The minimum penalty for speeding is a £100 fine and 3 penalty points, according to GOV.UK. That is the fixed penalty you can receive after a speed camera records your car, and it is not the ceiling: a court can fine more, add points or disqualify. GOV.UK also says the £100 and 3 points apply unless you are given the option of a speed awareness course. This guide follows the sequence from the notice to the court, with the figure at each step, from GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk as read on 16 October 2026.
The fixed penalty: £100 and 3 points
GOV.UK says that within 14 days of your car being caught speeding you are sent a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) and a Section 172 notice. After you return the Section 172 notice you receive either a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) or a letter telling you to go to court.
If you get an FPN and plead guilty, GOV.UK says you pay a £100 fine and have 3 points added to your licence, unless you are given the option of a speed awareness course. The Fixed Penalty Order 2000, which applies in England, Wales and Scotland, is the legal source for the amount: its schedule lists "any other fixed penalty offence involving obligatory endorsement" at £100. Your licence carries a code for 4 years. GOV.UK says how to pay depends on where you were caught: online in England and Wales, and by other routes in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The course instead of points
GOV.UK says you may be given the option of a speed awareness course if the police decide it is appropriate for your offence and you have not been on one in the past 3 years. The speeds at which forces offer it, and what else they check, are in how a speed awareness course is offered. Whether to offer it is the police's decision, not yours.
The Section 172 notice
The NIP and the Section 172 notice are separate. GOV.UK says you must return the Section 172 notice within 28 days to tell the police who was driving, and that you may have to go to court if you ignore it. The endorsement code list has its own entry: MS90, failure to give information as to the identity of the driver, 6 penalty points. The Fixed Penalty Order lists a fixed penalty of £200 for an offence under section 172 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. Why the notice must arrive within 14 days is explained in what a camera records and what happens next.
When it goes to court
If you plead not guilty you have to go to court, and the letter after the Section 172 notice can also send you there. GOV.UK says you can be fined more and get more penalty points if the court decides you are guilty of speeding. The amount depends on the speed limit and how far over it you were driving. It is usually a percentage of your weekly income, up to a maximum of £1,000, or £2,500 if you were driving on a motorway. You could also be disqualified or have your licence suspended.
The endorsement list gives the points as a range: SP10, SP20, SP30, SP40 and SP50, the codes for exceeding goods vehicle, vehicle type, statutory, passenger vehicle and motorway speed limits, each carry 3 to 6 points. These codes must stay on your driving record for 4 years from the date of the offence.
| Route | Fine | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed penalty notice | £100 | 3 |
| Speed awareness course, if the police offer it | instead of the £100 fixed penalty | instead of the 3 points |
| Court | usually a percentage of weekly income, up to £1,000 (£2,500 on a motorway) | 3 to 6, or a ban |
Points, bans and new drivers
GOV.UK says you can be disqualified if you build up 12 or more points within 3 years. The ban can last 6 months for 12 or more points within 3 years, 12 months if you get a second disqualification within 3 years, and 2 years for a third; the court decides the length from how serious it thinks the offence is.
New drivers have a lower limit. GOV.UK says your licence is cancelled (revoked) if you get 6 or more points within 2 years of passing your test, and any unexpired points on a provisional licence carry over to the full licence. You would then apply and pay for a new provisional licence and pass the theory and practical tests again.
Where the rules differ
GOV.UK's speeding page gives one minimum penalty and three payment routes: England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Its penalty points guide says endorsement codes and processes in Northern Ireland are different from those described here, and the Fixed Penalty Order quoted above does not extend to Northern Ireland. The figure on your own notice is the one that applies to you. This is a summary, not legal advice.
What BlitzBuddy does
BlitzBuddy does not issue or collect fines. Its speed camera warnings work in the five countries where it warns and switch on by themselves when you arrive; in the UK, Ireland and every other country you get none, while your speed, your trips and reports from other drivers still work. For how UK cameras differ, read the four types of speed camera. Civil charges that arrive as notices are covered in bus lane fines and points. BlitzBuddy is free, with no ads and no subscription. It is available for iPhone; the Android version is coming soon.
Sources
- Speeding penalties, GOV.UK
- Penalty points (endorsements), GOV.UK
- Penalty points (endorsements): endorsement codes and penalty points, GOV.UK
- Penalty points (endorsements): new drivers, GOV.UK
- Driving disqualifications, GOV.UK
- The Fixed Penalty Order 2000, legislation.gov.uk (Schedule 1)
Sources read on 16 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a speed camera fine?
GOV.UK gives the minimum penalty for speeding as a £100 fine and 3 penalty points. If the case goes to court, the fine is usually a percentage of weekly income, up to £1,000, or £2,500 on a motorway.
Do you always get points for a speed camera fine?
No. GOV.UK says the fixed penalty brings 3 points unless you are given the option of a speed awareness course, which the police decide on.
How long do speeding points stay on your licence?
GOV.UK says the speeding codes SP10 to SP50 stay on your driving record for 4 years from the date of the offence. A ban is possible if you reach 12 or more points within 3 years.
What happens if you do not say who was driving?
GOV.UK says you may have to go to court if you ignore the Section 172 notice. Failing to give the driver's identity is code MS90 with 6 penalty points, and the Fixed Penalty Order lists £200 for a section 172 fixed penalty offence.
