UK Speeding Fines Explained: Band A, B & C Guide (2026)
Key takeaways
- Court speeding penalties are split into Bands A, B and C. The band depends on the speed you were recorded at and the speed limit, and the thresholds differ by limit
- Court fines are a percentage of your relevant weekly income (your weekly income after tax), not a flat amount
- The fixed penalty is £100 and 3 points. In court, Band A is 3 points; Bands B and C can mean 4–6 points or a ban of up to 28 or 56 days
- The maximum court fine is £1,000, or £2,500 on a motorway
- Speeding points stay on your licence for 4 years from the offence date, and 12 points within 3 years can mean a ban
Being caught speeding in the UK doesn't always mean a fixed £100 fine and 3 points. What you actually face depends on your recorded speed, the speed limit, your income if the case goes to court, and your existing points. This guide explains how the system works, using the Sentencing Council's guideline for magistrates' courts.
How UK speeding fines are structured
The Sentencing Council's speeding guideline divides offences into three bands. The band is set by your recorded speed against the speed limit, as the tables below show. Each band has a starting point for the fine, expressed as a percentage of your relevant weekly income, and a range the court can move within.
| Band | Starting point | Range | Points or disqualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 50% of weekly income | 25%–75% | 3 points |
| B | 100% of weekly income | 75%–125% | 4–6 points, or a ban of 7–28 days |
| C | 150% of weekly income | 125%–175% | 6 points, or a ban of 7–56 days |
Fixed penalty vs court: if you're offered a Fixed Penalty Notice, it is £100 and 3 points. Some drivers are offered a speed awareness course instead, if the police think it suits the offence and they haven't attended one in the last 3 years. If you contest the case or it goes to court, the guideline above applies.
Band A — lower-range speeding
| Speed limit | Recorded speed | Fine (court) | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 mph | 21–30 mph | 25%–75% of weekly income (starting point 50%) | 3 points |
| 30 mph | 31–40 mph | ||
| 40 mph | 41–55 mph | ||
| 50 mph | 51–65 mph | ||
| 60 mph | 61–80 mph | ||
| 70 mph | 71–90 mph |
Band A is the lowest band. Note that the ranges are not simply "up to 10 mph over". On faster roads the Band A range is wider: on a 70 mph road it runs up to 90 mph, and on a 60 mph road up to 80 mph. A Band A offence usually leads to 3 points. If it is dealt with by a fixed penalty rather than in court, the fine is £100.
Band B — mid-range speeding
| Speed limit | Recorded speed | Fine (court) | Points or ban |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 mph | 31–40 mph | 75%–125% of weekly income (starting point 100%) | 4–6 points, or a ban of 7–28 days |
| 30 mph | 41–50 mph | ||
| 40 mph | 56–65 mph | ||
| 50 mph | 66–75 mph | ||
| 60 mph | 81–90 mph | ||
| 70 mph | 91–100 mph |
Doing 50 mph in a 30 mph zone, for example, is Band B. The court can choose between 4–6 points and a short disqualification, and will weigh the aggravating and mitigating factors below.
Band C — serious speeding
| Speed limit | Recorded speed | Fine (court) | Points or ban |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 mph | 41 mph and above | 125%–175% of weekly income (starting point 150%) | 6 points, or a ban of 7–56 days |
| 30 mph | 51 mph and above | ||
| 40 mph | 66 mph and above | ||
| 50 mph | 76 mph and above | ||
| 60 mph | 91 mph and above | ||
| 70 mph | 101 mph and above |
Very high speeds: for grossly excessive speeding, the guideline allows a court to consider a disqualification of more than 56 days. The maximum court fine is £1,000, or £2,500 if the offence was on a motorway.
How weekly income affects your fine
Court fines are based on your relevant weekly income. The Sentencing Council defines this as your income after tax and National Insurance, not your gross pay. Two figures are worth knowing:
- If you are on benefits only, or earn £120 a week or less after tax and National Insurance, the relevant weekly income is £120.
- If the court has no information about your income, it uses an assumed relevant weekly income of £440.
