What’s the Time Limit to Pay a Speeding Ticket in the UK?
Receiving a speeding ticket can make you feel anxious. You may worry about the cost or what might happen if you can’t pay it on time. You might even be thinking about making an appeal. Each month, over 32,000 people come to us for advice on these kinds of worries.
In this article, we’ll show you:
- How to make an appeal and win.
- If you always get a ticket for speeding.
- What is the most common reason for speeding.
- How to beat your ticket.
- How much is the average speeding ticket in the UK.
We know how you feel right now as our team has guided many people who were in the same situation as you are now, so you’re not alone, and we’re here to help you. Now, let’s find out what you need to know about dealing with your speeding ticket.
Do You Have to Pay?
In some circumstances, you might have a legitimate reason not to pay your fine.
It’s a bit sneaky, but the last time I needed legal advice, I paid £5 for a trial to chat with an online solicitor called JustAnswer.
Not only did I save £50 on solicitor feeds, I also won my case and didn’t have to pay my £271 fine.
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What happens when you’re caught speeding on camera?
When you’re caught speeding by a camera, the NIP is sent to you in the mail within 14 days of the alleged offence.
If the NIP arrives any later than 14 days, you could get out of paying the speeding fine because you can’t be prosecuted for the offence.
That said, there’s a process you must follow when the NIP arrives within the set deadline.
You must fill out the necessary form and send it back within 28 days, informing the authorities who was driving.
I suggest you keep a copy of the completed NIP form for your records in case you need them later.
In my experience, it’s best to seek advice before filling out a NIP form if you’re unsure about anything.
What’s the process after I get a speeding ticket?
Once you receive a Notice of Intended Prosecution, you have the option to accept guilt or challenge the speeding fine.
The police could issue a Fixed Penalty Notice for speeding within 6 months of an alleged offence.
In short, the FPN could come out of the blue, and you may even have forgotten about it.
It’s worth noting that if the FPN arrives any later than that, you could get off being prosecuted for speeding.
If you accept you were guilty of the speeding offence, the minimum you’d be fined is £100. Plus, you’d get three penalty points added to your driving licence.
That said, you may be offered the option to go on a speed awareness course, but it’s at the authorities’ discretion.
Successful Appeal Case Study
Situation
| Initial Fine | £100 |
| Additional Fees | £171 |
| Total Fine | £271 |
The Appeal Process
Scott used JustAnswer, online legal service to enhance his appeal. The trial of this cost him just £5.
| Total Fine | £271 |
| Cost of legal advice | £5 |
JustAnswer helped Scott craft the best appeal possible and he was able to win his case.
Scott’s fine was cancelled and he only paid £5 for the legal help.
In partnership with Just Answer.
Should I pay or appeal a speeding ticket?
If you decide to pay a Fixed Penalty Notice for speeding, you must do so within 28 days.
When you miss the deadline, the fine immediately increases by 50%.
An original penalty of £100 would become £150. Plus, things get more expensive if you don’t pay the increased fine.
You could face prosecution and have to pay court costs on top of the fine.
On the other hand, if you challenge the speeding ticket, you need to request a court hearing.
In which case, you’d need to provide solid grounds for having the fine cancelled.
On what grounds can you appeal a speeding fine?
If you received a speeding fine and it’s a case of mistaken identity, you could contact the issuer and provide proof.
Also, it is possible to challenge a ticket on a technicality. For example, if the Fixed Penalty Notice was issued after the set 14 day deadline.
The process of appealing a speeding ticket is as follows:
Step 1: Reply to the ticket pleading not guilty to the alleged speeding offence. You’ll receive a court summons once the issuer receives the returned form
Step 2: Get in touch with a solicitor and seek legal advice which is less risky than representing yourself in court
Step 3: Attend the court hearing with supporting evidence to have a speeding fine quashed
Step 4: The court will decide on your case that day or later by post to your home address. The court’s decision is final, and you won’t typically be allowed to file a second appeal
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What is the most common excuse for speeding?
There is no excuse for speeding according to UK law.
However, people use specific excuses to get out of a speeding fine. I’ve listed some of them below:
· I didn’t realise I was speeding
· There was a medical emergency
· I was travelling at the same speed as all the other motorists
· I was late for work
· I needed to go to the bathroom
· I was late to pick up or drop off the kids
· I was late for a doctor’s appointment
According to one newspaper article, one excuse does seem to work, which could get a motorist off a speeding ticket.
The excuse is that you had to exceed the speed limit because another motorist was dangerously tailgating you, which put you at risk.
What happens if you ignore a speeding fine UK?
It’s never a good idea to ignore a Fixed Penalty Notice for speeding because the case will just end up in court.
Up must complete Section 172 and send it back to the issuing authority to prevent the matter from escalating to the courts.
Ignoring the problem won’t make it go away, and things get more expensive and stressful.
Can you refuse to pay a speeding fine?
You can’t refuse to pay a speeding fine because if you do, a court will issue an order to pay it.
Plus, the money owed could be deducted from your benefits or wages.
On top of this, bailiffs (enforcement officers) could be instructed to recover the amount owed, which is now a debt.
It means you’d have to pay:
· An increased fine, and
· The court costs, and
· The bailiffs’ fees
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Is there a time limit for a speeding ticket to be issued?
The speeding ticket notification time limit is set at 14 days.
In short, the police have 14 days to send you a Notice of Intended prosecution through the post, provided they didn’t give you a verbal NIP.
When you accept the NIP, the police have up to 6 months to issue a Fixed Penalty Notice.
If the police miss any of these deadlines, UK law states you cannot be prosecuted for a speeding offence.
Do you always get a ticket for speeding?
If you’re stopped for speeding, the police have the power to:
- Give you a verbal warning, which means you don’t get a speeding ticket. But it depends on the offence and the speed you were travelling at the time
- Issue a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) or send it through the post
- Order you to attend court, which means the authorities send you a letter informing you of the date and what you must do
How much is the average speeding ticket UK?
A speeding ticket in the UK could set you back £100 or as much as £2,500, depending on the speed you were travelling at and where the offence occurred.
In short, the minimum fine for speeding is £100.
But if you’re caught speeding on a motorway and way over the limit, the fine could be dramatically more.
In short, you could receive a fine of £2,500 for speeding on a motorway.
See this panicked message from one motorist who was worried about losing his licence and the reply they received.
Source: Moneysavingexpert
How many penalty points do I get for speeding?
When you are caught speeding or get a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) in the post, you risk getting a minimum of 3 penalty points added to your licence.
I’ve listed how many penalties you’d get for speeding in the table below:
Source: RAC
You risk being banned from driving when you get 12 penalty points or more on your driving licence within 3 years.
Would I qualify for a speed awareness course?
Whether you qualify for a speed awareness course depends on several things, which I explain here:
· The nature of the speeding offence you committed and its seriousness
· You have been on a speed awareness course within the last three years
Also, how long you’ve held a full driving licence would impact the penalties you receive.
For example, if you’ve only been qualified for less than 2 years, getting six points on your licence could mean it’s revoked.
In short, there’s no chance of being offered a speed awareness course.
Getting help with a speeding ticket
I suggest you contact one of the UK’s leading charities if you’re struggling to pay a speeding ticket because you already have too much debt.
I’ve listed three of them here:
Hire a Parking Solicitor for less than a coffee.
If you’re thinking about appealing your parking ticket then getting some professional advice is a good idea.
Getting the support of a Solicitor can make your appeal much more likely to win.
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