Speeding fines, tickets and penalties guide

If you're caught speeding, the minimum penalty for a Fixed Penalty Notice offence is a £100 fine and either three points on your licence or the opportunity to go on a driver speed awareness course.  

However, since 2017, fines for the most serious speeding offences in England and Wales were increased and that means they could potentially cost drivers thousands of pounds.

The changes followed a review of the sentencing guidelines given to magistrates' courts by the Sentencing Council. It ruled that drivers who break the speed limit by a significant margin – such as driving at 41mph or above in a 20mph zone, or more than 101mph on a motorway – should be fined up to 175% of their weekly income. The limit had been 100%.

While the percentage of income changed, the upper limits for fines remained the same. Drivers can be fined up to £2500 if caught speeding on a motorway or up to £1000 on regular roads.

Speeding fines are categorised into three main bands, A, B and C, set out in this table: 

If your offence is in Band A, you will be issued with a fixed penalty notice (speeding ticket), get three penalty points on your licence and be fined 25% to 75% of your weekly income. You could face a larger fine or have to appear in court if there were other factors involved – for example, if you were caught speeding near a school or were driving a heavy goods vehicle.

For Band B offences, you might need to appear in court and you could be fined between 75% and 125% of your weekly income. Four to six penalty points will be added to your licence or you might be banned from driving for seven to 28 days.

For Band C offences, you might need to appear in court and will face a fine of between 125% and 175% of your weekly income. You will be banned from driving for seven to 56 days or get six penalty points on your licence.

There are three other bands: D, E and F, which can be applied if the circumstances regarding the driver, vehicle or location are more serious.

Factors that could push an offence into one of these bands include the driver having previous convictions or being on bail; if someone was driving a large vehicle, towing a caravan or trailer, carrying passengers or a heavy load, or driving for hire, or if there was a high level of traffic or pedestrians in the vicinity.

For a band D offence, you will be fined 200% to 300% of your weekly income. For one in band E, you will be fined 300% to 500% of your weekly income. And for one in band F, you will be fined 500% to 700% of your weekly income.

It's worth noting that magistrates are required to stick to these guidelines unless it is in the interests of justice not to do so.

However, they are also obliged to take into account any mitigating circumstances that could make the fine more lenient. Examples include having no previous convictions, being of good character and committing the speeding offence due to a genuine emergency.

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