Speeding tickets
Completing your form
If you have received what people commonly call a 'speeding ticket', you will have had a 'Notice of Intended Prosecution' letter from Warwickshire Police. The information below will provide you with advice on how to complete the form within your letter, as well as some frequently asked questions.
You only need to complete and return one form to us. The form you return depends on whether you were the driver or not at the time of the alleged speeding offence, and which option you decide to choose.
Please note: The person or company that the letter is addressed to must complete and return the relevant form within 28 days of the letter. Failure to do so will result in further prosecution and penalties.
Were you the driver?
No, I was not the driver
If you were not the driver at the time of the alleged offence, please don't pass the letter to the driver. Please fill in the 'Reply to Notice' form on page 2 and provide details - to the best of your knowledge - of who was in possession of the vehicle at the time of the alleged offence.
Remember to:
- Fill in your name, address and date of birth
- Mark an X in the box next to the relevant reply. If you have marked box 2, provide details of the nominated keeper / driver.
- Sign and date the bottom. (Unsigned forms cannot be accepted).
- Return the form to:
Camera Enforcement Unit
PO Box 3273
Rugby
CV21 2XT
Yes, I was the driver
If you were the driver at the time of the alleged offence, the options available to you will be outlined on page 2 of the Notice.
What to do with the form:
Option 1A - Attend a Driver Offender Retraining Workshop / Course
The type of retraining will be dependent on the offence and will be identified in the first paragraph on page 3 of your paperwork.
If your notice has options 1A, 1B and 1C on page 2, you may have the option to pay for and attend training. The training lasts approximately four hours and your driving licence will not be endorsed with any points. To be eligible for a retraining workshop / course, you:
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Must have a driving licence (full or provisional, issued in any country).
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Must not have attended Driver Offender Retraining for a similar offence within the last three years or be waiting to attend one.
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Must be able to pay the workshop fee in full. Please do not send any money with your completed form.
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Must be able to attend a workshop within 120 days of the date of the alleged offence.
To opt for a retraining course, please complete page 2 - Reply to Notice Form, selecting 1A in Step 2.
Remember to:
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Complete the form in full ensuring all the details in Step 1 are completed
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Sign and date the bottom. (Unsigned forms cannot be accepted).
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Do not send payment or your driving licence at this point, if required it will be requested in writing at a later stage.
Please note: You will hear back from us - usually within 14 days advising you how to book and pay for the course if you have met all the requirements. If you are not eligible to attend the course you will receive a letter advising you of your next steps.
Option 1B - Accept Conditional Offer of a Fixed Penalty
If you are not eligible or do not wish to deal with this offence by way of attending training you are offered a conditional offer of a fixed penalty. A fixed penalty is a fine of £100 and 3 penalty points on your driving licence. To be eligible for a fixed penalty, you must have less than 9 current penalty points on your licence.
To opt for a conditional offer of a fixed penalty, please complete page 2 - Reply to Notice Form, selecting 1B in Step 2.
Remember to:
Complete all your details in step 1, sign and send page 2 back to: Camera Enforcement Unit, PO Box 3273, Rugby, CV21 2XT.You must also:
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Read and follow the Fixed Penalty Application Form on page 4, complete as requested.
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Include your driving licence (either the photocard or the old style licence) or your licence number and country of issue, for non UK licences.
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Sign and date the form in step 3 on page 4.
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Return the form to: Regional Fixed Penalty Office, PO Box 10066, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 9HB.
Option 1C - Request a Court Hearing
Selecting this option means the matter will be passed to a Magistrates Court and you will receive a Single Justice Procedure Notice. You may wish to request a court hearing if:
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Your driving licence holds 8 or more valid penalty points.
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You are unable to pay the £100 in full.
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You wish to contest the offence.
Please be aware that once a court hearing request has been processed, it is final and it is not possible to reinstate any previous option.
To opt for a court hearing, please complete the top of the 'Reply to Notice' form on page 2 and tick box 1C.
Remember to:
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Complete step 1 ensuring all the details are correct
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Sign and date the bottom. (Unsigned forms cannot be accepted).
Turning to Page 2 - Reply to Notice Form. If you have within Step 2 chosen 1A or 1B then you have the option to either:
- Accept the conditional offer of a fixed penalty, or
- Request a court hearing
Option 1A - Accept Conditional Offer of a Fixed Penalty
A fixed penalty is a fine of £100 and 3 penalty points on your driving licence. To be eligible for a fixed penalty, you must have less than 9 current penalty points.
To opt for a conditional offered of a fixed penalty, please complete page 2 - Reply to Notice Form, selecting 1A in Step 2.
Remember to:
Complete all your details in step 1, sign and send page 2 back to: Camera Enforcement Unit, PO Box 3273, Rugby, CV21 2XT.You must also:
- Read and follow the Fixed Penalty Application Form on page 3, complete as requested.
