The legal speed limit for each road category in Romania

When you’re behind the wheel, obeying the speed limit is not just about avoiding fines, it’s about your safety and the safety of other road users. And whether you’re a beginner or already have a few years’ experience as a driver, it’s good to remember that in Romania the legal speed limits are set by Article 155 of the Highway Code.

Find out what the legal speed limit is in Romania: the maximum speed limit in your locality, the speed limit on the highway, the speed limit on national roads and the speed limit outside your locality, as well as what penalties you risk if you don’t respect them.

• What is the legal speed limit in Romania
• About local speed limits
• About the maximum and minimum speed limit on the highway
• About the speed limit on European national roads and roads outside your locality
• What is the legal speed limit for beginners
• Special situations when you, as a driver, have to reduce speed
• What penalties you risk if you exceed the speed limit

What is the legal speed limit in Romania

The speed limits in Romania vary depending on the type of road you drive on and the vehicle you are driving.

Here they are in a nutshell:

• In towns and cities, the maximum speed limit is 50 km/h, but on certain stretches of road within the locality, the limit may be different for certain categories of vehicles;
• On motorways, the maximum speed limit is 130 km/h, with some exceptions for certain categories of vehicles;
• On European (E) express or national (E) roads, the maximum speed limit is 100 km/h, with a few exceptions for certain categories of vehicles;
• On other categories of roads outside the locality, the maximum speed limit is 90 km/h, with a few exceptions for certain categories of vehicles.

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About local speed limits

As mentioned above, in general, the local speed limit is 50 km/h, but in certain situations, this local speed limit may differ. But not for all drivers. Specifically, for category A and B vehicles, this limit may be extended in certain areas. Thus, for vehicles in these categories, the road administrator may allow a maximum speed limit of up to 80 km/h, subject to the opinion of the traffic police.

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Minimum speed limit in the locality

Also with the approval of the Traffic Police, the speed limit in the locality can be even lower than 50 km/h. However, the minimum local speed limit may not be less than 10 km/h for trams and 30 km/h for other vehicles in the above categories.

About the maximum and minimum speed limit on the highway

To drive on the highway, you also need to follow a few traffic rules. While for category A and B vehicles the maximum limit on the highway is 130 km/h, for vehicles in the other categories, it differs. For example, for vehicles in categories C, D and D1, the maximum speed limit on the motorway is 110 km/h and for those in categories A1, B1 and C1, the maximum speed limit on the motorway is 90 km/h.

As for the minimum speed limit on the highway, i.e. the minimum speed on the highway, it is 50 km/h for A1, B1 and C1 vehicles.

About the speed limit on European national roads and roads outside your locality

Turning to the legal speed limit on European national roads and those outside the locality, it’s important to know that here too there are differences depending on the categories of vehicles on the roads.

Speed limits on Europe’s national roads by vehicle category

• For categories A and B, the maximum speed limit on European national roads is 100 km/h.
• For categories C, D and D1, the speed limit on the DN is 90 km/h.
• For categories A1, B1 and C1, the speed limit on national roads is 80 km/h.

Speed limit for roads outside built-up areas

• For other categories of roads outside built-up areas, the speed limit for categories A and B is 90 km/h.
• For vehicles in categories C, D and D1, the speed limit outside the locality is 80 km/h on these roads.
• For categories A1, B1 and C1, the legal speed limit outside built-up areas is 70 km/h.

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What is the legal speed limit for beginners

If your driving license is less than a year old, you are a learner driver. For this category, the highway code sets different legal speed limits from those mentioned above. In other words, you are obliged to drive at a lower speed than other vehicles.

But what are the speed limits for beginners? Well, you must drive at 20 km/h less than the maximum legal speed limits for the category of vehicle.

So if you are a beginner and you drive a category A or B car:

• the maximum speed allowed in the locality is 30 km/h;
• the maximum speed limit on the highway is 110 km/h;
• The maximum speed limit on European national roads is 80 km/h;
• the maximum speed limit on roads outside built-up areas is 70 km/h.

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Special situations when you, as a driver, have to reduce speed

Even if you are driving on stretches of road that already have certain minimum speed limits, as a driver, no matter how experienced you are, you are obliged to reduce your speed even more than the set limits if you foresee a danger in the following situations:

• at intersections with uncontrolled traffic;
• on bridges, under bridges or in tunnels;
• on dangerous bends or in poor visibility;
• at railroad crossings;
• when passing groups and columns, whether moving or stationary;
• when passing animals;
• on the perimeter of crowded markets;
• when traveling in the opposite direction to trams, trolleybuses or buses stopped at stations on one-lane roads;
• when overtaking trolleybuses and buses stopped at stations, as well as trams at stations with refuges;
• in fog, heavy rain or heavy snow;
• on bumpy roads, marked as such, as well as on roads covered with ice, snow, slush or wet cubic stone;
• within the range of the ‘Children’ or ‘Animals’ warning signs;
• at pedestrian crossings marked by signs or markings;
• when changing direction through bends;
• when the vehicle in front of you signals an intention to change lane or direction of travel.

What penalties you risk if you exceed the speed limit

Maximum speed limits are set for the safety of all road users. And exceeding the speed limits comes with the risk of receiving both speeding penalty points and speeding penalty points.

The value of the fine point is 5% of the gross minimum wage. This means that for a gross minimum wage of 4,050 lei (established as of January 1, 2025 by HG 1.506/2024), the fine point is 202 lei.

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In terms of penalty points, it’s important to remember that accumulating 15 penalty points automatically leads to a 30-day driving license suspension.

In conclusion, whether you’re on the highway, on a national road or out of town, knowing these speed limits helps you to drive responsibly and enjoy every journey. Keep in mind the legal speed limit in Romania set by the Highway Code and adapt your speed according to road and traffic conditions. We wish you good and safe roads!

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