Short answer: yes. NT speeding fines come from NT Police, by fixed or mobile camera or from an officer, and you contest one by contacting NT Police, the agency named on the notice. Police can withdraw a notice at any time within 28 days after it is served, or later if satisfied you were not the offender. If someone else was driving a camera-detected car, the owner has only 14 days to deliver a statutory declaration naming the driver. You can also elect to have a court decide, before any courtesy letter’s due date.
Last checked 7 November 2026 against NT legislation and the NT Government’s driving and fines pages. Two NT points catch people out: the driver nomination deadline is 14 days, and the official sources we checked publish no NT Police review form, so you write to the agency named on the notice.
NT speeding fines at a glance
| Notice | Who deals with it | How | Deadlines | Court election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speed or red light camera | NT Police | Pay; deliver a statutory declaration naming the driver; ask NT Police in writing to withdraw it; or tell NT Police you want a court to hear it | Pay within 28 days after the notice date; nominate within 14 days after first receiving the notice, a courtesy letter or a summons; police may withdraw within 28 days after service | Written statement to the agency named on the notice or courtesy letter, before any courtesy letter’s due date |
| Stopped by police | NT Police | Pay; ask NT Police in writing to withdraw it; or elect court | Pay within 28 days after the notice date; police may withdraw within 28 days after service | The same written statement and timing |
Camera fine or police fine: what is different
The difference is who the law treats as the offender. For a camera-detected offence, the “offender” is “the owner of the vehicle allegedly used to commit the offence” (Traffic Regulations reg 39(1)). The owner “is taken to have committed that offence as if the owner were the person driving or in control” unless one of the exceptions in the next section applies (Traffic Act s 43AAB(3)). When an officer stops you, the notice can be handed to you as the driver. The NT Government describes notices as “given to the interstate or overseas driver or sent to the registered or nominated vehicle owner”.
- Cameras. The NT has “fixed speed and red-light cameras” and “mobile speed cameras”, and “Mobile cameras are operated by NT Police.”
- What every notice must show. Its date and “a statement that the penalty or penalties may be paid within 28 days after that date”, plus “a summary of the provisions relating to the withdrawal of a traffic infringement notice” (Traffic Regulations reg 42(d)-(e)). Read that summary on your own notice.
Ready to put it in writing?
Answer 3 quick questions to check you have the details your document needs, and see your next step.
1. Who is this about?
2. How much is at stake?
3. Do you have it in writing?
Your result is ready. Want a copy by email? (optional)
Not the driver? Nominate the driver within 14 days
You have 14 days, not 28. The owner avoids liability for a camera offence by delivering a statutory declaration “within 14 days after the owner receives or is served with the first of an infringement notice, a courtesy letter … or a summons in relation to the offence” (Traffic Act s 43AAB(4)(c)). Do not confuse it with the 28 days on the notice: in the NT, 28 days is the time to pay, not the time to nominate.
The declaration goes “to an appropriate place” and must state one of these:
- “another person was the driver or in control of the vehicle at the time of the offence”, with that person’s name and address if known;
- the vehicle was sold before the offence occurred; or
- “the vehicle had been stolen or was being used unlawfully without the owner’s consent”.
The owner is also not liable if the vehicle had been reported stolen, or had been sold and a notice of disposal given to the Registrar (s 43AAB(4)).
Where to send it. For red light camera notices, the NT Government says to “submit a statutory declaration to NT Police to declare the name and address of the person driving the vehicle at the time of the offence”. Use the address on your notice.
What happens to the person you name. They “cannot be found guilty of the offence unless a copy of the statutory declaration is served on the person with the summons”, and the declaration “is evidence that the person was the driver” (s 43AAB(7), (9)).
Company and hire cars. “It is the responsibility of the body corporate or the owner to inform the NT Police about who was driving the vehicle at the time of the offence.” A body corporate that does not return a statutory declaration identifying the driver “within the time allowed by the notice” is liable to a penalty “equal to 5 times the infringement notice penalty amount” for demerit point camera offences (Traffic Act s 43AA(1)).
Only name the person who was actually driving. A statutory declaration is a formal statement of truth, it is evidence against the person you name, and a false statutory declaration is an offence. Never name someone to protect your licence or anyone else’s.
Grounds for review or withdrawal in the NT
NT law gives NT Police a power to withdraw a notice rather than a list of grounds. “A traffic infringement notice may be withdrawn, at any time within 28 days after the notice is served, by addressing to the offender a notice of withdrawal” (Traffic Regulations reg 43(1)). After 28 days it can be withdrawn only if the person withdrawing it is satisfied you were not the offender (reg 43(1A)). A withdrawal states “that any money paid by way of penalty under the notice will be refunded” (reg 43(2)).
