How Much is a Fixed Penalty Speeding Fine in the UK?

Did you just get a speeding ticket and are now wondering how much a fixed penalty speeding fine is in the UK?

You’re not alone. Each month, our website is visited by over 32,000 people like you who want to understand more about tickets and fines.

I know it can be tough, and you may feel worried. But there’s no need to be. In this easy-to-read guide, we’ll help you learn about:

•  The meaning of a Fixed Penalty Speeding Fine
•  How speeding fines are given out
•  The lowest and highest amount you can be fined
•  Ways to challenge your speeding fine
•  What happens if you don’t get a Fixed Penalty Notice

We know how it feels to get a speeding ticket; some of us have been there too. Don’t worry; we’re here to explain your rights and options.

How are speeding fines issued?

When you’re caught speeding, you don’t just simply receive the Fixed Penalty Notice. There is a stringent process that is followed by the police, which leads to the Fixed Penalty Notice being issued. I have explained these steps below. 

Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP)

A Notice of Intended Prosecution is usually sent to the registered vehicle owner in the post. This tells the vehicle owner that they’ve been caught speeding (or guilty of a different motoring offence). 

Sometimes the NIP is given verbally at the side of the road by a police officer if they pull you over for speeding, rather than being caught speeding on a speed camera. But the officer doesn’t have to give a verbal NIP and could still have the NIP sent in the post. 

Interestingly, the NIP must be received within 14 days of the alleged motoring offence. If the NIP doesn’t arrive within this timescale, the police cannot prosecute you for the offence and no further action can be taken. This is known as the 14-day NIP loophole. 

Most police forces will be on top of this and won’t let this happen. But bank holidays and postal strikes might get you off the hook.

Section 172 Notice

Section 172 of the Road Traffic Act makes it a legal requirement for the owner of a vehicle to provide the authorities with the name and details of the individual driving their vehicle at the time of an alleged motoring offence. 

Any vehicle owner who receives a NIP must return the included Section 172 Notice to state whether they or someone else was driving at the time. They must do this within 28 days and it’s a punishable and serious offence if the vehicle owner doesn’t provide this information. 

Fixed Penalty Notice

Once the vehicle owner has identified themself or someone else as the driver at the time of the motoring offence, the police will send a Fixed Penalty Notice to the offending individual. This Fixed Penalty Notice allows the driver to avoid court prosecution by accepting penalty points on their driving licence and a monetary fine. 

When you don’t get issued a Fixed Penalty Notice

There are times when you might not be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice. If you already have eight or more penalty points on your driving licence, or if you were speeding excessively, the police may choose to prosecute you in court instead. 

In an event like this, no Fixed Penalty Notice will be issued, and you’ll instead receive a court summons within six months. 

The 10% + 2mph “rule”

The 10% plus 2mph rule is a supposed rule that the police will not issue you a speeding fine if you exceed the speed limit by 10% of the speed limit plus two miles per hour or less. 

Although this was once guidance given to some police officers, it has never been the law and doesn’t have to be applied. You can be given a speeding ticket for any degree of speeding.

How much is a speeding fine in the UK?

How much is a speeding fine? This simple question doesn’t have a straightforward answer, which is why a lot of people get confused and ask forums for help:

Source: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/789481/speeding-ticket-question 

Speeding fines in the UK are calculated based on how much you exceeded the speed limit and other factors, such as if you were speeding near a school. 

The minimum you can be fined is £100, and the maximum you will be fined is £1,000 on a normal road and £2,500 on a motorway. 

Your speeding fine will be categorised into one of six bands (A, B, C, D, E and F). Each band comes with possible fines related to a percentage of your weekly income. 

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How much is a fine for speeding on the motorway?

Motorway speeding fines are calculated based on how much you exceeded the speed limit and your weekly income. The most you can be fined for speeding on a motorway is £2,500.

For example, driving below 71mph and 90mph is a Band-A speeding offence which results in a fine of between 25% and 75% of your weekly income. 

Whereas driving between 91mph and 100mph on the motorway is a Band B offence which can result in a fine of up to 125% of your weekly income. 

How much is a speeding fine for SP30?

SP30 is an endorsement code added to your driving record for speeding offences on roads that are not motorways. The least you can be fined is £100, but your exact fine will be determined by how much you were travelling over the speed limit and your weekly income. 

The endorsement code doesn’t reflect how much the driver was speeding. The “30” in SP30 does not mean 30mph. It’s simply the code used to identify these types of offences. 

How much is a speeding fine for doing 35 in a 30 zone?

Driving at 35mph in a 30mph zone will typically be a Band-A speeding offence, which comes with three penalty points on your driving licence and a fine between 25% and 75% of your weekly income. 

The minimum speeding fine still applies, so you will still be fined at least £100 regardless of your level of weekly income. 

How much is a speeding fine for doing 40 in a 30 zone?

Driving at 40mph in a 30mph zone is the top limit of the Band A category offences, so you should be fined between 25% and 75% of your weekly income for this type of speeding offence. The least you can be fined is still £100. 

Your driving licence will be endorsed with three penalty points. If you already have nine or more penalty points, this would result in a totting-up driving ban of at least six months. 

How much is a speeding fine for doing 45 in a 30 zone?

Driving at 45mph in a 30mph zone will typically be classified as a Band B offence. These types of speeding offences are punished with four to six penalty points on your driving licence and a fine of up to 125% of your weekly income. 

The minimum you can be fined is £100. 

How much is a fine for speeding? (Quick recap)

Speeding fines in the UK can range from £100 to £2,500. The fine amount will be determined by:

• How much you exceeded the speed limit
• Other details, such as weather conditions or proximity to a school
• Previous driving convictions and penalty points
• Your weekly income

Related speeding ticket FAQs

How much is a speeding fine in Wales?

Speeding fines in Wales are calculated based on how much the driver was speeding and their weekly income. The fines can range from £100 to £1,000 on normal roads, and up to £2,500 on motorways. 

How much is a speeding fine in Scotland?

Speeding fines in Scotland range from a minimum fine of £100 to a maximum fine of £1,000 on normal roads and up to £2,500 on motorways. 

The exact amount of a speeding fine in Scotland is determined based on how much the driver exceeded the speed limit, related factors, previous convictions and the driver’s weekly income.