer-based searches, individuals can use
fine checking applications on Android and iOS platforms such as "Tra cứu
phạt nguội," "Tra cứu phạt nguội toàn quốc," "Tra phạt nguội,"
"Kgo - Ôn GPLX, tra phạt nguội," "Tra cứu phạt nguội Ô tô - Xe
máy," and more.
Step 1: Download the fine checking application on your
mobile device.
Step 2: Enter all the necessary vehicle information to
perform the search.
Step 3: View the fine checking results.
3. What should be noted when checking traffic fines?
By following the provided instructions, individuals can
easily check traffic fines. However, during the checking process, the following
points should be noted:
- When entering the license plate number, ensure to enter it
correctly according to the instructions. For example, the license plate must be
written without spaces and with the appropriate hyphens.
- Both the license plate number and sticker
number/certificate of inspection must be entered.
- If the vehicle owner is not the one directly operating the
vehicle at the time of the violation (e.g., borrowing or renting a vehicle),
but fails to provide an explanation or evidence, they will be fined according
to the violation.
4. How long after a violation can fines be checked?
The specific time for checking fines after a violation has
not been determined yet, as it depends on when the traffic violation was
detected and reported.
According to Article 4, Clause 2 of Circular 15/2022/TT-BCA,
when a traffic violation is detected through the fine system, the traffic
police at the location of the violation will verify the information about the
person and the violating vehicle.
Then, a fine notice will be sent to the vehicle owner who
committed the violation, inviting them to the police station to resolve the
violation. The deadline for sending the fine notice is 10 days from the date of
detecting the violation.
If the violator does not come to the police station to
resolve the violation within 20 days from the date of sending the fine notice,
the traffic police will update the information of the violating vehicle on the
Electronic Information Portal of the Traffic Police Department.
According to this regulation, if a violation is detected
immediately when it occurs, organizations or individuals can check the fines
after about 30 days from the violation date.
However, if the violation is not detected immediately, it is
difficult to determine the exact duration for checking the fines.
5. How to pay traffic fines?
Before paying the traffic fines, the violator needs to go to
the police station where the violation occurred or their place of residence (if
not residing within the district where the violation occurred) to resolve the
traffic violation and receive the penalty decision.
After receiving the traffic penalty decision, organizations
or individuals can pay the fines through one of the methods specified in
Article 20 of Decree 118/2021/NĐ-CP, as follows:
- Pay in cash directly at the State Treasury or at a bank
where the State Treasury has opened an account specified in the penalty
decision.
- Transfer the fine amount to the account of the State
Treasury specified in the penalty decision.
- Pay through the National Public Service Portal or
electronic payment services of banks or intermediary payment service providers.
- Pay the fine directly to the traffic police for violations
with a fine amount of up to 250,000 VND for individuals and 500,000 VND for
organizations.
- Pay the fine via postal services.