-
Include your driving licence (either the photocard or the old style licence) or your licence number and country of issue, for non UK licences.
-
Sign and date the form in step 3
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Return the form to: Regional Fixed Penalty Office, PO Box 10066, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 9HB.
Option 1B - Request a Court Hearing
Selecting this option means the matter will be passed to a Magistrates Court and you will receive a Single Justice Procedure Notice. You may wish to request a court hearing if:
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Your driving licence holds 8 or more valid penalty points.
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You are unable to pay the £100 in full.
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You wish to contest the offence.
Please be aware that once a court hearing request has been processed it is final and it is not possible to reinstate any previous option.
To opt for a court hearing, please complete the top of the 'Reply to Notice' form on page 2 and tick box 1B.
Turning to Page 2 - Reply to Notice Form. If you have within Step 2 only one option to choose, then as the driver you should:
- Complete all your details in step 1.
- Step 2 select option 1.
Sign and date the form in step 3 and send page 2 back to: Camera Enforcement Unit, PO Box 3273, Rugby, CV21 2XT.
The matter will then be referred to the Magistrates Court and you will receive Single Justice Procedure Notice in due course.
Further information
Either the DVLA database has you recorded as the vehicle's registered keeper or last known keeper or you were nominated as being the vehicle's keeper during the alleged offence by the recipient of a previous Notice.
Your contact details will remain on the vehicle's DVLA record until they receive the V5C vehicle registration document from the new owner and update their database. This is the case even if you have received a letter from the DVLA saying you are no longer the "registered keeper".
Section 172 of The Road Traffic Act 1988 gives the Camera Ticket Office the right to require any person, not just the current owner, who may know who was driving during the alleged offence to provide that information. You must therefore reply to the Notice nominating the person or company you sold the vehicle to.
A Notice of Intended Prosecution must be served on the vehicle's DVLA registered keeper within 14 days after the date of the alleged offence. However there is an exemption if the Police cannot reasonably obtain the keeper's details within that time, for example if the DVLA has no keeper details or they are incomplete.
There is no deadline for the issuing of any subsequent Notices or S172 RTA 1988 requests to identify who was driving. The Camera Ticket Office (CTO) sends all Notices by first class Royal Mail allowing 2 business days for delivery within the 14 day deadline.
By law these Notices are considered served on the addressee. There is no requirement in law to use recorded delivery and it would be impractical for the CTO to do so due to the large number of Notices they issue.
If you are the vehicle's registered keeper you should have the V5C registration document in your name. Company vehicles are normally registered to the business or a leasing company.
Errors in date, time, vehicle make, model or registration number, speed or time into red light and the spelling of names and addresses which are the result of clerical mistakes will not necessarily invalidate the Notice. Any errors should be brought to the attention of the Camera Ticket Office immediately.
The Camera Ticket Office will not cancel a Notice for any of the following reasons:
- I did not know the road
- I was distracted
- I didn't see any workers at the road works
- I did not see the signs
- I was late
- It was late at night / early in the morning
- This is my first offence
- The road was clear
- The speed limit has recently changed
- I did not see the camera
- Other drivers were speeding
- The car behind me forced me to
- I don't think the speed limit is suitable for that road
- I was just following the flow of traffic
- My satnav told me the speed limit was different / didn't warn me that the camera was there
You can view camera calibration certificates by clicking on the 'Camera Information' button at the bottom of this page (in 'Related Pages'). You will need to contact the Camera Ticket Office to obtain the relevant camera serial number first.
It is the legal responsibility of the vehicle's keeper to identify who was driving the vehicle during the offence. You should ask everyone who had access to the vehicle if they were driving and also check diaries, mobile phone records, bank statements, etc.
The Camera Ticket Office may have photographic evidence showing the driver. Contact them if this would be of assistance but note that they will only supply images if they could reasonably assist in identifying the driver and they may not prove the offence itself.
If you still can't identify the driver complete the page 2 Reply to Notice Form by marking box 4 and send it along with a letter explaining what steps you have taken to try to work out who was driving, you should provide name and address details of those persons who could have been driving.
The case will then be reviewed to determine if you should be charged with Failure to Supply Driver's Details.
The Notice includes a request made under Section 172 of The Road Traffic Act 1988 for the addressee to provide details of who was driving during the alleged offence.
The addressee should complete the page 2 Reply to Notice Form and post it, within 28 days of the Notice Issue Date, to:
Camera Enforcement UnitPO Box 3273
Rugby
CV21 2XT
The Company Secretary, Director, a Partner, the Sole Trader or similarly authorised person must complete the page 2 Reply to Notice Form by marking box 2 and nominating who was in possession of the vehicle during the alleged offence. A direct reply from the driver asking to go to court, applying for the Fixed Penalty or to attend a workshop will not be accepted.
