Fines and other penalties
A district court and a prosecutor can impose fines for various offences. The police, customs, border guard and certain other authorities may also impose fines or fixed petty fines. For minor traffic offences, the police will impose a traffic penalty fee.
Payment of fines and other penalties are made to the Legal Register Centre.
Sanctions imposed by the police and prosecutor
Traffic penalty fee
A penalty for infringements in road- and waterborne transport is called a traffic penalty fee.
You can get a traffic penalty fee for speeding, using your mobile phone while driving or failing to obey a traffic sign, for example. A pedestrian or cyclist can also be charged such a fee.
Income does not affect the amount of the traffic penalty fee. The traffic penalty fee is not a fine, but an administrative sanction for an offence. More information on traffic penalty fees (poliisi.fi).
Fixed petty fine
A fixed penalty fine can be imposed, for example, for alcohol-related offences or disorderly conduct, and possession of substances or objects likely to cause harm. The amount of the fine is fixed, i.e. the income of the person fine does not affect its amount. More information on fixed penalty fines (syyttajalaitos.fi).
Fine order
Offences that result in a fine order include most traffic offences, driving without a licence and petty theft.
A fine order can be up to 20 unit fines. A unit fine is calculated on the basis of the income of the person fined. More information on fine orders (syyttajalaitos.fi).
A unit fine is 1/60 of the average monthly net income of the person fined. Net monthly income includes all taxable earned income and capital income, employment benefits, as well as, for example, pension and most social benefits. Before the unit fine is calculated, a basic allowance of EUR 255 is deducted from the monthly earnings. The minimum unit fine is EUR 6. Police unit fine calculator (poliisi.fi).
Penal order
A penal order can only be issued by a prosecutor. First, the police issue a fine request to the offender, and then the case is referred to a prosecutor.
A penal order is made for offences that are punishable by a fine of more than 20 unit fines or that do not fall within the police’s jurisdiction. A penal order is also issued if the police and the offender cannot agree on the offender’s income, and the offender wants to submit an account on a change to their ability to pay. More information on penal orders (syyttajalaitos.fi).
If the person fined does not consent to the fine procedure, the authority may issue a summary penal order. It will ultimately be dealt with in the district court. More information on summary penal orders (syyttajalaitos.fi).
Sanctions imposed by a court
Unit fine
A court may impose a fine in a criminal or civil case. The fine is then collected as unit fines.
Conversion sentence
A fine imposed by a court may be converted into imprisonment if the fine is not paid. In a conversion sentence, four unit fines are converted into one day of imprisonment.
Other fines
The court may impose a conditional fine in order to enforce an order or prohibition. A conditional fine is payable if an order or prohibition is not complied with, even after a court order.
A disciplinary fine may be imposed on someone who fails to comply with the orders of the presiding judge, or otherwise behaves inappropriately at a court hearing. More information on fines (oikeusrekisterikeskus.fi).
Forfeiture
Forfeiture means that property used in the commission of a crime or obtained through a crime is forfeited to the state without compensation. Such property includes economic benefits gained from the crime. Tools used in the crime, such as an edged weapon, a firearm or a computer, or the object and product of the crime can also be forfeited to the state. The objects and products of the crime can include, for example, game from poaching or counterfeit products.
Fines imposed abroad
A sanction imposed in another Nordic country and a fine imposed in another EU country will be transferred to Finland if it is not paid. The Legal Register Centre is responsible for collecting fines.
Read more about sanctions imposed in another Nordic country (oikeusrekisterikeskus.fi)
Read more about sanctions imposed in another EU country (oikeusrekisterikeskus.fi)
Payment of a fine
A court, police or other authority will give you a bank transfer form to pay the fine. The payee is the Legal Register Centre.
When paying a fine, it is important to use the reference number and account information on the form to ensure that the payment is correctly allocated. More information on the payment of fines (oikeusrekisterikeskus.fi).
If the Legal Register Centre has not received payment by the due date, it will send a payment reminder. If the fine is not paid by the due date specified in the payment reminder, the case will go to enforcement. The matter is then handled by the National Enforcement Authority. More information on enforcement (ulosottolaitos.fi).