# Speeding and other motoring fines url: https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/speeding-fines/ updated: 29 September 2026 licence: Our words, analysis, charts and derived calculations: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), credit [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). Figures: each source's own licence, listed under Sources. publisher: [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk) # Speeding and other motoring fines Last updated 29 September 2026. Figures refresh every night. [How each figure is worked out](/methodology/). The standard speeding fine is **£100 and 3 penalty points**. In 2024 police in England and Wales dealt with **3,028,022 speed limit offences**, out of 4,375,421 motoring offences in all; 96.9% of speed and traffic-signal offences were caught by camera. More were dealt with by a course (1,793,294) than by a fine paid (1,210,505). Fine money goes to the **Consolidated Fund**, not the police or the council. Figure as of 1 January 2024. Source: [Home Office](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales), [legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2000/2792/schedule/1). ## Key figures - 3,028,022Speed limit offences dealt with, England and Wales ▲ As of 1 January 2024 - 1,793,294Motoring offences dealt with by a course ▲ As of 1 January 2024 - 1,210,505Fixed penalties paid ▲ As of 1 January 2024 - 96.9%Speed and signal offences caught by camera ▼ As of 1 January 2024 - 4,375,421All motoring offences dealt with ▲ As of 1 January 2024 Source: [Home Office](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales). ## What is the short version? - **The fine has not gone up since 2013.** Other common penalties are £200 and 6 points for a hand-held phone and £300 for driving without insurance. - **A course costs about the same as the fine**: £82 to £98 in the areas we checked. That money goes to the course provider and the police, not the Treasury. - **Many notices are cancelled**: 843,849 in 2024, most often because the driver could not be identified. - **Cameras no longer pay for themselves.** Since April 2007 camera fine income has gone to the Treasury, and camera partnerships have been funded by grant. ## How many offences were dealt with in the latest year? 3,028,022 Speed limit offences dealt with ▲ Figure as of 1 January 2024. Source: [Home Office](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales). 1,793,294 Dealt with by a course ▲ Figure as of 1 January 2024. Source: [Home Office](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales). 1,210,505 Fixed penalties paid ▲ Figure as of 1 January 2024. Source: [Home Office](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales). 96.9% Speed and signal offences caught by camera ▼ Figure as of 1 January 2024. Source: [Home Office](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales). **Speed limit offences dealt with each year, England and Wales** **The numbers behind this chart** | Year | Speed limit offences | | --- | --- | | 2011 | 1,494,183 | | 2012 | 1,590,384 | | 2013 | 1,659,846 | | 2014 | 1,863,317 | | 2015 | 1,944,978 | | 2016 | 1,970,207 | | 2017 | 2,013,830 | | 2018 | 2,101,647 | | 2019 | 2,253,948 | | 2020 | 2,006,382 | | 2021 | 2,371,813 | | 2022 | 2,495,584 | | 2023 | 2,715,590 | | 2024 | 3,028,022 | Figure as of 1 January 2024. Source: [Home Office](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales). ## Fine, course or court: how is each offence dealt with? Someone caught speeding modestly over the limit is usually offered a speed awareness course instead of a fine and points, if they have not taken one in the past three years. Serious or repeated speeding goes to court. Many notices are cancelled, most often because the driver could not be identified or the vehicle was an emergency vehicle on a call. **How motoring offences were dealt with, England and Wales** Calendar years, all police forces including the Metropolitan Police. Courses are counted under the Home Office’s heading "driver retraining", which covers speed awareness and other national courses. A small number of notices are still incomplete when the figures are published. **The numbers behind this chart** | Year | Course (driver retraining) | Fine paid | Court action | Notice cancelled | Other or not yet recorded | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2011Details | 317,609 | 1,263,980 | 261,001 | 302,776 | 439,515 | | Fine paid1,263,980Court action261,001Notice cancelled302,776Other or not yet recorded439,515 | | | | | | | 2012Details | 310,732 | 1,228,781 | 262,337 | 316,451 | 499,149 | | Fine paid1,228,781Court action262,337Notice cancelled316,451Other or not yet recorded499,149 | | | | | | | 2013Details | 810,220 | 1,085,097 | 239,781 | 329,381 | 116,041 | | Fine paid1,085,097Court action239,781Notice cancelled329,381Other or not yet recorded116,041 | | | | | | | 2014Details | 1,024,186 | 995,417 | 285,861 | 296,768 | 32,884 | | Fine paid995,417Court action285,861Notice cancelled296,768Other or not yet recorded32,884 | | | | | | | 2015Details | 1,088,765 | 991,651 | 306,553 | 299,508 | 16,506 | | Fine paid991,651Court action306,553Notice cancelled299,508Other or not yet recorded16,506 | | | | | | | 2016Details | 1,102,323 | 961,715 | 313,583 | 332,056 | 13,786 | | Fine paid961,715Court action313,583Notice cancelled332,056Other or not yet recorded13,786 | | | | | | | 2017Details | 1,085,183 | 952,805 | 342,107 | 356,484 | 10,839 | | Fine paid952,805Court action342,107Notice cancelled356,484Other or not yet recorded10,839 | | | | | | | 2018Details | 1,112,412 | 983,689 | 373,315 | 358,889 | 9,363 | | Fine paid983,689Court action373,315Notice cancelled358,889Other or not yet recorded9,363 | | | | | | | 2019Details | 1,250,737 | 1,000,061 | 383,259 | 383,759 | 11,701 | | Fine paid1,000,061Court action383,259Notice cancelled383,759Other or not yet recorded11,701 | | | | | | | 