What is a speed awareness course?

For drivers caught speeding who want to know if they can take a course instead of points.

Applies to: England, Wales Last checked against official sources: 6 October 2026

A speed awareness course is retraining the police may offer to low-level speeders instead of a fine and penalty points.

The police decide if a course is right for your offence.
You cannot be offered one if you have been on a speed awareness course in the past 3 years.
If you are not offered a course, the minimum speeding penalty is a £100 fine and 3 points.
After a speed camera, you get a Notice of Intended Prosecution within 14 days, and must return the Section 172 notice within 28 days.
New drivers lose their licence with 6 or more points within 2 years of passing, so a course can matter a lot.

Different in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

Rules may be different in:

Scotland: Check mygov.scot for Scotland
Northern Ireland: Check nidirect for Northern Ireland

Key facts

Offered by the police
Instead of £100 fine and 3 points
Not if you did one in 3 years
Reply to S172 within 28 days

What a speed awareness course is

A speed awareness course is a session that teaches drivers about the risks of speeding. The police may offer it to people caught going a little over the limit. If you take the course, it replaces the usual fine and penalty points.

The Department for Transport describes the National Speed Awareness Course as "driver retraining as an alternative to punishment for low-level speeding offences".

Who it is for

You may be offered a course if:

the police decide it is right for your offence
you have not been on a speed awareness course in the past 3 years

You cannot insist on a course. It is the police's choice.

How it compares with the other penalties

Outcome	What happens
Speed awareness course	You take the course instead of the fine and points
Fixed penalty (the minimum penalty)	£100 fine and 3 penalty points
Court	A fine of up to £1,000, or up to £2,500 on a motorway, and you could be disqualified

Example: a driver with 9 points already on their licence gets 3 more for speeding. That makes 12 points within 3 years, so they can be disqualified. A course, if offered, would avoid the extra points.

Example for new drivers: you passed your test 18 months ago and already have 3 points. Another 3 points would take you to 6 within 2 years of passing, and your licence would be cancelled. A course, if offered, avoids that.

How you get offered a course

You are caught speeding, for example by a speed camera.
Within 14 days, you get a Notice of Intended Prosecution and a Section 172 notice.
You must return the Section 172 notice within 28 days.
The police then tell you what happens next, which may be the offer of a course.

Things to know

Cost: you pay for the course yourself. The 2018 evaluation found the fee varies between police force areas.
The 3 year rule: if you went on a course in the last 3 years, you will not be offered another.
Does it work? The 2018 evaluation found people offered the course were less likely to be caught speeding again over 3 years than those given a fixed penalty.

If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

Speed awareness courses are offered by police forces, so what is available depends on where you were caught. Check the letter from the police force that dealt with your offence. In Northern Ireland, GOV.UK says to contact the Laganside Courts Complex about paying a speeding penalty.

Related guides

Where this comes from

Speeding penalties (GOV.UK)
National Speed Awareness Course: impact evaluation (Department for Transport)
Impact evaluation of the National Speed Awareness Course (PDF) (Department for Transport)
Penalty points: new drivers (GOV.UK)

Get it done

This takes you to the official service, which is free to use.

Check speeding penalties

Common questions

How often can I go on a speed awareness course?

You cannot be offered one if you have been on a speed awareness course in the past 3 years.

Can I ask for a speed awareness course?

The police decide whether a course is appropriate for your offence.

Do courses work?

A Department for Transport evaluation published in 2018 found people offered the course were less likely to be caught speeding again than those given a fixed penalty.

Official sources

1.National Speed Awareness Course: impact evaluationwww.gov.uk/government/publications/national-speed-awareness-course-impact-evaluation
2.Speeding penaltieswww.gov.uk/speeding-penalties
3.Penalty points: new driverswww.gov.uk/penalty-points-endorsements/new-drivers

Checked against GOV.UK on 6 October 2026

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