How long do speeding tickets take to come through?

Lemoncurd

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Check our News story from April 2017 on the Tough new penalties for speeding

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I know someone who is worried that he might have been caught speeding through a new style fixed camera on the M40 at the weekend. If the camera was active, how long does it normally take for a ticket to come through?

Thanks!

anewman

By law it has to be within 14 days. If it was one of the variable speed limit cameras and the limit had just changed, there has to be 1 minute between the limit being displayed and being enforced. So say you go through an see it saying 50, it suddenly changes to 20 - you'll be fine at 50.

Lemoncurd

Thanks, pretty sure it wasn't a variable speed limit camera - actually can't have been, there were markings on the road. The limit had recently dropped to 50 but he didn't realise until he saw the reminder immediately after the camera. I think it had been 50 for a while but wasn't really concentrating so I'm not sure.

Wig

Assuming the car is registered at your home address, it has to be 14 days to be delivered, but it's worth waiting 15 days before considering yourself in the clear.

Tucker

Not sure if motoring offences are different but the time limit for issuing a summons for 'summary only' offences is 3 months from the date evidence of an offence was confirmed.......

There maybe be other regulations as has been suggested with a 14 day time limit, but whether these are just guidlines of actual requirements, I am not sure.

Quentin

They have 14 days to write to the registered keeper (who may not have been the culprit). So if the driver here was not the keeper then they will have to just wait and see as the keeper has 28 days to notify them who was driving. They then write to the driver who has been named.

Wig

Tucker wrote: »

Not sure if motoring offences are different but the time limit for issuing a summons for 'summary only' offences is 3 months from the date evidence of an offence was confirmed.......

I think you have that wrong, the general consensus I have read on this is that summary offences cannot be brought after 6 months of the date of offence. And this means 6 months to lay papers before the court, not to have a trial date.

In relation to speeding NIPs the first offence date is the date of speeding, the second offence date is 28days after the NIP refusing to supply the name of driver. But there are many motoring offences which in order to be valid - the registered keeper must be notified within 14days of the offence of an intention to prosecute (an NIP) and this is found in
Section 1(1) of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988

So for the offence of speeding you are in the clear after 6 months. For the offence of failing supply you are in the clear after 7 months.

How you will be able to tell if papers have been laid before the court, in relation to your offence, I don't know....perhaps the court has to write to you but that could take a while longer.

This page comments on it
http://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/enforcementguide/court/magistrates-intro.htm

Tucker

Wig wrote: »

I think you have that wrong, the general consensus I have read on this is that summary offences cannot be brought after 6 months of the date of offence. And this means 6 months to lay papers before the court, not to have a trial date.

It's 3 months to issue the summons (lay papers). I prosecute summary offences for a living.

Bob63

Quentin wrote: »

They have 14 days to write to the registered keeper (who may not have been the culprit).

They have 14 *working* days to write to the registered keeper.

bargepole

Tucker wrote: »

It's 3 months to issue the summons (lay papers). I prosecute summary offences for a living.

Obviously not motoring offences then, because S 127 of the Magistrates' Court Act states that:

"Summary only" offences

1. Cases involving "summary only" offences can only be heard in the magistrates' court. Time limits are imposed and these need to be adhered to. The general rule for time bars on summary only offences is that prosecutions will be time barred if Informations are laid more than six months after the date of the offence 1. The Magistrates Court Act (MCA) allows for different time limits to apply where they are explicitly provided for in statutes.

bargepole

cheesy.mike wrote: »

They have 14 *working* days to write to the registered keeper.

Don't think so cheesy, it's 14 total days, with the day of the alleged offence counting as day 0.