Graduated fixed penalties

What are fixed penalty notices?

Police and officers from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) can issue fixed penalties to drivers at the roadside.

The cost of fixed penalties vary in amount depending on the offence, with more severe penalties apply for repeatedly committing the same offence.

What are the penalties issued for?

Fixed penalty notices are issued for offences in the following categories:

  • Overloading. 
  • Drivers' hours and tachograph records. 
  • Roadworthiness and statutory testing. 
  • Driver licensing.
  • European community authorisation and licences. 
  • Vehicle excise duty.

Use the downloadable documents and links below for more information on graduated fixed penalties.

Fixed penalties for historic offences

Following a consultation in 2014, the Government changed the law to allow on-the-spot fixed penalty notices (FPNs) to be imposed for both historical EU and domestic drivers’ hours offences that have taken place on the day of detection or in the previous 28 days. Extending the legislation in this way would only apply to cover offences that were previously subject to FPNs, such as: failure to take the required breaks or rests; failure to comply with the driving limits; or, in the case of domestic rules, the duty limits.  

Many offences concerned with drivers' hours are constituted as offences in Great Britain even if relevant driving or rest has taken place abroad, but where a driver has already received a penalty for an historic offence in another country a further penalty will not be issued in Great Britain where evidence of the original penalty can be provided. Further consequences may flow for drivers (or the undertakings for which they drive) beyond FPNs – including the referral of some drivers and operators to traffic commissioners within Great Britain and notifications to authorities elsewhere in the EU. 

Logistics UK Shop products

Graduated fixed penalties poster

Graduated fixed penalty card