SP30 Offence Code — What It Means

What Is an SP30?

SP30 is the endorsement code used for the offence of exceeding the statutory speed limit on a public road. It is by far the most common motoring endorsement in the UK, with hundreds of thousands issued every year. If you've been caught speeding by a speed camera or a police officer and received penalty points, the code SP30 is what appears on your driving licence.

The code "SP" stands for "Speed" and the "30" indicates the specific offence — exceeding the statutory speed limit. It applies regardless of the speed limit in force (20, 30, 40, 50, 60 or 70 mph) and regardless of how the offence was detected.

SP30 Penalty — Points and Fine

The standard penalty for an SP30 offence is:

• 3 penalty points endorsed on your driving licence
• £100 fine (this is the fixed penalty amount for a standard offence)

However, if the offence is more serious (significantly exceeding the limit), the case may be referred to court where the penalties can be substantially higher:

• 3 to 6 penalty points depending on the severity
• Fine of up to 175% of weekly income (capped at £1,000, or £2,500 for motorway offences)
• Discretionary disqualification for the most serious cases

Magistrates use sentencing guidelines that take into account the speed recorded and the speed limit in force. For example, doing 50 mph in a 30 mph zone is treated far more seriously than doing 36 mph in the same zone.

How Long Does SP30 Stay on Your Licence?

An SP30 endorsement remains on your driving licence for a total of four years from the date of the offence. However, the points are only "active" for three years — meaning they count towards the totting-up disqualification threshold (12 points) for three years. After three years, the points are considered "spent" but the endorsement remains visible on your licence for a further year.

• Years 1–3: Points are active and count towards your total
• Year 4: Points are spent but the endorsement remains on your licence record
• After 4 years: The endorsement is removed from your licence entirely

You can check your current penalty points at any time using the DVLA's online "View your driving licence information" service.

Impact on Car Insurance

An SP30 endorsement will almost certainly affect your car insurance premiums. Insurance companies view speeding convictions as evidence of risky driving behaviour, and most will increase your premium as a result. The impact varies depending on:

• Your insurer: Different companies weight speeding convictions differently
• Number of points: A single SP30 (3 points) has less impact than multiple endorsements
• Your driving history: A clean licence with one SP30 is viewed more leniently than a licence with multiple endorsements
• Time since offence: The impact diminishes as the endorsement ages

Research by comparison sites suggests that a single SP30 endorsement increases insurance premiums by an average of 5–10%, though this varies widely. Some specialist insurers are more lenient, while others may increase premiums by 20% or more.

You are legally required to declare unspent motoring convictions to your insurer. Failure to do so could invalidate your policy.

SP30 vs SP50 — What's the Difference?

Drivers sometimes confuse SP30 with other SP codes. Here are the key distinctions:

• SP30: Exceeding the statutory speed limit on a public road — the standard speeding offence
• SP50: Exceeding the speed limit on a motorway — specifically for motorway offences
• SP10: Exceeding the goods vehicle speed limit (for HGV and van drivers)
• SP20: Exceeding the speed limit for the type of vehicle (e.g., towing a caravan)
• SP40: Exceeding the passenger vehicle speed limit

In practice, SP30 is used for the vast majority of speeding offences. SP50 was historically used for motorway offences but SP30 is now commonly applied to all speeding offences regardless of road type.

Employer Consequences

If you drive for work, an SP30 endorsement can have professional consequences beyond the personal impact:

• Company car drivers: Your employer's fleet insurance may increase, and some employers have policies that restrict or remove company car privileges for drivers with endorsements
• Professional drivers: HGV, bus, coach and taxi drivers face stricter scrutiny. An SP30 may need to be reported to your employer and could affect your professional licence
• New drivers: If you passed your driving test within the last two years, accumulating 6 or more points (just two speeding offences) results in automatic revocation of your licence
• Delivery and courier drivers: Some platforms and employers have zero-tolerance policies for motoring endorsements

Speed Awareness Course Alternative

For less serious SP30 offences, you may be offered a National Speed Awareness Course instead of points and a fine. The course typically costs around £100 (similar to the fine) but crucially does not result in penalty points on your licence. To be eligible, your speed must fall within the course threshold range, and you must not have attended a course within the previous three years.

If offered, most drivers choose the course, as avoiding 3 points can save significant amounts on insurance premiums over the four years the endorsement would otherwise remain on the licence.