Driving offence
Seat belt offence fine calculator
Choose the factors in the court guideline and enter weekly net income where it applies.
Summary: The starting point is a Band A fine and the offence is non-endorsable. The published fixed penalty is £100 and the court maximum is £500. This is an adult magistrates' court guideline for England and Wales.
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Guideline categories and sentence ranges
| Category | Starting point | Sentence range | Disqualification | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat belt offence | Band A fine | Discharge to Band A fine | No numerical range published | Non-endorsable |
Which factors does the guideline use?
- The guideline publishes one starting point and one offence range.
Why is this not a sentence prediction?
- The court decides the sentence. This calculator reports the guideline and is not a prediction.
- The offence is non-endorsable, so it carries no penalty points.
What is the seat belt penalty, and does it carry points?
The published fixed penalty is £100. The court maximum is £500. The Sentencing Council starting point is a Band A fine, and the offence is non-endorsable. There are no penalty points. It cannot tot you up and it cannot revoke a new driver on its own. That is the whole difference between this page and a phone or tyre page.
On £500 a week net, Band A starts at £250, with a published range from a discharge to a Band A fine, which is £125 to £375 on that income. The £100 fixed penalty is therefore below that starting point on £500 a week. People who simply want it over accept the offer. People who dispute that they were the person not wearing the belt, or that an exemption applied, ask for a hearing.
GOV.UK's seat belts page is the source for who must wear one, including children, taxis, and the published exemptions. This sentencing page does not rewrite that law. If an exemption applies, that is a defence to the charge, not a different fine band. If it does not apply, the Band A row is the published court starting point.
- Police see a driver or passenger without a belt, or a camera system records it.
- The driver may be offered £100. A passenger can be dealt with as well, depending on who had the duty.
- There are no points to accept or refuse. The offer is money only.
- If it goes to court, the starting point is a Band A fine, maximum £500.
- Pay, or take advice on an exemption, before the date on the notice.
Example
A driver on £500 a week, no exemption, belt not worn
- Duty
- Driver, no published exemption claimed
- Fixed penalty
- £100
- Court starting band
- A
- Relevant weekly income
- £500
- Points
- None. Non-endorsable
- The out of court offer is £100 and no points.
- If the case is heard, Band A starts at £250 on £500 a week.
- The published range is a discharge to Band A, £125 to £375 on that income.
- The court maximum is £500. There is still no endorsement.
- A new driver is not revoked by this offence, because there are no points to add.
Money only: £100 as the offer, or a Band A starting fine of £250 on £500 a week in court, capped at £500. No points.
Who is responsible if a passenger is not belted?
GOV.UK's seat belts page sets out the driver's duties and the passenger's duties, including children. A child who should be in a child seat is a different page on this site. This calculator is the adult seat belt offence guideline, one starting point, non-endorsable. If you are dealing with a child, use the child car seat material as well as this penalty.
Taxis and minicabs have their own published rules on the GOV.UK page. This sentencing guideline does not create a taxi discount. A private hire driver who does not wear a belt is still in the Band A row if charged with this offence. A disabled person's exemption, where GOV.UK publishes one, is an exemption. It is not a lower band.
A company van, a hire car and a foreign vehicle on a UK road still have belts and still have this offence. 'The van did not have one fitted' is a vehicle defect problem as well as a seat belt problem. This guideline remains the driver's seat belt offence. Construction and use can sit alongside it.
Does a seat belt ticket affect insurance or a new driver?
There are no points, so a new driver is not revoked by this offence alone, and a driver on 9 points is not toted up by it. That is the practical relief. Insurers still ask some applicants about convictions. A fixed penalty that you accept can be a conviction. This page does not invent a rule that every insurer ignores seat belt penalties. Answer the question that is asked.
Employers who run vans often treat belts as a safety rule regardless of points. A repeat can be a disciplinary matter even though DVLA has nothing to add to the licence. That is employment, not this guideline.
Scotland and Northern Ireland still require belts. The Band A starting point and the £500 maximum on this page are England and Wales figures. Do not treat ${gbp(A.start)} as a Scottish tariff. The GOV.UK seat belts page remains the UK law source for who must wear one.
- Fixed penalty £100, no points.
- Court start Band A, £250 on £500 a week, maximum £500.
