Notice of Intended Prosecution: what to do next

What this kind of letter means

Police say your car was caught doing 47 in a 40 on 3 November. Right now they only need you to say who was driving, and you must do that by 7 December or face a bigger penalty than the speeding itself.

This is a Notice of Intended Prosecution with a section 172 request. As registered keeper you must name the driver within 28 days, even if it was you; failing to do so is a separate offence carrying 6 points and up to £1,000, which is worse than most speeding outcomes. A notice like this must normally be served on the registered keeper within 14 days of the offence. Use the official form or the police force's online form to name the driver: a letter on its own may not count. At 47 in a 40, drivers are often offered a speed awareness course if they haven't done one in the last 3 years, otherwise a £100 fixed penalty and 3 points. You can also choose to go to court if you dispute it.

Things worth checking

• Check the notice was served within 14 days of the offence. It was issued 6 days after, so it looks in time.
• If you weren't driving, name the person who was. You must do this even for family members.
• If you've not done a speed awareness course in 3 years, you may be offered one instead of points.

Your options

• Name the driver and wait. The driver will then be offered a course, a fixed penalty or a court summons.
• Take a course if offered. Usually around £90–£100 and no points on your licence.
• Dispute it in court. Only if you have evidence, such as the wrong vehicle or an unclear speed limit. Get advice first.

If you ignore it

Not responding is an offence in itself: 6 penalty points and a fine of up to £1,000, more than the speeding would usually cost.

What usually decides this

You must name the driver: there's no way around that. The speeding itself is usually dealt with by a course or a £100 fixed penalty, unless there's evidence the notice or the reading was wrong.

The rules

• A Notice of Intended Prosecution should normally be sent to the registered keeper within 14 days of a camera offence.
  England, Wales, Scotland. Source: GOV.UK: Speeding penalties
• You must return the section 172 notice naming the driver within 28 days. Not doing so is a separate offence, usually 6 points and a fine of up to £1,000.
  England, Wales, Scotland. Source: GOV.UK: Speeding penalties
• The minimum penalty for speeding is £100 and 3 points. Police may offer a speed awareness course instead, usually only if you haven't done one in the last 3 years. It's their decision.
  England, Wales, Scotland. Source: GOV.UK: Speeding penalties
• In Northern Ireland, notices go to the Northern Ireland Road Safety Partnership, and a conditional offer is £60 and 3 points.
  Northern Ireland. Source: nidirect: Speed limits and penalties

Rules last checked 13 November 2026.

Words you might see

• NIP: Notice of Intended Prosecution: a warning that you may be prosecuted for a driving offence.
• Section 172: The law that makes the registered keeper say who was driving.
• Conditional offer: An offer to settle with a fixed penalty and points instead of going to court.

An example reply

From our worked example. Letter Clear writes one for your own letter, in your name.

Dear Sir or Madam,

Notice number: MC/26/0448172
Vehicle: LK19 XRT

I am the registered keeper of the vehicle above. As required under section 172 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, I confirm that the driver at the time of the alleged offence on 3 November 2026 was:

[Driver's full name]
[Driver's address]

Please send any further correspondence about this matter to the driver at that address.

Yours faithfully,
[Your name]

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