Challenging an Administrative Fine in Turkey: Time Limit, Venue, Application and Petition

The first question anyone who receives a penalty decision from the municipal police, a provincial directorate or a public body asks is what can be done against it. A challenge to an administrative fine (idari para cezasına itiraz) is, as a general rule, made before the criminal judgeship of peace (sulh ceza hâkimliği) within 15 days of service of the decision. However, not every penalty follows this route: for tax, zoning, SGK (Social Security Institution) and certain regulatory authority fines, the place of application is the administrative court (idare mahkemesi) or tax court (vergi mahkemesi), and the time limits are different. Applying to the wrong authority or missing the time limit leads to even a justified challenge being dismissed without examination on the merits.

In this article we explain, according to the legislation in force as of September 2026, the application procedure under articles 27–31 of the Law on Misdemeanours No. 5326 (Kabahatler Kanunu), which fines go to the administrative courts, the early payment reduction, the remedy against the decision of the criminal judgeship of peace, what the petition must contain and limitation periods.

Short answer: where and within how many days is an administrative fine challenged? #

The table below summarises the place of application and the time limit for the most common sanctions. Where a special law contains a different rule, that provision applies; so always read the “remedy, authority and time limit” information written at the bottom of the decision served on you (art. 26 of the Law on Misdemeanours makes it mandatory to include this information).

Place of application and time limit by type of sanction #

Not to miss the deadline #

You can pre-check on which day the time limit expires with our time limit and limitation period check tool. For the general time limits for bringing proceedings in the administrative courts, see our administrative and tax law page.

Challenging an administrative fine: application to the criminal judgeship of peace #

Under article 27 of the Law on Misdemeanours, an application against an administrative fine and a decision of confiscation may be made to the criminal judgeship of peace within 15 days at the latest from the date of service or notification in person of the decision. If no application is made within the period, the decision becomes final.

Who applies, how and with which documents? #

• Who applies: The person against whom the decision was issued in person, their legal representative (e.g. a company officer or a parent) or their lawyer.
• How to apply: The petition is submitted to the criminal judgeship of peace in two copies. It can be handed in through the front office at the courthouse or through the duty judgeship, or sent electronically via the UYAP Citizen Portal (UYAP Vatandaş Portal) by logging in through e-Devlet (the e-Government gateway).
• Which location: The rules of the Code of Criminal Procedure apply to territorial jurisdiction (art. 22/4); in practice, the application is made to the criminal judgeship of peace in the place where the misdemeanour was committed. If an application is made to a judgeship without jurisdiction, the file is sent to the competent one (art. 28/1-a); still, to avoid losing time, the correct place should be chosen.
• Fees: The application is not subject to court fees (art. 31/1). However, if the application is dismissed, the costs of proceedings and, if the administration was represented by a lawyer, the attorney fee may be charged to the applicant; if it is accepted, these costs fall on the administration (art. 31/2).
• Force majeure: If the time limit was missed because of force majeure such as illness or a natural disaster, an application may be made within 7 days of the cause ceasing. This application does not prevent the decision from becoming final; the judgeship may suspend enforcement if necessary (art. 27/2).

How is the fifteen-day period calculated? #

In calculating the period, the day of service is not counted; if the last day falls on an official holiday, the period expires at the end of working hours on the first following working day. Since the judicial recess does not extend time limits in criminal matters, the 15 days must also be taken as the basis for decisions served in July–August.

How does the judgeship examine the application? #

1. Preliminary examination: The judgeship first checks whether it has jurisdiction, whether the application was made in time and whether the decision is of a type that can be examined by the criminal judgeship of peace. If any of these conditions is not met, the application is dismissed on procedural grounds.
2. The administration’s reply: A petition accepted on procedural grounds is served on the relevant body. The body sends its reply and a copy of the entire administrative file within 15 days; this reply is also served on the applicant.
3. Hearing (optional): The judgeship may, on request or of its own motion, hear the parties on a set day and time; the provisions on witnesses, experts and on-site inspection apply. Most files, however, are decided on the papers without a hearing.
4. Decision: If the penalty is lawful, a decision “dismissing the application” is given; if it is unlawful, a decision “annulling the administrative sanction decision” is given. For penalties with a minimum and maximum set by law, the judgeship may also partially accept the application by changing the amount (art. 28/9).

Until a decision is given, the administration may also accept the application and withdraw its decision; the applicant may withdraw the application before the decision, but after withdrawing cannot apply again on the same matter (art. 30).

Early payment reduction and instalments for administrative fines #

An administrative fine for which the law does not provide a separate payment period is paid within one month of service, and if paid within this period a 25% reduction applies (art. 17/6). The same paragraph expressly states that payment does not affect the right to seek a remedy. In other words, it is possible to pay the fine at the reduced rate and challenge it within 15 days; if the challenge is accepted, a refund of the amount paid is requested.

