Forgotten Municipal fines to be written off after three years

A major relief is in sight for citizens burdened by old, forgotten traffic fines issued by municipalities across Greece. The Ministry of Interior has officially clarified that such fines are to be written off after three years, putting an end to the longstanding bureaucratic hassle that many citizens have faced.

These fines, mostly concerning illegal parking violations, were issued by municipal police forces and often forgotten in administrative drawers, only to resurface after 10, 20, or even 40 years. In some cases, municipalities attempted to collect fines from as far back as the 1980s and 1990s, hoping that citizens, unaware of their rights or afraid of legal consequences, would pay without protest.

However, following a series of court rulings and interventions by the Greek Ombudsman, the Ministry of Interior has reiterated that municipalities are legally obligated to record the fines in their accounting books within three years from the due date indicated on the citation. If they fail to do so, the fine cannot be collected and must be erased.

In many instances, municipalities bypassed the legal process and used tax authority systems (AADE) to block tax clearance certificates or even seize bank accounts of citizens — many of whom were unaware they even had outstanding fines, having never seen a notice on their vehicle.

The Ministry's statement emphasizes once again: if three years have passed without the fine being officially registered and confirmed for collection, the debt should be canceled.

This directive has already led dozens of municipalities, including major ones like Thessaloniki, to begin clearing millions of euros worth of old fines. A municipal audit in Thessaloniki even uncovered a parking fine dating back to 1984.

This development marks a significant step toward protecting citizens from unlawful practices and enforcing proper administrative procedures across local governments.