What Happens if You Ignore a Speeding Ticket?

Did you get a speeding ticket and don’t know what to do next? This guide is here to help. Every month, over 130,000 people visit our website for advice on fines and parking tickets.

We’re going to explain:

What a speeding ticket really is.
How important it is to pay right away.
Steps to contest the ticket.
Times when you might not need to pay.
What could happen if you choose not to pay.

We understand that receiving a speeding ticket can be frustrating, as it’s a hassle to deal with and can cost a lot of money. But ignoring it can lead to bigger problems.

We’re here to help you understand the rules and what you can do to sort it out.

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How long must you respond to a speeding fine?

After receiving a Fixed Penalty Notice for speeding, you have 28 days to accept the fine and possible penalty points on your license.

What happens if I ignore my speeding ticket?

If you don’t respond to the Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) within 28 days, the matter will be referred to the Magistrates’ Court. The court will send you a letter allowing you to plead guilty to ignoring the FPN. If you accept guilt, you’ll be handed an even more significant fine and must pay court costs.

You’ll be subject to further court action if you don’t accept guilt. A warrant for your arrest could even be issued. So, it’s a good idea never to ignore a speeding ticket in the UK.

Unlock says a Fixed Penalty Notice is not a conviction. It won’t affect your banking or housing, but the police will record it.¹

What happens if you ignore a NIP?

The registered vehicle owner’s legal obligation is to respond to the Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) within 28 days. If you ignore a NIP, you will be summoned to the Magistrates’ Court for failing to comply and for the original speeding offence.

The Magistrates’ Court could then fine you up to £1,000, add six penalty points to your license, and a judge may even disqualify you from driving altogether.

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Ignoring court summons for driving offence – don’t do it!

Receiving a court summons can be scary, but ignoring it is never a good idea. It will not go away just because you don’t respond.

The best thing to do is acknowledge and read the summons carefully. You might be able to avoid court by replying online or by post. Either way, make sure the details are correct before responding. If the details are correct and you do need to go to court, failing to attend could lead to a warrant for your arrest.

If you don’t think the allegations made against you are true, you can plead not guilty. You will get to dispute the allegations and present evidence and potential witnesses at a court hearing.

Check the right challenge process

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A Fixed Penalty Notice does not normally use the council parking tribunal process. The notice explains how to dispute the allegation, which may require a court hearing. If convicted, the penalty and costs can be higher than the fixed penalty. Check the process and deadlines before deciding what to do.

Procedures vary by notice and jurisdiction.

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Contesting a speeding ticket in court

The other way to get out of a speeding ticket is to contest the matter in court. It can be difficult to contest a speeding ticket successfully. You will lose the case if you’re proven to have been speeding at all, even briefly.

The only way to contest it and get out of a speeding ticket is to prove the following:

You weren’t speeding at all
Your car had been stolen
You weren’t the one driving
There was no legal notice of the speeding limit on the road

To better understand some of the main valid reasons to appeal/contest your speeding ticket, please check out the table below.

Issue to check	Possible evidence	Important limit
The alleged offence did not occur	Contemporaneous photographs, video or reliable records.	The relevant legal elements and evidence must be assessed.
Valid insurance or entitlement	Policy documents or DVLA records covering the exact time and use.	Holding a document now does not prove cover or entitlement at the time.
A recognised statutory exemption	Evidence establishing the exact exemption, such as an applicable medical exemption.	An emergency or misunderstanding does not automatically amount to a defence.
Identity or vehicle details	Evidence of a mismatch, mistaken identity or cloned vehicle.	Follow the notice’s response requirements; do not invent a driver or account.
Signage or equipment	Photographs and reliable evidence relevant to the alleged offence.	A malfunctioning speedometer is not a general defence to speeding. Seek legal advice before contesting.

FPNs do not use the same appeal procedure as council PCNs. Follow the notice; contesting the allegation may require a court hearing. Paper tax discs have not been required since 1 October 2014.

Can you get out of a speeding FPN?

There are limited ways to get out of a UK speeding ticket. Defensive driving is the best way to avoid getting a ticket. However, one of the few legal loopholes that may help you get out of a speeding ticket is if the Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) is sent to you more than 14 days after the alleged offence.

If a NIP is sent after 14 days, the case cannot progress to court, meaning they can never be prosecuted for speeding on this occasion.

But remember, a NIP isn’t required if a police officer already gave you verbal notice.

As you can see, this MoneySavingExpert forum user was caught speeding in a rental car but received no formal correspondence. Despite this, they have no grounds to challenge the ticket because the leasing company received the ticket six days after the offence was committed and informed the driver. Therefore, this driver will have to face the consequences of their actions.

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Impact on Professional Drivers

Getting caught speeding, even by a little, can lead to endorsements on your driving record, and if you are a repeat offender, you can tot up 12 points on your licence – which is enough to get you a driving ban!

This is a serious consequence for most drivers, especially if you rely on your licence for your livelihood. Professional drivers like taxi or lorry drivers may experience immediate job loss and difficulty securing future driving-related employment.

Speeding tickets in Scotland and Northern Ireland

According to UK jurisdictions, speeding tickets work identically in Scotland and Northern Ireland as in England and Wales. There are some differences in regional traffic laws, however:

Speeding offences in Scotland get reported for prosecution to the Procurator Fiscal. Failing to pay will get you referred to the District Court.
Drivers from Northern Ireland who commit a speeding offence in England, Scotland or Wales can accept endorsement penalty points, which avoids needing them to attend court.

A quick recap

If you don’t respond to a Fixed Penalty Notice for speeding within 28 days, the case can be passed to the Magistrates’ Court. The court will send you a letter as an opportunity to own up to ignoring the speeding ticket, and you’ll have to accept an even more significant fine and pay a court fee.

If you don’t admit guilt when this letter arrives, further legal proceedings will be made against you, and a warrant for your arrest could be issued.

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A paid service is optional. Gather your notice and evidence, check the deadline and decide whether you need professional advice about your circumstances.

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References

Unlock-Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) / Penalty Notice for Disorder (PND)