The limits of this option must be known:

• Payment does not extend the time limit: There is one month for the reduction, but the time limit for a challenge is 15 days. Waiting to pay does not stop the challenge period running.
• A special law may differ: For SGK fines, the reduction depends on payment within 15 days; under consumer legislation, no separate early payment reduction applies to a fine for which settlement has been requested (Law No. 6502 art. 77/A).
• Instalments: If the person’s financial situation does not allow it, it may be decided that the fine be paid in four equal instalments within one year, provided the first instalment is paid in advance. If any instalment is not paid on time, the entire remaining amount is collected (art. 17/3).

Objection to the decision of the criminal judgeship of peace and the finality threshold #

The judgeship’s decision is not always final. Under article 28/10 of the Law on Misdemeanours, decisions given on applications against fines up to and including 15,000 TL are final. This threshold was raised from 3,000 TL to 15,000 TL in 2024 by Law No. 7499. Unlike the fines themselves, the threshold is not increased each year by the revaluation rate; in 2026 it still applies as 15,000 TL.

For fines exceeding 15,000 TL, an objection may be lodged against the judgeship’s decision under the Code of Criminal Procedure within two weeks of service of the decision (art. 29). This period was also extended from 7 days to two weeks in 2024. The objection petition is submitted to the judgeship that gave the decision, and the examination is made on the file. For example, an employer whose application against a 40,000 TL occupational health and safety fine is dismissed may object within two weeks of service of the dismissal decision; for a 9,000 TL fine, however, the first decision is final. For final decisions, only extraordinary remedies such as an individual application may come into question.

Which administrative fines go to the administrative court? #

The criminal judgeship of peace route is the general rule; in the following cases the dispute is heard by the administrative courts, and the time limits for bringing proceedings are determined by the Administrative Procedure Law or the special law.

Main fines that go to the administrative courts #

• Tax penalties: An action against a tax/penalty assessment notice is brought before the tax court within 30 days. Settlement and penalty reduction routes should be assessed together with the action.
• Zoning fines: Against a fine imposed by the municipal executive committee (belediye encümeni) for an unlicensed building or a building contrary to its licence, an action is brought before the administrative court within 60 days under settled practice. For the process together with a demolition order, see our construction and zoning law page.
• Regulatory and supervisory authorities: For fines imposed by bodies such as the Personal Data Protection Board, the Competition Board and the Capital Markets Board (SPK), their special laws designate the administrative courts. KVKK fines have been reviewed by the administrative courts since 1 June 2024; for details, see our IT law and KVKK page.
• Consumer legislation: An action against fines imposed by the provincial trade directorate or the Advertising Board is brought before the administrative court within 30 days from the day following service, and the action does not automatically stop enforcement of the fine.
• Where the same act contains a decision within the jurisdiction of the administrative courts (art. 27/8): If, together with the fine, a decision falling within the jurisdiction of the administrative courts, such as closure of a business, revocation of a licence or a ban on activity, was also issued against the same person, objections concerning the fine are raised before the administrative court together with the request to annul that decision.

If you apply to the wrong authority #

An application to an authority without jurisdiction may not preserve the time limit. If no authority is written at the bottom of the decision, or it is written incorrectly, this may additionally be argued as a defect in service; nevertheless, one should act by taking the shortest time limit as the basis.

Municipal police, municipality, SGK and occupational safety administrative fines #

Municipal police and municipality fines: For fines imposed on the basis of a municipal police report for reasons such as noise, unauthorised occupation, polluting the environment or breach of municipal orders and prohibitions, the general rule applies: the criminal judgeship of peace within 15 days. However, if the business was sealed or the licence revoked by the same decision, the route is the administrative court under art. 27/8; a zoning fine also goes to the administrative courts.

SGK administrative fines: Fines imposed under article 102 of Law No. 5510 for reasons such as late submission of the insured employment start notification or incomplete submission of the monthly premium and service document are not subject to the criminal judgeship of peace route under the Law on Misdemeanours. An objection is made to the relevant SGK unit within 15 days of service; the objection stops collection proceedings. If the objection is rejected, an action may be brought before the administrative court within 30 days of service of the rejection decision. If the fine is paid within 15 days of service, three quarters of it is collected. For employee receivables and insurance status disputes, see our labour and social security law page.

Occupational safety and Labour Law fines: For occupational health and safety and Labour Law fines imposed by the provincial directorate of labour and employment on the basis of a labour inspector’s findings, no special objection route is provided; therefore an application is made to the criminal judgeship of peace within 15 days. Since these fines can increase according to the hazard class and the number of months the breach continued, it is important to examine the findings in the inspector’s report one by one. A work stoppage decision, by contrast, is subject to a separate procedure.