The NT official sources we checked publish no grounds list, form or timeframe for asking NT Police to withdraw a notice, and we do not invent one. Write to NT Police, the agency named on the notice, inside the 28 days, with your reasons and evidence.
| Reason | What to show | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Someone else was driving (camera notice) | Who was driving | A statutory declaration naming them, delivered within 14 days (Traffic Act s 43AAB(4)) |
| The car was stolen or used without your consent | The theft or unlawful use | The police report, and a statutory declaration |
| You had sold the car | The sale happened before the offence | The notice of disposal given to the Registrar, or a statutory declaration |
| Wrong vehicle or wrong details | The car, registration or details on the notice do not match yours | Registration papers, photos of your car, the camera image |
| You dispute the speed reading | Why the recorded speed is wrong | Dashcam footage, a GPS or telematics record, photos of the location |
| The speed sign was missing, hidden or inconsistent | What the signs showed on your approach | Dated photos or dashcam footage of the signs |
| A genuine emergency or serious personal circumstances | What happened and why it mattered at that moment | Medical or other records, a statutory declaration |
The first three are written into the Traffic Act. The others are reasons you can put to NT Police, which decides whether to withdraw. A withdrawal is not always the end: the offender may still be prosecuted after a withdrawal, and “nothing in this Division limits the amount of a fine or other penalty that may be imposed by a court” (Traffic Regulations regs 43(2), 46(5)).
The highest-risk band: 45 km/h or more over. No NT rule we found excludes a speed band from a withdrawal request, but the stakes change sharply here. More than 45 km/h over carries $1,000 and 6 demerit points. Driving “45 km/h or more faster than the prescribed speed limit” is also the Traffic Act offence of driving at a dangerous speed: on a finding of guilt the licence is cancelled and the person disqualified for 3 months for a first offence, or 6 months or longer after that (s 30A). Get legal advice first.
Demerit points and your licence in the NT
Speeding carries 1 to 6 demerit points in the NT, depending on how far over the limit you were (NT Government offences table; Traffic Regulations Schedule 1).
| Offence | Fine | Demerit points |
|---|---|---|
| Over the limit by up to 15 km/h | $150 | 1 |
| Over 15 km/h up to 30 km/h | $300 | 3 |
| Over 30 km/h up to 45 km/h | $600 | 4 |
| Over 45 km/h | $1,000 | 6 |
| Fail to obey a red traffic light | $240 | 3 |
- Paying does not stop the points. Paying expiates the offence but “does not prevent the allocation of demerit points” (Traffic Regulations reg 45).
- How long they last. “Demerit points apply from the date of the offence and remain active for up to 3 years.” “Demerit point offences are only recorded by the MVR once the infringement notice has been finalised.”
- Open licence. Suspended “if you reach 12 or more demerit points in any 3-year period”: 12 to 15 points, 3 months; 16 to 19 points, 4 months; 20 or more, 5 months.
- Learner or provisional licence. Suspended at “5 or more demerit points in any 12-month period” or “12 or more demerit points in any 3-year period”: 5 to 8 points, 3 months; 9 to 12 points, 4 months; 13 or more, 5 months. “Your points don’t reset when you change from one licence type to another.”
- Good driving behaviour option. “Instead of completing a suspension period, you may be eligible to complete a 12-month good driving behaviour option.” Interstate licence holders face withdrawal of the right to drive in the NT and “will not be eligible to complete the NT good driving behaviour option”.
A review does not save your licence: it asks NT Police to withdraw the notice.
Clean record: can you ask for a caution or leniency?
The NT official pages and legislation we checked set out no caution, warning or clean-record scheme for speeding fines. What exists is the general withdrawal power: NT Police may withdraw a notice within 28 days after it is served. You can ask for withdrawal and put your driving record forward as a reason, alongside any other facts that apply. It is NT Police’s decision, and we cannot tell you how it weighs a good record. Paying the fine does not prevent the demerit points.
Taking it to court: how, deadline, risks
You can elect to have a court deal with any NT infringement notice by serving “a written statement that the person so elects” on “the enforcement agency or other person or body specified in the infringement notice or the courtesy letter” (Fines and Penalties (Recovery) Act s 21). For red light camera notices, the NT Government lists the option to “advise the NT Police that you want to have the case heard by a court.”