Reply to the Notice providing the driver's details as well as corroboration that they were in the country at the time of the alleged offence and insured to drive the vehicle. The Camera Ticket Office will then continue their investigation with them.
Complete the Reply to Notice Form by marking box 3 and send it to the Camera Ticket Office (CTO) with a letter explaining why you think your vehicle wasn't there. Include any evidence you have of its whereabouts as well as clear photographs of its front and rear. The CTO will then investigate the matter.
If no reply or an unsatisfactory response is received then the addressee of the Notice may be prosecuted for the offence of Failing to Supply Drivers Details. This is separate to the original traffic offence and carries a maximum penalty of a £1,000 fine and 6 penalty point endorsement or disqualification at the discretion of the courts.
The Camera Ticket Office is a police unit and is not legally able to consider mitigating circumstances. The Fixed Penalty £100 fine and 3 point driving licence endorsement is set down in law and cannot be changed.
The thresholds at which the Fixed Penalty and workshop out of court settlements are offered are based on NPCC - the National Police Chief's Council (previously known as ACPO - the Association of Chief Police Officers) guidelines and cannot be deviated from. If you wish mitigation to be taken into account you must request a court hearing.
Despite some reports in the press S172 RTA 1988 has not been found by the UK courts to breach the Human Rights Act 1998. Vehicle keepers / drivers are still therefore legally required to answer any request for driver's details made by the Police under that act and may face prosecution if they do not do so.
The only way to contest the alleged offence is to request a court hearing. You would then be sent a Single Justice Procedure Notice in due course to enter your plea and state any mitigation or reasons for pleading not guilty.
If you plead or are found guilty the courts cannot sentence you to a workshop, only penalty points or disqualification and/or a fine.
The amount of any fine and/or penalty points would be decided by the Magistrates and may be higher than the Fixed Penalty.
A Victim Surcharge of 10% of the fine, with a minimum of £20 if the offence was before 8/4/16 or £30 if it was on or after that date, would also be incurred. If you plead guilty the prosecution would normally ask for £85 costs.
If you pleaded not guilty but are found guilty at a trial the prosecution costs would likely increase and if they have had to instruct an expert witness to support their prosecution the costs could be substantial.
If the offence can be settled out of court by accepting a Fixed Penalty or attending a workshop the Notice will include details of any requirements and instructions on how the driver can apply.
If those options are not included in the Notice then they are not available in this case and will not be offered.
Please note: By applying for the Fixed Penalty or workshop you are confirming that you were the driver and accept liability for the offence. Once the workshop has been attended or the Fixed Penalty fine has been paid and your driving licence endorsed, the Camera Ticket Office will consider the matter closed. There is no appeals process.
Contact the Camera Ticket Office as soon as possible before you apply for the Fixed Penalty.
They may be able to suspend the Notice for a short period of time to enable you to arrange to pay the fine in full.
It cannot be paid in instalments under any circumstances.
If you are still unable to pay in full you will have to request a court hearing. If found guilty you would be able to arrange a payment plan with the court but could be liable for a higher fine and court costs.
Contact the Camera Ticket Office as soon as possible before applying for the Fixed Penalty.
They may be able to suspend the Notice for a short period to enable you to obtain your licence/get a replacement.
If you are still not able to obtain your licence in time you will have to request a court hearing.
You should then explain in your reply to the Single Justice Procedure Notice that you would have applied for the Fixed Penalty but were unable to as your driving licence was not available.
As long as your driving licence was valid in the UK at the time of the alleged offence and is still valid you can apply for the Fixed Penalty or the workshop, if those have been offered in the Notice.
Please note that if you have a DVLA issued licence as well as a non- DVLA issued licence you should submit your DVLA licence for the Fixed Penalty.
If you are submitting a non-DVLA licence for the Fixed Penalty do not send the original licence, instead send a photocopy and fill in the additional information that is requested on the Fixed Penalty Application Form.
The police will follow up all cases. It is important to do this in fairness to the people who readily accept responsibility for their actions.
You can contact the Camera Ticket Office via our Contact Us page.
Be aware of speeding ticket scams
From time to time, we are made aware of various scams nationally in which members of the public receive bogus Notices of Intended Prosecution by email.
One of the latest scams comes from fraudsters who are targeting motorists with realistic emails claiming to have photographic evidence of speeding.
We will only issue official Notices of Intended Prosecution by post, not by email. Anyone who receives an email of this nature is urged to immediately delete it, as it will install a virus on your device which can hack your details.
An example image of a current scam being used in the Manchester area is shown below. The 'Notice of Intended Prosecution' looks like it has been sent by Greater Manchester Police and features the force's logo and font.
For more information on speeding scams and how to report them, visit the Action Fraud website.