2020Details | 1,056,362 | 923,331 | 380,259 | 469,972 | 12,149 | | Fine paid923,331Court action380,259Notice cancelled469,972Other or not yet recorded12,149 | | | | | | | 2021Details | 1,310,675 | 1,037,869 | 410,475 | 530,726 | 13,154 | | Fine paid1,037,869Court action410,475Notice cancelled530,726Other or not yet recorded13,154 | | | | | | | 2022Details | 1,474,634 | 1,040,537 | 412,298 | 652,846 | 12,227 | | Fine paid1,040,537Court action412,298Notice cancelled652,846Other or not yet recorded12,227 | | | | | | | 2023Details | 1,643,614 | 1,125,137 | 415,192 | 850,619 | 12,692 | | Fine paid1,125,137Court action415,192Notice cancelled850,619Other or not yet recorded12,692 | | | | | | | 2024Details | 1,793,294 | 1,210,505 | 435,159 | 843,849 | 92,614 | | Fine paid1,210,505Court action435,159Notice cancelled843,849Other or not yet recorded92,614 | | | | | | Figure as of 1 January 2024. Source: [Home Office](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales). ## How much is each fixed penalty? | Offence | Fine | Points | Since | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | SpeedingDetails | £100 | 3 | 16 August 2013 | | Points3Since16 August 2013 | | | | | Using a hand-held phone while drivingDetails | £200 | 6 | 1 March 2017 | | Points6Since1 March 2017 | | | | | Driving without insuranceDetails | £300 | 6 | 16 August 2013 | | Points6Since16 August 2013 | | | | | Careless drivingDetails | £100 | — | 16 August 2013 | | Points—Since16 August 2013 | | | | | Not wearing a seat beltDetails | £100 | — | 16 August 2013 | | Points—Since16 August 2013 | | | | | Failing to identify the driverDetails | £200 | — | 16 August 2013 | | Points—Since16 August 2013 | | | | Levels are set by the Fixed Penalty Order 2000; the current table dates from August 2013, and the £200 hand-held phone penalty from March 2017. None has been uprated since, so in real terms each is worth less every year. A court can impose far more, within the maximums for each offence. Checked 22 September 2026. Source: [legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2000/2792/schedule/1). Checked by hand 22 September 2026. ## What do speed awareness courses cost, and who gets the fee? The course fee is set locally and paid to the course provider, which passes on a share to cover the police's costs. Examples of current fees: [Lincolnshire £98](https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/roadlincs/offender-courses/national-speed-awareness-course-nsac), [Staffordshire £93](https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/roads-parking-and-transport/road-safety/ndors-driver-training-courses/national-speed-awareness), [Hartlepool £82](https://www.hartlepool.gov.uk/). **Speed awareness course fees in the areas we checked** - 1. Lincolnshire £98 - 2. Staffordshire £93 - 3. Hartlepool £82 Speeding fixed penalty: £100 The course is offered instead of the fine and points. Its fee goes to the course provider and the police; the fine would have gone to the Treasury. **Show as a table** | Name | Course fee | | --- | --- | | 1. Lincolnshire | £98 | | 2. Staffordshire | £93 | | 3. Hartlepool | £82 | Figure as of 22 September 2026. Source: [legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2000/2792/schedule/1). Since October 2022 the fee may be set above the cost of the course, but [Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988, s90G](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2022/32/section/89) requires any excess to go on road safety: A fee may be set at a level that exceeds the cost of an approved course and related administrative expenses, but any excess must be used for the purpose of promoting road safety. A police cost-recovery element of £45 a course is widely reported but could not be read on an official page, so it is not shown as fact. No national count of courses offered is published: the Home Office records courses taken, as "driver retraining". ## How many offences do cameras catch? No official count of fixed speed or red-light cameras is published. Figures in the press come from freedom of information requests or commercial databases. What is published is how offences were detected: **96.9%** of speed and traffic-signal offences in 2024 were caught by a camera. **How speed and traffic-signal offences were detected, 2024** - ◆ Caught by a camera 97% - Detected another way 3.1% **Show as a table** | Item | Share | Detail | | --- | --- | --- | | Caught by a cameraDetails | 96.9% | | | | | | | Detected another wayDetails | 3.1% | | | | | | Figure as of 1 January 2024. Source: [Home Office](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales). Until 2006-07, camera partnerships were funded from the fines their cameras generated ("netting off"). From April 2007 fine income went to the Treasury and partnerships were funded by grant instead. [House of Commons Library](https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN00350/SN00350.pdf). ## Where does the money go? **Police fixed penalties, including camera-detected speeding (England and Wales)** Consolidated Fund (general Treasury funds) the Consolidated Fund. Not police forces or councils. [Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988, s82(1), applying Courts Act 2003, s38(4)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/53/section/82) Any sums received by the Lord Chancellor under this section are to be paid by him into the Consolidated Fund. (Courts Act 2003, s38(4), which s82 of the 1988 Act applies to fixed penalties.) A DfT written answer (UIN 12191, 8 November 2024) puts it plainly: money from speeding fines "does not go to police forces or local authorities". **Speed awareness and other driver retraining course fees** Kept by the body that collects it the police and the course provider, to cover the course and its administration. Any excess must be spent on road safety. [Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988, s90G, inserted