Last year, the Republican National Guard (GNR) recorded 7,525 infractions for lack of a driver’s license, an increase of 9.29% compared to 2024, the security force reported today.
In a statement, the indicates that this increase corresponds to an increase of 1,279 crimes, “revealing a worrying trajectory that requires immediate attention from both authorities and drivers themselves.”
According to guard data, in the last three years there was a significant oscillation with 8,985 crimes in 2023, falling to 6,246 in 2024 and rising again to the current 7,525 in 2025.
Os districts that recorded the biggest increases in relation to 2024 were Setúbal with 743 (increase of 29.40%), followed by Faro com 834 (+17,90%), Porto com 1.005 (+14,15%), Braga with 289 (+13.14%) and Leiria com 345 (+9,77%).
“Despite the decreases seen in some districts, such as Guarda (-1.72%) or Portalegre (-1.41%), the truth is that 72.22% of districts registered an increase in the number of occurrences”, says the GNR.
The data indicates that driving crimes without a legal license occurred mainly on streets (71.37%) and national roads (15.59%), with a higher incidence in the North (30.37%) and Center (24.82%) regions.
The GNR says that “incidence of offenders between 25 and 40 years old (44.84%), suggests that the problem affects economically active age groups, with social and economic impact on families and communities”.
In a statement released last week, the GNR indicated that it had registered 2,373 crimes involving driving without a legal license between January 1st and April 22nd of this year.
This type of crime is, according to the security force, often associated with other road traffic offenses and increases the risk of accidents.
The GNR also highlights that This crime covers both people who have never obtained a driving license and those who have exceeded the legal renewal period (more than 10 years)the latter being a minority.
In the note, the GNR reminds citizens that driving motor vehicles requires a valid legal license, and it is mandatory to obtain a license appropriate to the vehicle category.
He also reminds us that driving without a driver’s license is a crime punishable by law, with significant legal and financial consequences.
