What happens if I am caught doing 50 in a 40?

It sits inside the window where a speed awareness course is normally offered on a 40 mph limit, which runs from 46 to 53 mph. The offer is the force's decision, and it is unavailable if you took a course in the previous three years.

How many points is 50 in a 40?

Band A carries 3 points. The court must endorse the licence and may disqualify in any band, and where it does not disqualify it imposes 3 to 6 points.

How is the fine worked out?

As a percentage of relevant weekly income: a starting point of 50 per cent within a range of 25 to 75 per cent. It is capped at £1,000, or £2,500 on a motorway.

Does the speedometer reading matter?

No. The recorded speed is what the device measured. Type approved devices are allowed a positive error of 2 mph, or 3 per cent above 66 mph, which is a measurement allowance rather than a permitted margin over the limit.

Speeding

50 mph in a 40 mph limit

Worked from the Sentencing Council guideline and the NPCC enforcement table, which answer two different questions about the same journey.

Band A

Sentencing Council band

Sentencing Council for England and Wales, Speeding (Revised 2017) (as of 24 April 2017)

3 points

Points if convicted

Sentencing Council for England and Wales, Speeding (Revised 2017) (as of 24 April 2017)

Course may be offered

What usually happens

National Police Chiefs' Council, Guidance on the enforcement and disposal of speeding offences (2025), version 2.0 (as of 31 July 2025)

Checked on 7 September 2026.Sentencing Council for England and Wales, Speeding (Revised 2017) (as of 24 April 2017)

Is 50 mph in a 40 mph limit band A, B or C?

Band A. On a 40 mph limit the guideline puts 41 to 55 mph in band A, 56 to 65 in band B and 66 and above in band C, and 50 falls in band A.

The band decides the sentence only if the case reaches a magistrates' court. Most speeding is dealt with by a fixed penalty or a course, and neither of those is set by the guideline.

What band it carries

Band A penalties from the speeding guideline

Fine starting point	50 per cent of relevant weekly income
Fine range	25 to 75 per cent of relevant weekly income
Penalty points	3 points
Disqualification	Not offered as an alternative in this band
Statutory maximum	£1,000, or £2,500 on a motorway

What the fine would be at three incomes

Band A fine at three weekly incomes
Weekly income after tax	Starting point	Range
£300	£150	£75 to £225
£500	£250	£125 to £375
£900	£450	£225 to £675

A court with no information about income assumes £440 a week. Where the only source is state benefit, or net income is £120 a week or less, the income is deemed to be £120.

Where this speed sits on the enforcement table

50mph in a 40mph limit sits in band A of the Sentencing Council grid.
A speed awareness course is normally offered between 46mph and 53mph here, and this speed is inside that window. The offer is the force's decision, and it is unavailable to anybody who took a course in the previous three years.
No weekly income was given, so the fine is shown as the guideline shows it, as a percentage of relevant weekly income. A court with no information at all assumes £440 a week.
The fine is capped at £1,000, and at £2,500 where the offence was on a motorway.

Common questions

What happens if I am caught doing 50 in a 40?: It sits inside the window where a speed awareness course is normally offered on a 40 mph limit, which runs from 46 to 53 mph. The offer is the force's decision, and it is unavailable if you took a course in the previous three years.
How many points is 50 in a 40?: Band A carries 3 points. The court must endorse the licence and may disqualify in any band, and where it does not disqualify it imposes 3 to 6 points.
How is the fine worked out?: As a percentage of relevant weekly income: a starting point of 50 per cent within a range of 25 to 75 per cent. It is capped at £1,000, or £2,500 on a motorway.
Does the speedometer reading matter?: No. The recorded speed is what the device measured. Type approved devices are allowed a positive error of 2 mph, or 3 per cent above 66 mph, which is a measurement allowance rather than a permitted margin over the limit.