by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, s89 (in force 26 October 2022)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2022/32/section/89) A fee may be set at a level that exceeds the cost of an approved course and related administrative expenses, but any excess must be used for the purpose of promoting road safety. **Fines, fixed penalties and forfeitures in Scotland** Consolidated Fund (general Treasury funds) the Scottish Consolidated Fund, with a matching reduction in UK funding for the Scottish Government. [Scotland Act 1998 (Designation of Receipts) (Amendment) Order 2017](https://www.gov.scot/publications/fiscal-framework-outturn-report-2025/pages/5/) Revenue from FFFPs is paid into the Scottish Consolidated Fund (SCF) after being collected by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service and other bodies. Legal position as of 22 September 2026. Source: [legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/). Checked by hand 22 September 2026. Money from fines and penalty receipts, including for speeding, goes to the Treasury into the Consolidated Fund. It does not go to police forces or local authorities. [Department for Transport, written answer, November 2024](https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-10-31/12191) ## Are speeding fines about safety or money? ### The case that they are about safety - The fine goes to the Treasury, so the force that issues it does not benefit. - Most drivers caught are offered education rather than a fine. - Camera sites are meant to be placed where collisions have happened. - The fine has not risen since 2013, which is not how a revenue measure behaves. ### The case that money matters - Course fees fund police road safety units, so detection pays for itself. - The number of offences dealt with has risen steadily since 2011. - There is no public national register of cameras to check where they are. - Critics, including motoring groups, argue some limits and sites are chosen for volume. ## Common questions How much is a speeding fine? The minimum is a £100 fixed penalty and 3 points. A court can impose more, based on income and speed.Who gets the money from a speed awareness course? The course provider and the police, to cover their costs. Since October 2022 the fee may exceed cost, but any excess must be spent on road safety (Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988, s90G). Fees are set locally, between about £82 and £98 in the areas we checked.Where does speeding fine money go? To the Consolidated Fund, the Treasury’s general account. Not to police forces or local authorities. ## Use this data The figures belong to the bodies that published them and are used under their terms, listed in [Sources for this page](#sources); most are Crown copyright under the Open Government Licence. Only our own words, analysis, charts and derived calculations are ours, published under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/): reuse them, including commercially, if you credit [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk) and link back to this page. ### Download - [Speed limit offences dealt with, England and Wales, yearly since 2011 (CSV)](/data/fpn-speeding.csv) [JSON](/data/fpn-speeding.json) Home Office: [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) - [All motoring offences dealt with by police, yearly since 2011 (CSV)](/data/fpn-motoring-offences.csv) [JSON](/data/fpn-motoring-offences.json) Home Office: [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) - [All data, field definitions and licences](/data/) ### Embed the live figure Paste this into your page. It updates itself every night and links back here. Embed code ## Sources for this page | Source | Publisher | Figures as of | Updated | Licence | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Police powers and procedures: roads policing (fixed penalty notices for motoring offences)](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales) | Home Office | 1 January 2024 | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) | | [Fixed Penalty Order 2000, Schedule 1](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2000/2792/schedule/1) | legislation.gov.uk | 22 September 2026 | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0 (legislation.gov.uk)](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) | | [legislation.gov.uk and official guidance, provision by provision](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/) | legislation.gov.uk | 22 September 2026 | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0 (legislation.gov.uk)](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) | Each source's figures are used under the licence shown. Our own words, analysis, charts and derived calculations are ours, under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Related pages - [Next in this section: Court fines: imposed, collected and outstanding](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/court-fines/) - [How much do councils make from parking, and what can they spend it on?](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/parking-fines-and-council-parking-income/) - [How much do ULEZ, Clean Air Zones and road tolls raise, and where does the money go?](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/clean-air-zones-and-road-charges/) - [What is the UK fuel duty rate, and how did it get there?](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/fuel-duty/) ## More from this publisher - [UK tax calculators](https://howlongisit.co.uk) Published by [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). Our words, analysis, charts and derived calculations: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), credit [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). The figures belong to the publishers listed under Sources and are used under their licences. Figures last updated 29 September 2026.