Fines Without Fault: How Albanian Citizens Are Being Penalized by a Silent System

Fined Without Reason — And No One Tells You

Imagine waking up one day to find out you've been fined for speeding on a road you've never driven. Or for illegal parking in a city you've never visited. Now imagine that no one ever told you about it—until it’s too late to challenge it.

This is happening across Albania.

The only “notification” citizens receive is quietly uploaded to e-Albania, the government’s digital portal. But most people don’t regularly use this platform—unless they need a certificate or want to renew their license. There are no text messages. No emails. No letters.

So, the fines go unseen. They grow with interest. And by the time someone notices, the deadline for appeal has long passed.

Real People, Real Consequences

Balmir, a resident of Durrës, discovered a fine issued in Kamza—a city he had never visited. Three months had passed. “Now I have to pay an extra €66 in interest,” he told me, frustrated and confused.

Erjona, a teacher from Tirana, found herself fined for “illegal parking in Elbasan,” a city she says she’s never been to. “I only found out when I went to renew my driver’s license. They wouldn’t let me proceed unless I paid,” she said. “No one explained anything.”

Arben, a taxi driver, was issued three fines for speeding on roads he doesn’t even drive. When he asked for radar images as proof, the authorities said they didn’t exist anymore. “I had to pay, or they would block my registration,” he explained.

A Legal System That Fails the Public

By Albanian law, citizens have 10 days to appeal a traffic fine—from the date of official notification. But how can anyone appeal a fine they never knew existed?

According to the Law on Administrative Procedures, notifications must be clear, accessible, and properly delivered. Posting them on an obscure government portal—without alerting the citizen—shouldn’t count. Yet, that’s the current practice.

To make matters worse, if a fine is not paid within 15 days, interest is added. That means victims of these silent fines end up paying even more—for something they didn’t do, and never had the chance to fight.

Institutional Silence

Albania’s Police Oversight Agency (AMP) has reportedly received complaints about questionable fines, but investigations are rare, and accountability even rarer. Officers who wrongly issue fines face little consequence. Meanwhile, citizens pay the price—literally and emotionally.

The result? A growing sense of injustice, fear, and mistrust in public institutions.

More Than Money

This isn’t just a legal issue. It’s personal. People feel powerless. Trapped. Victimized by a system that doesn’t listen or explain.

In a functioning democracy, fines are tools for justice—not punishment for the innocent. When accountability disappears, so does the public’s trust.

What Needs to Change

To restore fairness and protect citizens, urgent reforms are needed:

1. Mandatory notifications via SMS or email for all traffic fines.

2. Access to evidence—radar footage and physical proof—must be guaranteed for anyone seeking to appeal.

3. Appeal deadlines must begin from the moment the citizen is actually informed.

4. Greater oversight of traffic police and public transparency from the AMP.

5. Public education campaigns to inform citizens of their rights and appeal procedures.

A Silent Threat to Justice

Injustice doesn’t always roar. Sometimes, it whispers through quiet systems that hide behind bureaucracy. But the stories of Balmir, Erjona, Arben—and thousands like them—deserve to be heard.

Because in Albania today, a silent fine can turn into a loud injustice.

And the time to speak out is now.