Free Traffic Legal Advice

If the 'original' NIP is dated 3 weeks after the offence then the chances are this is not the NIP.  It could be a 'reminder' and are not always marked as such.

If they did send the NIP after 3 weeks and there's no statutory exception then, yes, it's a defence.

In the first instance get the V5C out and check all the details are 100% correct.  Particularly check the docref date (in DD MM YY format) at the bottom of page 2 - this is date the V5C was last issued.

If all checks out then in the first instance I would contact the issuing unit and see what they say.  The most likely explanation is the NIP was 'lost in the post'.  Unfortunately, they rely on a presumption of delivery that would be your job to rebut - which can be quite difficult in practice.

I would not have thought they would send out a reminder so soon. After all, they have 14 days to get the first NIP out and then there's another 28 days before the response is required. Getting a reminder less than 4 weeks after the event would seem a little premature.

At least all the responses have been submitted in a timely manner, so those obligations have been met. If eligible, you are likely to be offered a speed awareness course. The question then is, do you want the path of least resistance (the course, especially as you don't seem to deny speeding), or contest the timeliness of the NIP, which will be hassle and could end up being expensive?

I also did think that it may be a a bit early for a reminder hence my plan to contact and ask this question - was an earlier NIP sent?

If I can get an answer to that I will then consider my options.