How long does the Met have to send a speeding NIP?

The NIP must be served on the registered keeper within 14 days of the offence under Section 1 of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988. The clock starts the day after the alleged offence and includes weekends. Service is effective when delivered, but first-class post is presumed delivered on the second working day. Keep the envelope: postmark dates are the strongest evidence if you intend to argue late service. If the NIP arrived after day 14 due to the Met's delay rather than your address being out of date, the prosecution can be defended on that ground alone.

What happens if I ignore the s.172 form?

Failing to return the s.172 form within 28 days is a separate criminal offence under Section 172 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, carrying six penalty points, a fine up to £1,000, and a criminal record. It is treated more harshly than the underlying speeding offence in most cases. Even if you cannot identify the driver, you must return the form stating that fact and explaining what steps you took. A blank or unreturned form will be prosecuted via Single Justice Procedure and is almost always convicted. Reply by recorded post or use the Met's online portal and keep the confirmation.

Can I request the calibration certificate before pleading?

Yes. Write to the Central Ticket Office or submit a Freedom of Information request to the Met asking for the calibration certificate, Type Approval Certificate, and operator training record for the specific device. The Met is required to retain these records and disclose them in response to a reasonable request. If the certificate has expired, the device is not approved for that speed range, or the operator was not trained on that model, the speed reading may be inadmissible under Section 20 of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988. Request the records before you tick any box on the NIP reply form.

Am I eligible for the speed awareness course?

You are usually eligible if your recorded speed falls within the National Police Chiefs' Council thresholds, you have not completed a course in the previous three years, and the offence is your first within the relevant window. Typical thresholds are 35 to 42 mph in a 30 zone, 46 to 53 mph in a 40, 57 to 64 mph in a 50, and 86 to 95 mph in a 70. The Met offers the course through DriveTech and TTC; you book online and pay around £80 to £100. Completing the course removes the points and avoids a criminal conviction.

What is the Single Justice Procedure and can I opt out?

The Single Justice Procedure (SJP) is a written process where a single magistrate decides minor offences without a courtroom hearing. Most Met speeding prosecutions go through SJP at Lavender Hill or Westminster. You can opt out by ticking the relevant box on the SJP notice and requesting a hearing in open court. This is sensible if you have a substantive defence, want to give evidence, or need to argue exceptional hardship. Opting out adds delay, typically three to six months, but lets you cross-examine the prosecution and present documents in person.

Will the fine be more than £100?

The Fixed Penalty Notice is £100 plus three to six points. If you reject the FPN and the case goes to court, the fine is calculated by reference to weekly income under the Magistrates' Court Sentencing Guidelines, banded by speed. Band A (lowest, just over the limit) is 50 percent of weekly income; Band B (significantly over) is 100 percent; Band C (grossly excessive, typically more than 51 mph in a 30 or over 101 mph on a motorway) is 150 percent, plus possible disqualification. Court costs of £85 to £620 and a victim surcharge are added on top.

Met Police Speeding Fine Appeal: Free UK Guide

A speeding allegation from the Metropolitan Police starts with a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) and a Section 172 request asking the registered keeper to identify the driver. The Met operates HADECS3 average-speed and digital cameras on London's smart motorway sections, fixed Gatso units across the boroughs, and mobile vans run by the Safer Transport Command. The Central Ticket Office at Hampton processes paperwork before any Fixed Penalty Notice or court summons is issued. You have real options, but the time limits are tight and the framework is criminal, not civil. Returning the s.172 form within 28 days is mandatory; failing to do so is a separate offence carrying six points and a fine. This page covers the grounds a Met driver can rely on, how to request calibration evidence under the Freedom of Information Act, when the awareness course is available, and the steps to take if the case ends up in front of magistrates at Lavender Hill, Bromley, or Wimbledon.

Grounds that work for Metropolitan Police speeding fine (nip)s

NIP served outside the 14-day statutory window

Section 1 of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 requires the NIP to be served on the registered keeper within 14 days of the alleged offence. The 14 days are calculated from the day after the offence and include weekends and bank holidays. If the Met posted the NIP late, or if it was sent to an outdated DVLA address that the keeper had already corrected, the prosecution can be challenged. Service is presumed effective two working days after first-class posting under the Interpretation Act 1978, so always keep the original envelope with its postmark. A late NIP is one of the strongest technical defences available and is regularly accepted by London magistrates when the postmark is clear.

Calibration and Type Approval evidence

Speed measurement devices used by the Met must have a current Home Office Type Approval Certificate and be calibrated according to the manufacturer's schedule, typically annually for fixed Gatso and HADECS3 cameras and before each deployment for handheld LIDAR. You are entitled to request the calibration certificate, the Type Approval Certificate, and the officer's training records before pleading. Submit a Freedom of Information request to the Met or ask the CTOSC directly. If the certificate is out of date, the device is not approved for the speed band recorded, or the operator was not trained on that exact model, the evidence may be inadmissible under Section 20 of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988.

Reasonable diligence under s.172

If the vehicle is a company car, a hire vehicle, or was used by multiple household members, you can plead the reasonable diligence defence under Section 172(4) of the Road Traffic Act 1988. The keeper must show that, despite reasonable effort, they could not identify the driver. Evidence helps: pool car booking logs, fuel card receipts, ANPR records, family calendar entries, even bank card transactions near the camera location. The bar is high and London magistrates know all the standard arguments, so prepare documentary proof rather than a bare assertion. Saunders v UK 2003 confirmed the s.172 duty does not breach Article 6 ECHR self-incrimination protections.

Speed awareness course eligibility

The Met offers the National Speed Awareness Course through DriveTech and TTC where the recorded speed falls within the published thresholds, typically 10 percent plus 2 mph up to 10 percent plus 9 mph above the limit (so 35 to 42 mph in a 30, 46 to 53 mph in a 40, 57 to 64 mph in a 50). You must not have completed a course in the previous three years. If you were offered points instead of a course but believe you were eligible, write to CTOSC quoting the National Police Chiefs' Council guidance and request reconsideration before accepting the FPN. The course is paid privately, typically £80 to £100, and removes the points and conviction record.

Special reasons and exceptional hardship

Even where the speed is admitted, magistrates can decline to endorse points or impose a discretionary disqualification if special reasons apply. These include a genuine medical emergency, a mistake of fact about the speed limit where signage was inadequate, or duress. Exceptional hardship is a separate argument used to avoid totting up to a 12-point ban when six new points would tip you over. It requires evidence of impact beyond ordinary inconvenience: loss of employment for dependants, inability to care for a disabled relative, or collapse of a small business. The court at Lavender Hill or Bromley will want sworn statements and documentary backup.

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Local detail: Metropolitan Police

Central Ticket Office is at PO Box 49001, Hampton TW12 9AT, not at New Scotland Yard.
HADECS3 enforces variable speed limits on the M25 J23-27 (north London) and the M1 J6a-10.
Mobile vans regularly deploy on the A40 Western Avenue, A406 North Circular, A13, and A2.
Lavender Hill, Bromley, Wimbledon, and Westminster Magistrates' handle most Met speeding cases.
TfL's Vision Zero programme increased 20 mph zones; check the limit at the camera location.
The Met publishes camera calibration data on request via FOI: foi.metropolitan.police.uk.
Reply to s.172 by post and by online form for proof of submission within 28 days.

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How to Appeal a Metropolitan Police Speeding Fine

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