Speeding Fine Received After 14 Days? Next Steps & Guide

If you’ve just received a speeding fine after 14 days and you’re worried about what to do next, this guide is for you.

Every month, more than 32,000 people visit our site looking for guidance on tickets and fines. There’s no need to worry, as we’re here to help you understand:

•  How to appeal and possibly beat your speeding fine
•  The penalties you could face for speeding in the UK
•  The process when you’re caught speeding
•  How to ask for a speed awareness course
•  What happens if you don’t get a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) within 14 days

We know how stressful it can be to deal with a speeding fine, especially if you’re worried about the cost. We’re here to help you, step by step, through the process. So take a deep breath, and let’s begin.

What’s the process when you’re caught speeding?

You could be caught speeding by a police officer, or you could get snapped on a speed camera.

If a police officer stops you for speeding, they’ll give you a verbal warning which is in fact a verbal Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP).

However, if you’re flashed by a speed camera, the NIP arrives in the post. The notice should drop through your letterbox within 14 days of the alleged speeding offence.

What happens after you send back the completed NIP?

Once the police receive the completed form, a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) is issued to the driver. Whether it’s the registered keeper or another person. You have two choices if you’re the driver and the registered keeper which is to:

• Plead guilty to the speeding offence, accept the fine and penalty points
• File a Not Guilty plea and attend a court hearing

It’s worth noting that getting out of a speeding fine is not that easy. Moreover, if you lose the court case, you could end up with more penalty points and a much larger fine. Plus, you’d have to pay court costs!

Is a speeding fine received after 14 days still valid?

There is a 14-day rule that applies to a Notice of Intended Prosecution. So, the police must send you a NIP within this deadline. But there are exceptions. For instance, if you’re caught speeding in a rental car, the hire car company gets the NIP, not you!

So, the police fulfilled the legal obligation of sending the NIP to the legal owner within the 14-day deadline. So, you can’t use the ‘out of time’ excuse to get out of paying a speeding fine! (NOTE TO ED: PLEASE LINK TO Little known speeding ticket loopholes WHEN PUBLISHED)

That said, if you’re the legal owner and the NIP arrived after 14 days, the police can’t prosecute you. Unless the vehicle was used to commit a crime!

Thanks for reading my short guide on what to do when a speeding fine received after 14 days is an issue you’re dealing with! I hope the information helps you decide what to do.

Can you ignore a nip after 14 days?

No. It’s never a good idea to ignore a NIP even when it arrives after 14 days. That said, the police must serve a Notice of Intended Prosecution within 14 days. But, instead of ignoring it, you should use the ‘out of time’ reason in an attempt to get out of the fine.

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What happens if you don’t get a NIP within 14 days?

You won’t get a NIP in the post when a police officer gave you a verbal notice at the time you were stopped for speeding. Instead of receiving a NIP in the mail, you’d get a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) and the police have 6 months to send it!

What’s the time limit on being charged for a speeding offence?

As mentioned, if you were given a verbal warning by a police officer, you’d get a Fixed Penalty Notice in the post. The FPN could arrive up to 6 months after the speeding offence occurred.

However, the police send out the fines quickly. So, the chances are you’d receive the FPN much sooner than the six-month deadline!

Are there any reasons why you’d not get a NIP within 14 days?

You won’t get a NIP in the post within 14 days for three reasons which I’ve listed here:

• You were given a verbal notice by a police officer at the time of the offence
• You aren’t the legal owner of the vehicle
• The NIP wasn’t served by the police within the 14-day deadline

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When would you get a Fixed Penalty Notice in the post?

The police have up to 6 months to serve you with a Fixed Penalty Notice for speeding. Whether you got a verbal notice or a NIP arrived within 14 days in the post.

However, you’ll find the FPN arrives much sooner than that!

You then have 28 days to either accept the consequences which could be a fine and penalty points or challenge the fine. You’d have to attend a court hearing if you contest the speeding fine.

Can you ask for a speed awareness course?

No. You can’t ask to be put on a Speed Awareness Course. It’s up to the authorities to decide whether you could go on a course rather than pay a fine and receive penalty points.