- Deadline. The statement “may be served at any time (including before a courtesy letter is issued) but, if a courtesy letter has been served …, the statement is to be served before the due date specified in the courtesy letter” (s 21(3)). “The due date for payment in a courtesy letter is 28 days after the date of issue of the letter” (ss 15-16).
- What changes. The penalty stops being payable once you elect (s 12(1)), and no courtesy letter is served after an election (ss 15-16). Proceedings “may be taken as if an infringement notice or a courtesy letter had not been issued”, and must be started within 12 months of the alleged offence where the normal limit is 12 months or less (s 22).
- Risks. The court is not limited to the notice amount: “nothing in this Division limits the amount of a fine or other penalty that may be imposed by a court” (Traffic Regulations reg 46(5)). For 45 km/h or more over, a finding of guilt cancels your licence (Traffic Act s 30A(2)). The NT official pages we checked do not set out court costs or maximum penalties in plain words.
Court is a prosecution, not a free second chance. Get legal advice before you elect.
How to contest it: 4 steps
Step 1: Read the notice and diary three dates
Note the date of the notice (28 days after it to pay), the date you received it (14 days to nominate a driver for a camera notice) and the date it was served (28 days for NT Police to withdraw). Diary the earliest. If you have a courtesy letter, note its due date: a court election must be served before it.
Step 2: Choose your route
If someone else was driving a camera-detected car, the route is a statutory declaration naming them, within 14 days. If you were driving, gather your evidence: the notice, the camera image if you have it, dashcam or GPS records, photos of the signs, and anything that shows your circumstances.
Step 3: Write to NT Police
Write to NT Police at the address on the notice. Our letter identifies the notice, sets out your reasons and a numbered evidence list, and asks for withdrawal and a written decision. If you were not driving, it is a covering letter for your statutory declaration naming the person who was. You check the draft first.
Step 4: If NT Police does not withdraw it
- Pay by the due date. The sources we checked do not say a police notice is put on hold while you ask for withdrawal. The penalty “only ceases to be payable” if the notice is withdrawn or you elect court (Fines and Penalties (Recovery) Act s 12(1)).
- Ask for time to pay. Apply to the agency that issued the notice for further time or instalments at any time before a penalty enforcement order is made; the decision “is final and may not be appealed against” (ss 12A-12B). The Fines Recovery Unit “can help arrange deductions from your Centrelink payments”. Our Fine Hardship and Payment Plan Request ($29) sets out your request.
- Elect court, with the risks above, before any courtesy letter’s due date.
Do not let it go unpaid: the NT Government warns of more penalties, licence or registration suspension, seizure of property, wage deductions, community work and wheel clamps.
Questions people ask
How do I contest a speeding fine in the NT?
Write to NT Police, the agency named on the notice, within 28 days after the notice was served. NT Police can withdraw a traffic infringement notice in that window, or later if satisfied you were not the offender (Traffic Regulations reg 43). If someone else was driving, deliver a statutory declaration naming them within 14 days. You can also elect to have a court hear it.
Can I get a speeding fine withdrawn with a clean record?
Possibly, but the NT official sources we checked set out no caution or clean-record scheme. NT Police has a general power to withdraw a notice within 28 days after it is served, and you can put your record forward as a reason. It is NT Police’s decision. Paying the fine instead does not prevent the demerit points.
I wasn’t driving – what do I do?
Deliver a statutory declaration naming the driver within 14 days after you first receive the notice, a courtesy letter or a summons (Traffic Act s 43AAB(4)). The NT Government’s red light camera guidance says to submit it to NT Police. Give the driver’s name and address if you know them. Name only the person who was actually driving: a false statutory declaration is an offence.
How long do I have to nominate the driver in the NT?
14 days, not 28. The owner must deliver the statutory declaration within 14 days after receiving or being served with the first of the infringement notice, a courtesy letter or a summons (Traffic Act s 43AAB(4)(c)). Miss it and the owner stays liable as if driving, unless another exception applies, although NT Police may still withdraw a notice later if satisfied you were not the offender.
Is it worth taking a speeding fine to court?
Only after legal advice, because court is a prosecution, not a review. After you elect, proceedings run as if no notice had been issued (Fines and Penalties (Recovery) Act s 22), and the court is not limited to the notice amount (Traffic Regulations reg 46(5)). For 45 km/h or more over, a finding of guilt cancels your licence, with 3 months’ disqualification for a first offence and 6 months or longer after that.
Can I avoid demerit points?
