Penalty Points in Malta: How to Check Your Licence Points and What They Mean
Every driver in Malta has a penalty points record, and 12 points can cost you your licence. This guide shows you how to check your points online, what each level means and how the safety awareness test can cut them in half.
Updated 3 November 2026 · 7 min read
How penalty points work in Malta
Penalty points sit on your driving licence record, not on your car. Each driving offence on an official list carries a set number of points, or a range. Pick up too many in a short time and Transport Malta revokes your licence.
Transport Malta's driving portal says all driving licence holders have been subject to the penalty points system since 1 December 2017. Points are imposed by the Court of Magistrates or the Commissioners for Justice for each offence in the Sixth Schedule of the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations, S.L. 65.18 (at the time of writing, November 2026).
SourceHow you deal with a ticket matters. If you accept the offence and pay the fine, the lowest number of points for that offence goes on your record. If you contest it, the court or tribunal can award points anywhere in the range for that offence.
Under regulation 36B(2) of S.L. 65.18, if you admit the offence and pay the fine, Transport Malta records the minimum points shown in the Sixth Schedule. Under regulation 36F, points only go on the licence of the person who committed the offence, not on someone because the car is registered in their name (at the time of writing, November 2026).
SourceSo what if a speed camera catches your car and someone else was driving? LESA (the Local Enforcement System) lets the owner name the driver.
LESA's FAQ says that when a contravention is issued on the owner rather than the driver, the owner can make a declaration naming who was driving. It must be made within 21 days from the date of the ticket, and only if it has not been paid (at the time of writing, November 2026).
SourceIf someone else was driving, make the declaration before anyone pays the fine.
How to check your penalty points online
Your points are kept by Transport Malta, on its driving licence portal, Liċenzji Xufiera. This is where you check penalty points in Malta, online and without a phone call.
The Liċenzji Xufiera portal's penalty points section lets you check the contraventions for which you have been imposed penalty points. To log in, you use your ID card number and ID card document number, or your e-ID account (at the time of writing, November 2026).
SourceThe portal warns about fake traffic fine messages. It will never ask for your password or card details by email or SMS, and official government sites end in .gov.mt. Never pay a fine through a link in a text. Type the address yourself.
| Service | What you can do there | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Liċenzji Xufiera (Transport Malta) | See the contraventions that gave you penalty points | e-ID, or your ID card number and document number |
| LESA eServices (les.gov.mt) | Pay tickets, lodge a petition, name the driver of your car | A registered LESA eServices account |
| LESA, single ticket | Pay one contravention online | The ticket details, no login needed |
How many points common offences carry
Here are some of the offences drivers ask about most. Where you see a range, paying the fine means the lower number goes on your record.
| Offence | Code | Penalty points |
|---|---|---|
| Using a hand-held phone while driving a car or van | MS-2 | 6 to 9 |
| Driving without a seat belt | MS-3 | 3 |
| Going over the speed limit | PH-1 | 3 to 6 |
| Ignoring a traffic light | TS-1 | 3 to 5 |
| Ignoring a Stop sign | TS-6 | 3 to 5 |
| Driving over the alcohol limit | DD-1 | 3 to 11 |
| Driving without third party insurance | IN-1 | 6 to 8 |
| Using a car with defective tyres or brakes | CU-1, CU-2 | 2 |
The Sixth Schedule of S.L. 65.18 lists every driving offence code and its penalty points. The points in the table above are taken from it at the time of writing (November 2026). The hand-held phone offence also covers using a phone while stationary in traffic.
SourceWorn tyres and weak brakes cost points as well as money. A check before the VRT or a long drive is worth it. You can compare mechanics in Malta and book a service when the tyres or brakes feel wrong.
What happens when you reach 12 points
For a full licence, the law counts the points you build up in any twelve-month period. It does not reset on 1 January, so check your record before you assume older points no longer count.
