Speeding In NSW Australia
Speeding is the most common contributing factor to road fatalities in NSW.
The information on this page is a plain English guide only and is subject to change at any time without notice.
Reference should be made to the latest provisions in the law for detailed information on specific offences and penalties.
On declared public holiday long weekend periods in NSW the demerit points for all speeding, seat belt, child restraint and helmet offences are doubled.
What penalties apply for speeding in NSW?
If your vehicle is detected by a fixed speed camera, mobile speed camera or Police Officer and a penalty notice is issued, you will incur a fine and licence demerit points. Learner and P1 licence holders will have their licence suspended for at least 3 months for any speeding offence.
There are licence suspension periods, similar to the minimum disqualification periods applied by a court, for exceeding the speed limit by more than 30 km/h (3 months), and by more than 45 km/h (6 months). If police catch you speeding by more than 45km/h over the limit you may have your licence immediately suspended and confiscated at the roadside for 6 months.
Police can also impound or confiscate number plates from a vehicle for a period of 3 months:
- when a driver is caught exceeding the speed limit by 45km/h; or
- a disqualified driver is caught exceeding the speed limit by 30km/h.
If a disqualified driver is caught speeding by more than 45km/h over the speed limit, Police can impound or confiscate number plates from a vehicle for a period of 6 months.
Note: Since 21 May 2007 increased fines and demerit points apply to certain traffic and parking offences committed within operating school zones. See the NSW Centre for Road Safety website for information about when school zones are in force.
List of speeding offences and penalties
See Speeding offences for a list of speeding offences, or you can search demerit point offences.
Licence suspension and disqualification periods for speeding
Licence holders may be disqualified or have their licence suspended for the following serious speeding offences:
- Driving more than 45km/h above the speed limit – suspension or disqualification for 6 months
- Driving more than 30km/h but not more than 45km/h above the speed limit – suspension or disqualification for 3 months.
In addition to the suspension and disqualification periods, these offences also carry demerit points which are added to the licence holder’s record. If the licence holder reaches or exceeds their demerit points limit, these points may contribute to an additional suspension or refusal period under the Demerit Points Scheme.
Penalties if you are convicted by a court
| Exceed speed limit by | Light vehicles – court maximum fine | Heavy vehicles – court maximum fine | Licence disqualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not more than 10 km/h | $2,200 | $2,200 | – |
| More than 10 km/h but not more than 20 km/h | $2,200 | $2,200 | – |
| More than 20 km/h but not more than 30 km/h | $2,200 | $2,200 | – |
| More than 30 km/h but not more than 45 km/h | $2,200 | $2,200 | 3 months (minimum) |
| More than 45 km/h | $2,530 | $3,740 | 6 months (minimum) |