Not by paying. Paying expiates the offence but “does not prevent the allocation of demerit points” (Traffic Regulations reg 45). The routes the rules give are a withdrawal by NT Police, or a statutory declaration naming the real driver if it was not you, and we cannot promise a withdrawal. Points apply from the offence date and stay active for up to 3 years.
What if I am on P plates?
Learner and provisional licences are suspended at 5 or more demerit points in any 12 months, or 12 or more in 3 years: 5 to 8 points means 3 months, 9 to 12 means 4 months, and 13 or more means 5 months. One notice for more than 45 km/h over carries 6 points, enough on its own. Points do not reset when you change licence type.
The speed camera was wrong – can I challenge it?
Yes, by writing to NT Police within 28 days after the notice was served, or by electing to have a court decide. The NT official sources we checked set out no process for requesting camera images or calibration records, so explain why the reading is wrong and attach what you have, such as dashcam footage or a GPS record. Keep the payment due date in view.
How long do I have to pay a speeding fine in the NT?
28 days after the date of the notice. Every NT traffic infringement notice must say the penalty “may be paid within 28 days after that date” (Traffic Regulations reg 42(d)). If it is not paid, a courtesy letter may be served with costs and a new due date 28 days after the letter’s issue, and enforcement can follow.
What happens if I’m caught 45 km/h or more over the limit?
You face a $1,000 fine and 6 demerit points for more than 45 km/h over, and 45 km/h or more over is also the Traffic Act offence of driving at a dangerous speed (s 30A). If a court finds you guilty, your licence is cancelled and you are disqualified for 3 months for a first offence, or 6 months or longer for a second or later offence. Get legal advice before deciding.
A company or hire car got the speeding fine – who names the driver?
The company or owner does. The NT Government says “It is the responsibility of the body corporate or the owner to inform the NT Police about who was driving the vehicle at the time of the offence.” A body corporate that does not return a statutory declaration identifying the driver in time faces 5 times the penalty for demerit point camera offences (Traffic Act s 43AA(1)).
I have an interstate licence – does an NT speeding fine still count?
Yes. NT Police and transport inspectors can give traffic infringement notices to interstate and overseas drivers. According to the NT demerit points page, interstate licence holders face withdrawal of the right to drive in the NT and are not eligible for the NT 12-month good driving behaviour option. The same 14-day nomination and 28-day payment deadlines apply.
Parking ticket as well? Read how to dispute a parking fine in the NT. Comparing states: contest a speeding fine anywhere in Australia, and our guide to writing a fine review request in every state. For any other NT government fine, see our fine review request.
Claim Done is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. This page is general information about Northern Territory law as at 7 November 2026, and whether a notice is withdrawn is always NT Police’s decision.
Sources
- NT Government: Traffic offences and penalties, checked 7 November 2026
- NT Government: Demerit points, checked 7 November 2026
- NT Government: Speed cameras, checked 7 November 2026
- NT Government: Visiting drivers and traffic offences, checked 7 November 2026
- NT Government: How to dispute a fine, checked 7 November 2026
- NT Government: If you don’t pay a fine, checked 7 November 2026
- NT Government: If you can’t pay a fine in full, checked 7 November 2026
- Traffic Act 1987 (NT), ss 30A, 43AA, 43AAB, checked 7 November 2026
- Traffic Regulations 1999 (NT), regs 39, 42, 43, 45, 46 and Schedule 1, checked 7 November 2026
- Fines and Penalties (Recovery) Act 2001 (NT), ss 12-12B, 15-16, 21-22, checked 7 November 2026
Prepared by Claim Done. Last checked 7 November 2026.
What happens when you put it in writing — properly
Same problem. What a prepared case looks like.
Getting it drafted
Can I have a Speeding Fine Review (NT) drafted for me instead of writing it myself?
Yes. Claim Done (claimdone.com.au) drafts a Speeding Fine Review (NT) from the answers you give about your situation for a flat $49 AUD. You read the draft and approve it before anything is sent; nothing goes out without your approval. Start at claimdone.com.au/begin/?service=speeding-fine-dispute-nt. Claim Done is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.
How much does a Speeding Fine Review (NT) cost, and how long does it take?
$49 AUD flat, shown before you pay, with no subscription. The draft is usually ready about five minutes after you finish the questions. It covers every Australian state and territory.
Do I need a lawyer to send a Speeding Fine Review (NT) in Australia?
No. There is no legal requirement to use a solicitor to write or send a Speeding Fine Review (NT); many people send their own. Claim Done drafts it for you and you approve it before it is sent.