A UK speeding Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) is £100 and 3 penalty points in most cases. But before accepting it, it's worth checking whether the notice was properly issued, whether you have valid grounds to appeal, and whether a speed awareness course is an option.
The Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP)
Before a fixed penalty can be issued for a camera-detected speed offence, the registered keeper must receive a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) within 14 days of the alleged offence. If the NIP arrived late (after 14 days), the case may be invalid. The keeper must also respond to Section 172 (identifying the driver); failure to do so is a separate offence carrying 6 points.
- •NIP must be served within 14 days of the alleged offence
- •Check the date on the NIP and compare to the offence date
- •Late NIP: strong grounds for the FPN to be struck out
- •Must respond to S172 within 28 days (identifying the driver)
- •Failure to respond to S172: 6 points and a fine
What if I wasn't driving at the time of the offence?+
You must still respond to the NIP and identify who was driving. If it was someone else, they may then receive the fixed penalty. If you genuinely cannot identify the driver, consult a solicitor before responding.
Grounds to Challenge an FPN
Valid grounds to challenge a speeding FPN include: NIP received after 14 days, incorrect vehicle details on the notice, you were on a motorway and emergency circumstances applied, the speed limit signage was inadequate or missing, or the speed detection device was not properly calibrated. Most challenges are made by requesting a court hearing instead of accepting the FPN.
- •Late NIP: primary challenge ground
- •Wrong vehicle or driver details on notice
- •Signage failure: no speed limit sign where it changed
- •Device calibration: request calibration records
- •Emergency circumstances (rare but valid defence)
- •If no valid speed limit order exists for that road
Speed Awareness Course
For most first-time speeding offences where speed was within a threshold (usually 10% + 2mph above limit, up to a set maximum), the police may offer a speed awareness course instead of points and a fine. The course costs £80-£100 but leaves no points on your licence. You can only attend once in 3 years. It's usually offered automatically if you qualify.
- •Course offered for low-level offences typically up to 10% + 9mph over limit
- •Cost: £80-£100
- •No points added to licence
- •Can only attend once in any 3-year period
- •Accept via the course portal — look for the link in your NIP paperwork
Requesting a Court Hearing
If you wish to contest a fixed penalty, you can request a court hearing by not returning the FPN payment and ticking the "contest in court" option on the notice. Be aware: if you lose, the fine increases (typically to £1,000 for the fastest speeding offences) and you may pay court costs. Only contest if you have solid grounds.
- •Request court hearing on the FPN form — tick the relevant box
- •Must be done within the notice deadline
- •If you lose: fine can be much higher + court costs
- •Get a specialist motoring solicitor for serious cases
- •For marginal speed (e.g. 32 in 30): rarely worth contesting without a strong technical argument
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