Mobile Speed Camera Photo Evidence

Have you been given a speeding ticket and do not know what to do? You’ve come to the right place. Every month, more than 130,000 people visit our website for advice on fines and parking tickets.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

The meaning of a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN)
If you need to pay your FPN right away
Steps to question your FPN
Times when you may not need to pay
What might happen if you choose not to pay

It’s common to feel confused and concerned about receiving a Fixed Penalty Notice. In fact, a group of MPs and Peers say FPNs, which can cost up to £10,000, are hard to understand and might be unfair.¹

Don’t worry, we’re here to help you figure things out.

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Do mobile speed cameras take photos?

All types of speed cameras will attempt to take a photograph of a speeding vehicle.

But these photos might not include a clear image of the driver. Speed camera photos can be taken from different angles and can sometimes be of low quality.

The main purpose of speed camera photos is to identify speeding vehicles – not who was driving them.

Do mobile speed camera vans take photos of the other side of the road?

Mobile speed camera vans can identify vehicles that are speeding on either side of the road, and therefore they can snap a photo of speeding vehicles on both sides.

Do they send a photo in a speeding ticket?

The police might or might not send photos from the speed camera within the Notice of Intended Prosecution.

The police aren’t obligated to send these photos, but you do have a right to request them if desired.

If the police do want to send you the speed camera photos, they may do so by providing physical copies within the letter. Sometimes they send a code instead, which can be entered online to see digital copies of the mobile speed camera images.

These images could be used to help you work out who was driving (if it’s clear!), in cases that it’s not automatically known.

For example, multiple family members who share a car and frequently drive along similar routes.

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Do the police have to provide evidence of speeding?

The police aren’t obligated to supply you with evidence that you were speeding unless the matter escalates to court.

Often they will supply images showing your vehicle and its speed. And you can sometimes request this information and receive it voluntarily from the police.

Remember, any mobile speed camera photo evidence that you receive isn’t provided to identify the person driving.

Just because your face isn’t seen doesn’t give you grounds to successfully appeal. The photo is taken to identify the vehicle that was speeding only.

Fixed Penalty Notice Appeal Reasons

If you believe the ticket was unfairly issued, you have the option to appeal.

To help you better understand some valid appeal reasons and increase your chances of success, please check out the table below.

If you want to learn more about the appeal process, be sure to check out our specialized guide.

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.

Check the right challenge process

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.

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General information. The procedure depends on the notice and jurisdiction. Check the issuer’s instructions.

What happens after you get caught speeding?

After you’re caught speeding, the registered owner of the vehicle will be sent a Notice of Intended Prosecution within 14 days.

This is a notice to inform the registered vehicle owner that their vehicle was identified as speeding.

The notice comes with a document that needs to be returned within 28 days. This document gives the registered vehicle owner the opportunity to state that someone else was driving the vehicle at this time, including their contact information.

It’s a criminal offence to not hand over this information within 28 days. If you don’t you can be summoned to court.

However, if you received the Notice of Intended Prosecution more than 14 days after the date of the offence (including weekends and bank holidays), the police cannot fine or prosecute the guilty driver.

The Fixed Penalty Notice

Once the owner of the vehicle has responded to the Notice of Intended Prosecution, the police can then send the guilty driver a Fixed Penalty Notice.

This has to arrive within six months of the speeding incident, but it will usually arrive quickly.

The Fixed Penalty Notice is an opportunity for the driver to admit guilt and accept the fine and any penalty points to be issued. If you don’t pay within 28 days you’ll be summoned to court.

There is no specific FPN appeals process.

An appeal would need to be made in court and there are limited reasons to be let off the hook, such as having your vehicle stolen.

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How much is a UK speeding fine?

UK speeding fines are based on a proportion of your weekly income.

There are different bands that apply to how much above the speed limit you were travelling, which then dictate the percent of your weekly income to be fined and how many penalty points should be issued.

You could also be given a short or long-term driving ban.

However, there are caps on speeding fines. The most you can be fined on a normal road is £1,000 and the most you can be fined on a motorway is £2,500, regardless of your weekly income.

Quick recap

The police don’t have to send you photographic evidence of your alleged speeding vehicle. This applies to normal road speed cameras and mobile speed camera vans.

They’re only obligated to supply the evidence if the matter escalates to court, including as part of an appeal.

Yet, some local police forces will send you the photographic evidence within the Notice of Intended Prosecution.

But remember, these photos aren’t taken to capture the driver’s face and it may not be visible. They are taken to capture an image of the vehicle speeding only.

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