6. Common fines for traffic violations
6.1. Speeding fines
|
Exceeding speed limit
|
Automobiles
|
Motorcycles
|
|
From 05 - below 10 km/h
|
800.000
- 01 million VND
|
300.000
- 400.000 VND
|
|
From 10 - 20 km/h
|
4 -
6 million VND + Suspension of driver's license for 01 - 03
months
|
800,000
- 1 million VND
|
|
From over 20 - 35 km/h
|
6 -
8 million VND + Suspension of driver's license for 02 - 04 months
|
4 -
5 million VND + Suspension of driver's license for 02 - 04 months
|
|
From over 35 km/h
|
10
- 12 million VND + Suspension of driver's license for 02 - 04 months
|
4 - 5 million VND + Suspension of driver's license for 02
- 04 months
|
|
Based on
|
Article
5 of Decree 100/2019/ND-CP, amended by Decree 123/2021/ND-CP
|
Article 6 of Decree 100/2019/ND-CP, amended by Decree
123/2021/ND-CP
|
6.2. Violating a red light is fined according to the
administrative penalties in the field of traffic as follows:
|
Vehicle
|
Fine
|
Cited in
|
|
Motorcycle
|
800,000 VND - 1 million VND
|
Points e Clause 4 and b Clause 10 of Article 6
|
|
Suspension of driver's license for 01 - 03 months
|
|
Automobile
|
4 - 6 million VND
|
Points a Clause 5 and b Clause 11 of Article 5
|
|
Suspension of driver's license for 01 - 03 months
|
6.3. Wrong-way driving fines
Driving in the wrong direction on a one-way street or a road
with a "No entry" sign is fined as follows:
|
Vehicle
|
Fine
|
Cited in
|
|
Motorcycle
|
1 - 2 million VND + Suspension of driver's license
for 01 - 03 months
|
Points
a Clause 5 and b Clause 10 of Article 6 of the traffic violation penalty
decree
|
|
Automobile
|
4 - 6 million VND + Suspension of driver's license
for 02 - 04 months
|
Points
c Clause 5 and c Clause 11 of Article 6 of the traffic violation penalty
decree
|
6.4. Lane violation fines
According to Decree 100/2019/ND-CP, amended by Decree
123/2021/ND-CP, fines for lane violations are as follows:
|
Vehicle
|
Fine
|
Cited in
|
|
Motorcycle
|
Fine from 400,000 - 600,000 VND
|
Point g Clause 3 of Article 6
|
|
Automobile
|
4 - 6 million VND + Suspension of driver's license
for 02 - 04 months
|
Points
đ Clause 5 and b Clause 11 of Article 6 of the traffic violation penalty
decree
|
7. Answering some questions about traffic fines
7.1. Do traffic police make phone calls to notify about
fines?
In addition to inquiries about checking fines, many people
also wonder if the Traffic Police make phone calls to notify about fines.
According to Article 19a of Circular 65/2020/TT-BCA, amended
by Circular 15/2022/TT-BCA, the notification of fines is carried out through
written documents using form 02/65/68. This document will be sent to the
vehicle owner, organization, or individual related to the administrative
violation.
The notification of fines can be sent by the Traffic Police
unit at the location where the violation was detected through postal services
or local officers.
Regarding phone calls to notify about fines, the representative
of the Traffic Police Department stated that the Traffic Police units do not
make phone calls to inform about violations of traffic safety regulations, nor
do they require the violators to transfer fine payments to any account.
Therefore, cases where phone calls are made to notify about
fines are mostly scams. Citizens need to be vigilant and not provide or share
personal information, identification documents, phone numbers, bank account
information, or transfer fine payments to anyone.
7.2. What happens if the fine is not paid?
Although a large number of fine notifications are sent out,
the compliance rate of paying fines is still not high. So what happens if the
fine is not paid?
According to Article 73, Section 1 of the Law on Handling of
Administrative Violations 2012, individuals and organizations subject to
administrative fines must comply with the fine decision within a period of 10
days from the date of receiving the decision. If the deadline for enforcement
is longer than 10 days, it will be implemented according to that deadline.
If the fine is not paid within the prescribed time limit,
according to Article 78, Section 1 of the Law on Handling of Administrative
Violations, the individual or organization that violates the law will be
enforced to pay the fine decision. For each day of delay in paying the fine, an
additional 0.05% of the total outstanding fine amount must be paid.
In the case of automobiles involved in fine violations, if
the fine is not paid on time, the vehicle will be refused registration for
inspection due to being included in the warning list of vehicles related to
administrative violations in the Inspection Management Program.
7.3. How long does it take for a fine to be cleared?
According to Article 19a of Circular 65/2020/TT-BCA, amended
by Circular 15/2022/TT-BCA, after the traffic violation case is resolved, the
police authority will update the status of the resolved and processed case on
the Electronic Information Portal of the Traffic Police Department and
immediately send a notification of the end of the warning about the violated
vehicle to the inspection authority, removing the status of the warning
notification sent to the inspection authority in the Inspection Management
Program.
Accordingly, individuals and organizations will have their
fines cleared immediately after paying the fines as required.
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