Driver guides
Speed awareness course
The letter offers you a course instead of £100 and 3 points. Here is who gets that offer, what it costs, what the 3 hours involve, and the insurance question everyone actually wants answered.
The speeds that get you a course
The National Police Chiefs’ Council publishes the bands forces work to. Below the first column nothing usually happens. Inside the course band you may be offered a course. Above it, a fixed penalty, and past the last column a court summons.
| Limit | Enforcement from | Course band | Summons from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20mph | 22mph | 24 to 31mph | 35mph |
| 30mph | 32mph | 35 to 42mph | 50mph |
| 40mph | 42mph | 46 to 53mph | 66mph |
| 50mph | 52mph | 57 to 64mph | 76mph |
| 60mph | 62mph | 68 to 75mph | 86mph |
| 70mph | 73mph | 79 to 86mph | 96mph |
The course band is the limit plus 10% plus 2mph up to the limit plus 10% plus 9mph. Source: NPCC Speed Enforcement Disposal Guidance 2025, section 5, read 7 Sep 2026. Forces can depart from it; some run stricter policies in 20mph zones.
Who is eligible
- Your speed sat inside the course band for that limit.
- You haven’t attended a speed awareness course in the 3 years before the date of this offence.
- You hold a full licence. Provisional holders are dealt with differently.
- The police force chose to offer it. You can’t apply for one, and paying the fixed penalty first cancels any offer.
What happens, in order
- A notice of intended prosecution reaches the registered keeper within 14 days of the offence. You name the driver.
- The force checks the driver against the national NDORS database for a course in the last 3 years. If clear, an offer letter follows.
- You register at offer.ndors.org.uk with the reference on the letter and your licence number, pick a provider anywhere in the country, and pay the fee. Do this inside the window on the letter.
- You attend for the full 3 hours, in a room or on a video call, in a group. The trainer covers how to spot the limit on any road, why the stopping distances are what they are, and what made you speed that day. There is discussion, and no exam.
- Attend and take part and the case closes with nothing added to your record.
Course or points?
Take the course. It costs a little less than the fixed penalty, keeps 3 points off a record that insurers can see for 4 years, and keeps you clear of the 12-point total. The one situation to think harder is if you are certain you weren’t speeding and want to contest it; accepting a course means accepting the offence.
Questions
Will I be offered a course?
Only if the police force decides to. The NPCC guidance says there is no automatic right to a course however low the speed, and each force applies its own policy. The bands in the table are the national guidance most forces follow: inside the course band, and no course in the last 3 years, and you will usually get the offer letter.
How much does a speed awareness course cost?
The fee is set by the police force and provider, and in 2026 sits around £90 to £100. Staffordshire, for example, charges £93. You pay the provider when you book. There is no separate fine and no points.
How long is it, and is it online?
3 hours, either in a classroom or online by video call (the online version is called iNSAC). The content is the same wherever you take it because UKROEd controls it. You can choose any provider in the country, not only the one in the force area that caught you.
Can you fail a speed awareness course?
There is no test and no pass or fail. You have to attend the whole thing and take part. Turn up late, leave early, or sit silent with the camera off on the online version, and the trainer can record you as not completing, which sends the case back to the police for a fixed penalty or prosecution.
Does it go on my licence?
No. Attending is not a conviction. Nothing is added to your DVLA driving record and no points are given. UKROEd keeps a record of your attendance for the 3-year rule, and that database is not shared with insurers.
Do I have to tell my insurer?
Only if they ask. Some proposal forms include a question about awareness courses; if yours does, answer truthfully or the policy can be voided. If the form doesn't ask, there is no duty to volunteer it. A minority of insurers load the premium for a course; most don't. Compare quotes at renewal.
What if I miss the booking deadline?
The offer letter gives you a window, usually 28 days, to register at offer.ndors.org.uk and book. Miss it and the offer lapses and the fixed penalty (£100 and 3 points) or a court summons takes over. If illness stopped you, contact the police force named on the letter straight away; they can extend at their discretion.
I've done one already. Can I do another?
Not the same course within 3 years of the original offence date. You may still be offered a different NDORS course for a different offence type, for example the motorway course after a speed awareness course, because they cover different things.
Sources: NPCC Speed Enforcement Disposal Guidance (2025); UKROEd courses page and FAQs; GOV.UK speeding penalties; Staffordshire County Council NSAC page for the 2026 fee. All read 7 Sep 2026.
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