- Non-endorsable: cannot tot or revoke on its own.
- Child seats are a separate duty with a separate page.
What do people get wrong about seat belt fines?
The first myth is that it carries 3 points. On this guideline it does not. The second is that a pregnant driver is automatically exempt. GOV.UK's exemptions are the source, not a pub rule. The third is that a passenger's belt is always the passenger's problem. For children, the driver's duty is set out on the GOV.UK page.
People also mix this with a PCN. It is a criminal fixed penalty, not a parking charge. Ignoring it can register as a fine. Another error is thinking a classic car without belts is always exempt. The GOV.UK page deals with vehicles where belts are not fitted. This calculator does not invent an age cut-off beyond that source.
A camera van that records no belt is still this offence. Waving the belt at the camera after the fact does not cancel a notice already issued. If the picture is wrong, that is a hearing.
Common questions
- Does a seat belt offence carry points?
- No. The Sentencing Council guideline marks the offence as non-endorsable. The published fixed penalty is money only, £100 on the current out of court table. A new driver is not revoked by this offence, and it cannot tot you up. You can still be convicted. Answer insurers who ask about convictions, not only about points.
- What is the maximum fine for no seat belt?
- The court maximum is £500. The starting point is a Band A fine, which is £250 on £500 a week net, with a range from a discharge to Band A. The fixed penalty is £100. Those pounds at Band A are derived from the published percentage. The court cannot add points on this guideline.
- Can I get a ticket as a passenger?
- Yes, depending on who had the duty. GOV.UK's seat belts page sets out driver duties and passenger duties, including children. An adult passenger who chooses not to belt up can be the person dealt with. A child who should have been belted or in a child seat is often the driver's duty. Use the child car seat pages on this site as well if the passenger is a child.
- Does this revoke a new driver?
- No, not on its own. Revocation needs 6 penalty points inside 2 years of the first pass. This offence carries none. A new driver who also has a phone or tyre case is in a different position because those offences do carry points. Do not treat a seat belt ticket as a free pass to ignore a second notice that does endorse.
- Is there a medical exemption?
- GOV.UK's seat belts page is the source for published exemptions, including medical exemption certificates. This sentencing guideline does not list exemption as a calculator input. If you hold a valid exemption, that is a defence to the charge, not a lower Band A. If you do not, the Band A row and the £100 offer are the published figures.
- Does this apply in a taxi, a van or a hire car?
- The duty to wear a belt still applies, with the taxi and private hire details set out on GOV.UK. This guideline does not publish a taxi discount. A van and a hire car are still vehicles with belts. Construction and use can sit beside this offence if a belt is missing. Child passengers have their own rules on the child car seat pages.
- Does the Band A figure apply in Scotland?
- No. Band A and the £500 maximum on this page are England and Wales Sentencing Council figures. Seat belts are still required in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Use the local court or fixed penalty process there. The GOV.UK seat belts page remains the source for who must wear one.
- Will this put my insurance up?
- No official source publishes a seat belt premium increase, and there are no points for an insurer's 'points' question. Some proposals still ask about convictions. A fixed penalty you accept can be a conviction. Answer the question that is asked. Do not volunteer a made-up percentage, and do not hide a conviction if you are asked.
Related pages
- Drink driving sentence calculatorThe alcohol reading selects the guideline row. A court must disqualify for at least 12 months and decides the final sentence after all case factors.
- Drug driving sentence calculatorThe guideline combines culpability and harm. It says a drug level cannot be directly connected to harm, so the calculator does not ask for one.
- Mobile phone driving offence sentenceThe fixed penalty is £200 and 6 points. In court the ordinary starting point is a Band B fine, raised to Band C for the factors stated in the guideline.
- Driving without insurance sentence calculatorThe fixed penalty is £300 and 6 points. A court uses culpability and harm to select one of three categories and can impose an unlimited fine or disqualification.
Sources
Guideline and penalty figures were checked against the linked official pages on 10 September 2026.
- Sentencing Council for England and Wales, Seat belt offences (as of 10 September 2026)
- Sentencing Council for England and Wales, Approach to fines: fine bands (as of 10 September 2026)
- Sentencing Council for England and Wales, Out of court disposals (as of 10 September 2026)
- GOV.UK, Seat belts: the law (as of 10 September 2026)