For example: if your relevant weekly income is £600 and you receive a Band B offence, the starting point is 100% of weekly income, which is £600. The Band B range of 75%–125% gives a possible fine of £450 to £750, depending on the aggravating and mitigating factors. Court fines also have to stay within the legal maximum.
Aggravating and mitigating factors
Magistrates don't just apply the starting point. The guideline lists factors that can make an offence more or less serious:
Factors that can increase the penalty
- Previous convictions
- Poor road or weather conditions
- Towing a caravan or trailer
- Carrying passengers or a heavy load
- Driving for hire or reward, or driving a goods or public service vehicle
- Evidence of unacceptable driving beyond the speeding itself
- Location, such as near a school, and high levels of traffic or pedestrians
Factors that can reduce the penalty
- No previous convictions, or none that are relevant or recent
- Positive character or exemplary conduct
- A genuine emergency
Guilty plea: separately from the factors above, a court gives credit for a guilty plea. The reduction can be up to one third, and it is largest when you plead at the first opportunity. If your Band B fine would otherwise be £600, a one-third reduction would bring it to £400.
How long do speeding points stay on your licence?
Penalty points for speeding (endorsement code SP30 on a standard road, SP50 on a motorway) stay on your licence for 4 years from the date of the offence. For driving bans, what counts is whether the offences fall within a 3-year window of each other.
For example, if you committed a speeding offence on 1 March 2025, the points would remain on your licence until 1 March 2029. An offence on 1 March 2025 and another before 1 March 2028 could count together towards the 12-point limit.
When does a speeding offence result in a driving ban?
A speeding offence can lead to a ban in these situations:
- Totting up — 12 or more points from offences within 3 years normally means a minimum 6-month ban, unless the court accepts exceptional hardship
- New drivers — within 2 years of passing your test, 6 or more points means your licence is revoked
- Serious single offence — in Band B and Band C, the court can disqualify you for a set period instead of adding points
⚡ Want an estimate of your own fine?
Enter your speed, the speed limit and your weekly income into the Speeding Fine Calculator to see which band applies and a possible fine range.
Calculate my speeding fine →Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum speeding fine in the UK?
The fixed penalty for speeding is £100 with 3 penalty points. A court fine has no flat minimum, because it is a percentage of your relevant weekly income. In Band A the range starts at 25% of weekly income.
Which band is 40 mph in a 30 mph zone?
Band A. In a 30 mph limit, Band A covers recorded speeds of 31–40 mph. Band B starts at 41 mph. A Band A offence usually carries 3 points, and a court fine of 25%–75% of your relevant weekly income. A fixed penalty is £100 with 3 points.
How much is a speeding fine for 50 mph in a 30 mph zone?
That is Band B (41–50 mph in a 30 limit). The court fine range is 75%–125% of your relevant weekly income, with 4–6 points or a ban of 7–28 days. If your relevant weekly income is £500, the fine range would be £375 to £625.
What is a Band C speeding offence?
Band C is the most serious band. It starts at 51 mph in a 30 limit, 66 mph in a 40, 91 mph in a 60 and 101 mph in a 70. The fine range is 125%–175% of relevant weekly income, with 6 points or a ban of 7–56 days. The maximum court fine is £1,000, or £2,500 on motorways.
Do speeding fines affect your insurance?
Usually, yes. Speeding convictions normally have to be declared to insurers, and they can raise your premium. How much depends on the insurer, your age, your vehicle and the offence, so ask your insurer or a broker for a quote.
Also useful
Sources
- Sentencing Council — Speeding (revised 2017) guideline
- Sentencing Council — Definition of relevant weekly income
- GOV.UK — Speeding penalties
- GOV.UK — Penalty points (endorsements)
Prakash
Prakash is the founder and editor of UK Driving Tools. He maintains the site's calculators and guides and checks the rates and rules they use against official UK sources, such as GOV.UK, the DVLA, HMRC and Transport for London, before publishing.
Pages are drafted with the help of AI tools and then checked by the editor. He isn't a lawyer, accountant or UK-qualified adviser, so every page lists its sources and states what its calculator can't tell you. Nothing on this site is legal or financial advice.
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