Free Traffic Legal Advice

S144a and 144c are to do with insurance. What has your number plate got to do with it?

You say you had insurance, so why would you plead guilty? Please explain what happened, with a timeline.

S144c says the Secretary of State MAY offer a fixed penalty. There is no entitlement, and in any event it would be too late as the matter is now with the court.

Thanks for your reply. I didn’t give enough context, so I appreciate you pointing that out. I thought itd be more helpul with the links

 Apologies for dropping the scans without explaining everything properly!

To clarify the situation:

I received a Single Justice Procedure Notice under Section 144A(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 for not meeting statutory insurance requirements, and it mentions that a Fixed Penalty Notice was sent earlier in accordance with both Section 144A and Section 144C.

The offence seems to be that I didn’t declare the vehicle as SORN after changing the number plate, even though the car was insured the entire time. I forgot to notify the DVLA, as my brother usually handles this, and it was an oversight on our part.


I did receive a letter from the MIB informing me I had 28 days to act, but due to recovering from knee surgery, I didn’t respond within that time. After that, I should have received a letter with a small fine, but I never received that. Instead, I’ve now been sent this Single Justice Procedure Notice, which includes the possibility of a larger fine or court appearance.

Here are my main concerns:

1. Am I being penalised for both Section 144A and Section 144C, or is Section 144C just referring to the process of issuing the notice? From what I understand, Section 144C seems procedural, but I want to make sure I’m not being charged for both.


2. If I plead guilty, what is the likely fine, and would it be reduced by 33% for an early plea? I’m worried about the potential costs, especially since the notice mentions a fine and possibly a sentence. I'd also like to avoid court if possible, but if I plead guilty, is attending court mandatory?


3. Is there any way to resolve this by paying the original small fine that I would have been willing to pay if I had received the letter? I’m frustrated that I never got the opportunity to pay that smaller fine and would much prefer to settle the issue in that way if possible.


4. Can I still contact the DVLA or another authority to try to settle this without going to court, or is it too late now that I've received the Single Justice Procedure Notice? I’ve read that some people were able to sort these issues out with the DVLA, but I’m unsure if I’ve passed that point.



Ultimately, I’d prefer to settle this with the original fine if that’s possible, but I’m lost on how to proceed. Any guidance or advice on the best way to handle this would be really appreciated!

Thanks again for your time and help.

Have I got this right ?

You have a vehicle reg ABC123D. You held apolicy for that vehicle, but declared it as XYZ123, that was the reg on the policy and presumably on display on the vehicle.

You changed the reg from ABC123D to XYZ123.

The MIB complained you didn't have a policy on (which one?), and you didn't deal with this.

You have now got an SJPN for not having a policy on (which reg) but do have a policy (and have all the time) on (which reg).

Explain to your insurers and ask for written confirmation that cover would have been honoured for the other reg. They may be prepared to confirm this.

If so then you may be able to persuade whoever issued (presumably dvla) to withdraw.

Or use this as a basis for a not guilty plea (the vehicle was in fact insured).

The vehicle originally had the registration ABC123D, and I changed the plate to XYZ123. I updated my insurance policy right away to reflect the new plate, XYZ123, and it has been insured under that plate the entire time.

However, I forgot to notify the DVLA about the plate change, so as far as they’re concerned, ABC123D (the original plate) wasn’t insured. That’s when the MIB stepped in and sent me a letter saying I didn’t have insurance on ABC123D. Due to recovering from knee surgery, I didn’t deal with the MIB’s letter in time. I never received the small fine letter they were supposed to send afterwards.

Now, I’ve received the Single Justice Procedure Notice for not having insurance on the old plate, ABC123D, even though the vehicle has been insured under XYZ123 the entire time.

I'm also not sure if I'm getting done for s144a and s144c. It's not very clear. I've quoted exactly what it's said in the letter above. I think it might be s144a which seems like a lesser offence with no chance of points just a fine, and no other penalties. But if someone could clarify this. It would be helpful.

I'm also not sure if I'm getting done for s144a and s144c. It's not very clear.

Given the words it seems fairly clear it is s144a. Maybe I missed some words.

My suggestion remains unchanged.

What would happen if I plead guilty? What could potentially happen? Is it just a fine?

Am I able to enter the reasoning for why this silly mistake happened on the online portal?

Sorry for all the questions. Quite worried about this...

If you plead guilty, you’ll get a fine, court costs and victim surcharge. If you tell the court what you tell us (i.e. put it on the online form) then it’s likely that the court will reject your guilty plea, as it seems that your mitigation amounts to a defence.

S144a and 144c are to do with insurance. What has your number plate got to do with it?

You say you had insurance, so why would you plead guilty? Please explain what happened, with a timeline.

S144c says the Secretary of State MAY offer a fixed penalty. There is no entitlement, and in any event it would be too late as the matter is now with the court.

Hey, I'd appreciate if you could have a read of the thread. And what I've decided to do. Is it sensible - or am I misinformed.