Transport Malta says a full driving licence is revoked if at any time during any period of twelve months its holder accumulates twelve penalty points or more. After a first revocation, the driver returns the licence and can collect it two months after the revocation date without a driving test. On renewal, a full ten-year licence is issued if no points are recorded or the points imposed were less than 12 (at the time of writing, November 2026).
SourceEach further revocation within a few years is treated more strictly.
| Revocation | When you can get a licence again | Driving test |
|---|---|---|
| First time | After two months | No test needed |
| Second time within three years | After two months, with a fresh application | Yes, through a fresh driving test application |
| Third time within five years | After one year, or a shorter period of at least six months set by the Administrative Review Tribunal | Yes, through a fresh driving test application |
| Fourth time within seven years | Only if the Administrative Review Tribunal allows it, and not before two years | Yes, through a fresh driving test application |
Regulation 36E of S.L. 65.18 sets the waiting periods in the table above. From a second revocation within three years, the driver must make a fresh application under Part III of the regulations, which covers the driving test (at the time of writing, November 2026).
SourceThe safety awareness test: how to halve your points
If your points are building up, you can sit a safety awareness test. Pass it and the points on your record are cut by half. You have to sit it before you reach 12, so do not leave it too late.
Transport Malta says any holder of a full or probationary driving licence may have the penalty points recorded reduced by 50% by passing a multiple choice safety awareness test. The test lasts 45 minutes and has 30 multiple choice questions, the pass mark is 50%, and a pass certificate is issued. Only people with 11 points or less can sit it, and a person may only take it every two years (at the time of writing, November 2026).
SourceTransport Malta publishes the question bank in English and Maltese on its penalty points page. Work through it before the day.
You can only sit it once every two years. Halving a high total does more than halving a low one, but wait too long and one more ticket could take you to 12.
Penalty points for new drivers on probation
New drivers hold a probationary licence for three years. The 12 point limit counts across the whole probation, not over twelve months.
Transport Malta says new drivers get a probationary licence for three calendar years. It is revoked if the holder builds up 12 penalty points or more during that time. The driver must hand in the photocard within 10 days of being told, and can only apply for a new probationary licence three months later, starting the whole process again (at the time of writing, November 2026).
SourceThat means a new learner permit and new tests. New drivers can also sit the safety awareness test, under the same 11 point rule.
Buying your first car? Read our guide on how to buy a car in Malta, or weigh up buying vs renting a car first. Keep an eye on your punti tal-liċenzja from day one.
Questions people ask
How do I check my penalty points in Malta?
Go to Transport Malta's driving portal, Liċenzji Xufiera, at licenzji-xufiera.gov.mt. Open I Have a Driving Licence and choose Check Your Penalty Points. Log in with your e-ID, or with your ID card number and document number. The page lists the contraventions that gave you points. Type the address yourself, never use a link in a text.
How many penalty points before you lose your licence in Malta?
Twelve. A full licence is revoked if you build up 12 points or more in any twelve-month period. A probationary licence is revoked at 12 points or more during its three-year probation. After a first revocation you can get a full licence back after two months, without a test. Repeat revocations bring longer waits.
What is the safety awareness test in Malta?
It is a Transport Malta test that halves the penalty points on your record if you pass. It lasts 45 minutes, has 30 multiple choice questions and the pass mark is 50%. Only drivers with 11 points or fewer can sit it, and you can take it once every two years. Transport Malta publishes the question bank in English and Maltese on its penalty points page.
Can I check my penalty points on the LESA website?
Not the total. LESA is where you pay traffic tickets, lodge a petition and name the real driver of your car within 21 days. Your points record is held by Transport Malta, so you check it on the Liċenzji Xufiera portal. Deal with any unpaid ticket on LESA first, then check your points there.
Do penalty points reset every year in Malta?
No, not on a fixed date. For a full licence, the law looks at the points you build up during any period of twelve months, so a ticket from last spring can still count this winter. For a probationary licence, all points across the three-year probation count. If you are close to 12, check your record online before you assume older points have dropped off.