The long-awaited changes to the penalties related to APP license plates, which have recently brought license plate printing workshops into the spotlight, have been announced. The decision by the Ministry of Interior temporarily reduces administrative fines directly affecting millions of drivers and aims to alleviate the hardships currently faced. According to the new regulation, the approach to implementation is taking a different direction.
Until April 1, 2026 All license plate checks conducted by law enforcement will be for guidance and information purposes, rather than for issuing fines. Police and gendarmerie teams will warn drivers using non-standard license plates and give them time to bring them into compliance with legal regulations. No fines will be issued during this process.
After February 27, 2026 With the decision published regarding that period, it was announced that all APP license plate fines issued from that date onwards were canceled. In this way, the fines imposed on drivers who incurred high amounts during the initial inspections were removed from the system and deemed invalid.
In which situations is no penalty applied, and in which situations is a penalty imposed? The statements from the Ministry and the General Directorate of Security have been clarified. The key points that drivers should pay attention to can be summarized as follows:
- TŞOF sealed plates No penalty: License plates printed by and bearing the official seal of the Turkish Drivers and Automobile Owners Federation are not considered counterfeit plates and are not subject to penalty, even if they may have some visually non-standard elements.
- After physical intervention 4.000 TL fine: Painting, thickening letters/numbers, adding screws, or any other modification that impairs the readability of characters on original and sealed license plates will incur a fine according to Article 23/A of the Highway Traffic Law.
- Printing and use of counterfeit license plates A fine of 140.000 TL: Severe penalties continue to be applied to those who print and use counterfeit license plates obtained from the internet or unreliable sources, which lack official seals and security features. Since this is considered a crime of forgery of official documents, the vehicle is impounded for 30 days and the driver's license is also suspended for 30 days.
What do drivers need to do? Experts recommend making the most of the grace period offered until April 1, 2026. Be wary of scams promising guaranteed and sealed license plates; license plate renewal procedures should be carried out through official associations affiliated with the Turkish Federation of Drivers' Associations (TŞOF) using notarized documents.
