Speeding fines in Switzerland in 2026
Speeding fines in Switzerland and other offences can quickly become expensive. Comparis explains what fines apply.
20.02.2026
iStock / Octavian Lazar
1. How much do speeding fines cost in Switzerland?
Depending on how far over the limit you go, a speeding fine in Switzerland can quickly become expensive – or you could even lose your driving licence. The following tables show the amount of the fines, ordered by location of the speeding offence.
Fines in built-up areas in Switzerland
| Excess speed | Fine in francs/measure |
|---|---|
| 1–5 km/h | 40.– |
| 6–10 km/h | 120.– |
| 11–15 km/h | 250.– |
| 16–20 km/h | Criminal charge, warning |
| 21–24 km/h | Criminal charge, driving licence revoked for at least one month |
| 25+ km/h | Criminal charge, driving licence revoked for at least 3 months |
| 40+ km/h (speed limit up to 30 km/h) 50+ km/h (speed limit up to 50 km/h) | Serious speeding offence Criminal charge, imprisonment or fine, driving licence withdrawn for at least 1 year, fitness to drive assessment |
Fines outside urban areas in Switzerland
| Excess speed | Fine/penalty |
|---|---|
| 1–5 km/h | 40.– |
| 6–10 km/h | 100.– |
| 11–15 km/h | 160.– |
| 16–20 km/h | 240.– |
| 21–25 km/h | Criminal charge, warning |
| 26–29 km/h | Criminal charge, driving licence withdrawn for at least 1 month |
| 30+ km/h | Criminal charge, driving licence withdrawn for at least 3 months |
| 50+ km/h (speed limit up to 50 km/h) 60+ km/h (speed limit up to 80 km/h) | Serious speeding offence Criminal charge, imprisonment or fine, driving licence withdrawn for at least 1 year, fitness to drive assessment |
Motorway fines in Switzerland
| Excess speed | Fine/penalty |
|---|---|
| 1–5 km/h | 20.– |
| 6–10 km/h | 60.– |
| 11–15 km/h | 120.– |
| 16–20 km/h | 180.– |
| 21–25 km/h | 260.– |
| 26–30 km/h | Criminal charge, warning |
| 31–34 km/h | Criminal charge, driving licence withdrawn for at least one month |
| 35+ km/h | Criminal charge, driving licence withdrawn for at least 3 months |
| 60+ km/h (speed limit up to 80 km/h) 80+ km/h (speed limit over 80 km/h) | Serious speeding offence Criminal charge, imprisonment or fine, driving licence withdrawn for at least 1 year, fitness to drive assessment |
The fines after deduction of the measurement tolerance are in the Ordinance on Administrative Fines The limits for serious speeding offences are set out in the Road Traffic Act (Art. 90).
Good to know: After a criminal charge, you pay a fine of at least 400 francs as well as fees and the costs of the procedure.
2. When could I get a warning, criminal charge, or have my driving licence revoked?
Particularly minor violations of the traffic rules are punished with a fixed penalty. In this case, no further measures are threatened in addition to the fine if payment is made on time.
However, for minor, moderate and severe offences: you could face formal proceedings with charges, warnings, and driving licence revocation.
Minor offence
In the event of a minor violation of the traffic rules, you must expect a criminal charge and a warning (Art. 16a SVG). If you commit another «minor violation» within two years, your licence may be revoked.
If the permissible maximum speed is exceeded, this constitutes a minor offence as follows:
16 km/h in built-up areas
21 km/h outside built-up areas
26 km/h on the motorway
Liability insurance is mandatory
If you cause injury or damage to others on the road, you must reckon with high follow-up costs. This is why liability insurance for cars is mandatory in Switzerland.
Moderate traffic violation
In the event of a moderate violation of the traffic rules, you will receive a report and a driving licence withdrawal for at least one month (Art. 16b SVG). In the event of repeated moderate to serious offences, you will lose your driving licence for a longer period of time.
