What Happens If I Get a Speeding Ticket in My Lease Car?

Here at Nationwide Vehicle Contracts, we hope all our customers are driving within the law, but we're not all perfect. If you happen to get caught by a speed camera or a police officer when driving your vehicle lease hire, what happens next?

In this short guide we explain what happens if you get caught speeding in your lease car, including: 

The minimum penalty for speeding in the UK is a fine of £100 and three penalty points on your driving licence. If drivers build up 12 or more penalty points over three years, they're disqualified from driving.

If you get caught driving over the speed limit by a speed camera or the police, any of the following could happen:

• You may be given a verbal warning by a police officer who stops you on the road
• You may be asked to attend a speed awareness course, which you would be expected to pay for yourself and typically costs around £100
• You may be charged with a fixed penalty notice (speeding ticket) of £100 and three penalty points on your licence
• You may be prosecuted and would be summoned to appear in court. If you're caught speeding on the motorway, you could pay a fine of up to £1,000 or £2,500. Between three and six points may also be added to your licence, or you'll face a driving ban

If you get caught speeding in your lease car you'll be issued a fixed penalty notice and get three points on your driving licence.

The main thing you need to consider is that you're not the vehicle owner. If you've been caught by a speed camera, the ticket will be sent to the registered owner, which is usually the finance provider.

They will either pay the ticket for you and add the cost to your next monthly payment or forward you the ticket for you to pay separately. If they send you the ticket, they might add on an extra administration fee of around £25 for their trouble.

There are three other main types of tickets that may result in a ticket and/or fine:

• Penalty Charge Notice (PCN)
• Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN)
• Parking Charge Notice

Penalty Charge Notice (PCN)

A PCN is usually given to motorists who violate parking, waiting, and moving traffic offences. PCNs are issued by local authorities, either through a sticker on your car or through the post.

Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN)

A FPN is slightly more serious and could lead to a criminal prosecution if it goes unpaid. It can be issued for violations such as speeding, not wearing a seatbelt, or driving without insurance. It will either be issued on the spot or through the post by the police.

Parking Charge Notice

A parking charge notice is issued by private companies in privately-owned car parks. They are invoices requesting payment for breaking the conditions of their land. A parking charge notice will be sent to you by post.

If you're caught by a speed camera, the ticket will be sent to the vehicle's registered keeper within 14 days.

Typically for lease contracts, the registered owner and keeper of the vehicle is the finance provider, so any tickets will be sent to them first.

They'll likely send the ticket and an administration fee (around £25) to you or pay the fine and add the cost to your next monthly payment.  

For this reason, it's vital that you keep your contact details up-to-date with Nationwide Vehicle Contracts and your finance provider so we can keep you informed of any speeding penalties. You can update your details by logging into our Customer Area or by calling our Customer Services team on 0345 811 9595.

You'll receive your speeding ticket and fine within 14 days of being caught.

If your fine has been sent to your finance provider, it's standard practice for them to add an administration fee on top of the fine to cover their troubles. 

If you've received a fine or PCN, the first port of call should be to check whether you were at fault.

If you are, you will have 28 days to pay. In some cases, the fine may be reduced if you pay within 14 days.

The ticket will have all the necessary information on how to pay.

If you want to challenge your fine, it depends on what type of ticket you receive.

If you've been handed a penalty charge notice (PCN), you'll need to contact the issuer and appeal the ticket. You have 28 days to challenge a PCN; if your challenge is rejected within 14 days, the 50% discount should still apply.

If you've been given a fixed penalty notice (FPN), you can challenge it by going to the magistrate's court. The back of the ticket will tell you how to do this. Once you've been, you'll be sent a summons with your hearing date.

I have paid a speeding fine, do I need to notify the funder?

You should inform your funder when you've paid your speeding fine.

It's worth sending them proof of payment to prevent any complications in the future, such as a summons getting sent by mistake.

Do I still need to pay my lease if I get banned from driving? 

If you accumulate enough points for a driving ban, you'll still need to pay the remainder of your monthly lease payments.

However, if your ban exceeds your lease agreement, you can terminate your lease early. Usually, with an early termination, you'll have to pay 50% of the outstanding rentals plus any outstanding payments.

What other advice can you give me?

Speed limits are set to protect all road users, so to avoid all this hassle, abide by them. Our advice to all our customers is to always drive carefully and to obey the rules of the road. 

Other general advice which can help avoid unwanted attention from the police includes:

• Avoiding aggressive driving behaviour
• Always wearing your seatbelt
• Staying out of the fast line unless you are overtaking
• Driving with the flow of the traffic

If you are pulled over by a police officer, our advice is to be polite and know the protocol. Police officers have to deal with angry drivers daily, so being kind and respectful can go a long way.

Looking for more advice on UK road law and other driving matters? Check out our comprehensive UK Road Law guides for more information. 

Nationwide Vehicle Contracts are one of the UK's largest car leasing brokers, offering a range of leasing services from in stock car leasing to used car lease deals. For more information, call one of our team at 0345 811 9595.