Service, e-Tebligat and e-Devlet #

Since the time limit starts with service, the first step of a challenge is to establish the date of service correctly. Decisions are served under the Law on Notifications (art. 26):

• Decision given face to face: If the report was drawn up in the person’s presence and handed to them (notification in person), the time limit starts from that day. Refusing to sign does not stop the time limit; this is noted in the report.
• Service by post: The time limit starts from the date of service on the notification document. For notifications left with someone at home or with the neighbourhood headman’s office, how the date arose should be checked separately.
• Electronic service: Service made through the National Electronic Notification System or the infrastructure of the Ministry of Treasury and Finance is deemed made at the end of the fifth day following the date the message reached the electronic address. The fact that the message was not opened does not prevent service.
• e-Devlet: Traffic fines and some other authority fines may appear on e-Devlet; however, the fact that a fine appears on screen does not in itself count as service. If service has not been made or was made irregularly, the time limit may not have started; this argument should be expressly raised in the petition.

What the challenge petition must contain #

The law requires the petition to clearly show the information about the decision and the evidence on which the challenge is based (art. 27/4). Rather than filling in a ready-made template, it is sounder to write the following elements according to the specific case:

1. Authority: The criminal judgeship of peace (or administrative court) applied to.
2. Applicant: Name and surname or trade name, Turkish ID or tax number, address; representative’s details if there is a lawyer.
3. Opposing party: The body and unit that issued the decision.
4. Decision details: Date and number of the report or decision, amount of the fine, legal provision relied on, plate or file number if any.
5. Date of service: The date showing that the application is within the time limit; if there is force majeure, an explanation with supporting grounds.
6. Grounds for the challenge: Specific grounds such as that the act was never committed, that it belongs to someone else, that an unauthorised authority issued the decision, that the report contains an error as to person, place, time or article, that no evidence was shown, that the limitation period has expired or that the amount was calculated incorrectly.
7. Evidence: Photographs, camera footage, invoices, contracts, licences, medical reports, witness details; a request that the administrative file be obtained from the administration.
8. Request: Annulment of the decision; reduction of the amount for penalties with a minimum and maximum; a hearing and suspension of enforcement if necessary.
9. Attachments and signature: A copy of the decision and the service document, the evidence, date and signature; the petition in two copies.

Limitation periods for administrative fines #

The administration cannot impose an administrative fine indefinitely. Under article 20 of the Law on Misdemeanours, the limitation period for investigation starts when the act is committed or the result occurs, and depends on the amounts in the law as follows: 5 years for misdemeanours requiring a fine of 100,000 TL or more, 4 years for 50,000 TL or more, and 3 years for less than 50,000 TL. For proportional fines the period is 8 years. Fines under certain laws, such as the Highway Traffic Law and the Road Transport Law, lapse if they are not imposed and served by the last day of the calendar year following the year in which the act was committed. If the act also constitutes an offence, the limitation period for prosecution of the offence applies.

Collection of a final fine is not unlimited either: the limitation period for enforcement is 3 to 7 years depending on the amount of the fine and runs from the beginning of the calendar year following the year in which the decision became final (art. 21). A fine imposed after the limitation period has expired is a ground for annulment in the challenge. For SGK and tax penalties, the limitation provisions in their own laws apply.

The process of challenging an administrative fine, step by step #

1. Establish the decision and the date of service: Keep the report, the notification envelope or the e-Tebligat record; calculate the last day of the 15 days.
2. Identify the authority: Check the remedy information at the bottom of the decision, the special law and whether any other decision was issued together with the fine.
3. Decide on payment: Decide whether you want to benefit from the 25% reduction; payment does not remove the right to challenge but does not extend the challenge period either.
4. Collect evidence: Bring together records of the scene, documents and witness details.
5. Submit the petition: Apply to the criminal judgeship of peace in two copies in person or via the UYAP Citizen Portal, and keep the document showing the application date.
6. Follow the administration’s reply: Submit additional statements and evidence in response to the reply served on you; if a hearing date is set, attend.
7. Consider the remedy: If the fine exceeds 15,000 TL, object to a dismissal decision within two weeks of service; if the decision is in your favour, request a refund of the amount paid.

Short summary #

• General rule: application to the criminal judgeship of peace within 15 days of service or notification in person; if the period passes, the fine becomes final.
• In case of force majeure, an application may be made within 7 days of the cause ceasing.
• The application is free of court fees; if dismissed, costs of proceedings and the attorney fee may be charged to the applicant.
• Payment within one month gives a 25% reduction, and payment does not remove the right to challenge.
• For fines up to and including 15,000 TL, the judgeship’s decision is final; for higher fines, an objection is lodged within two weeks.
• Tax, zoning, consumer legislation, KVKK and other authority fines, and fines issued together with decisions such as business closure, go to the administrative courts.
• An SGK fine is first challenged by objection to the Institution within 15 days, and if rejected, an action is brought before the administrative court within 30 days.
• The limitation period for investigation is 3–5 years, and 8 years for proportional fines; for some fines, such as traffic fines, the period is much shorter.

The information in this article is general in nature and has been prepared according to the legislation in force as of September 2026. Special laws may provide different time limits and authorities; for your specific situation, it is advisable to consult a lawyer before the time limit expires.