If the permissible maximum speed is exceeded, this is a moderate offence from:
21 km/h in built-up areas
26 km/h outside built-up areas
31 km/h on the motorway
Serious traffic violations
In the event of a serious violation of the traffic rules, you can expect a report and a driving licence withdrawal for at least three months (Art. 16c SVG). In the event of repeated moderate to serious offences, you will lose your driving licence for a longer period of time.
Exceeding the permitted maximum speed is a serious offence from:
25 km/h in built-up areas
30 km/h outside built-up areas
35 km/h on the motorway
Serious speeding offence
Particularly serious speeding offences are considered serious speeding offences. They are punished particularly harshly.
Minor, moderate or severe traffic violations and serious speeding offences trigger two different procedures:
Criminal proceedings (criminal justice authorities)
Administrative measure (Road Traffic Office)
These two procedures run independently of each other. However, they are based on the same police report.
Administrative measures include warnings, suspension of your driving licence and driver re-education courses. Criminal proceedings may result in imprisonment, for example.
3. Speed cameras in Switzerland: how high is the tolerance deduction in Switzerland?
Speed checks are never completely accurate. That’s why the law grants what is known as a safety margin for speed measurements – the so-called tolerance margin.
Depending on the method of measurement, different tolerance margins apply. This table shows the differences:
| Method of measurement | up to 100 km/h | 101–150 km/h | from 151 km/h |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radar | 5 km/h | 6 km/h | 7 km/h |
| Laser | 3 km/h | 4 km/h | 5 km/h |
| Fixed radar measurements on bends | 10 km/h | 14 km/h | – |
| Moving radar (from a moving measuring vehicle) | 7 km/h | 8 km/h | 9 km/h |
| Measurements with stationary threshold detectors | 5 km/h | 6 km/h | 7 km/h |
| Section speed checks | 5 km/h | 6 km/h | 7 km/h |
Source: Art. 8 VSKV-ASTRA
4. Where do which speed limits apply in Switzerland?
General speed limits in Switzerland
Different speed limits
In addition to the general speed limits, different speed limits apply on numerous sections of the road different speed limits. These are signalled on a round white sign with a red border. The black number sets the maximum speed.
5. Harsh penalties for young and new drivers
For young drivers, the Swiss Federal Road Traffic Act (SVG) stricter measures than for experienced drivers.
For example: if you are caught drink-driving the regular probationary period for young drivers is extended by one year.
6. Fines in Switzerland: common fixed penalties
In addition to speeding fines, there are also for violations of other rules traffic fines in Switzerland. The following table provides an overview of common fixed penalties.
| Offence | Fine in francs |
|---|---|
| Failure to carry driving licence | CHF 20.– |
| Exceeding permitted parking time by up to 2 hours | CHF 40.– |
| Parking disc not attached to the vehicle or not clearly visible | CHF 40.– |
| Using phone without hands-free set | CHF 100.– |
| Stopping on a zebra crossing | CHF 80.– |
| Failure to give way at a zebra crossing | CHF 140.– |
| Running the engine to warm it up unnecessarily | CHF 80.– |
| Overtaking on the right on the motorway | CHF 250.– |
| Failure to form a rescue lane on the motorway | CHF 100.– |
| Failure to observe the zipper merge system on the motorway | CHF 100.– |
| Failure to display a motorway tax sticker | CHF 200.– |
| Running a red light The penalty may be higher depending on the danger involved. | CHF 250.– |
7. FAQs about fines in Switzerland
Are you driving 40 kilometres per hour in a 30 zone after deduction of the measurement tolerance? you will pay a fine of 120 francs.
The amount of tolerance on a Swiss motorway depends on the measurement type and your speed. The tolerance can be between three and nine kilometres per hour.
As a rule, fines are not sent as a registered letter. However, for more serious offences, you may receive registered letters.
This article was first published on 30.03.2021
