speeding ticket while driving on a American Licence in the UK what will happen

Hi my name is Alissa and I live in Harrogate England

I am out in Washington visiting family members this summer but when I got out here I found out from my fiance that I got a speeding ticket courtasy of those speed cameras now I am going back in less than two weeks and I will have to deal with it as we did notify them on saying that I was out here but does anyone know what I should expect as I am really worried as I have two girls and really don't want to go to jail or be sent back to t

It's not really about immigration, is it?   

Never mind.  If they find out that your license was not issued in the UK, you'll need to go before a magistrate and plead innocent or guilty.  If you plead guilty, you get a fixed penalty fee and a spank.  If you plead innocent, things get more complex.

If you don't show up before the magistrate at the appointed hour, they can (if they want) get the enforcement side involved.  That is not a particularly high-quality situation to be in.

How long have you been in the UK? Are you still in your one-year US license grace period? If you are, then from what people have told me (I'm not 100% sure), the points will go on an "invisible record." Then when you do get your UK license, they'll be magically transferred over.

How are you still driving on a US license when you've lived in the UK for 12 years, according to your previous post?

NOTE:  if Geeta's enquiry is answered in the affirmative, everything I wrote in the other thread gets cancelled. 

NOTE:  if Geeta's enquiry is answered in the affirmative, everything I wrote in the other thread gets cancelled. 

According to her first post:

My name is Alissa and I currently live in Harrogate England...I am originally from Southern California and have lived in Harrogate for 12 years ....

It's not really about immigration, is it?   

Never mind.  If they find out that your license was not issued in the UK, you'll need to go before a magistrate and plead innocent or guilty.  If you plead guilty, you get a fixed penalty fee and a spank.  If you plead innocent, things get more complex.

If you don't show up before the magistrate at the appointed hour, they can (if they want) get the enforcement side involved.  That is not a particularly high-quality situation to be in.

well, it IS about immigration in a sense - if she/he decides to apply for British citizenship, her/his application might be refused on the grounds of not meeting the good character requirements if taken to court, me thinks.

Alissa, did you know that you should have got your UK driving license 11 years ago?

well, it IS about immigration in a sense - if she/he decides to apply for British citizenship, her/his application might be refused on the grounds of not meeting the good character requirements if taken to court, me thinks.

Agreed.  But it doesn't make sense.  How on earth did she get insured?  Who was allowing her to drive their car?  Perhaps they have changed the law?  Can she apply for a license under common law if she's been doing it for 11 years?  It truly doesn't make any sense.  But then I'm in over my head, and my post above only applies to people who are driving legally.

Having said that, I'd be happy to bet that a magistrate's court is still in the cards for her...

 I should've said that I am only just 28 and when I moved to England I had just turned 16  and I just got my Washington State drivers licence just under two years ago when visiting my parents for a month as having a licence is more necessary in the United States as apposed to where I live in England with all the public transportation and it was never a problem and after I got my licence I spoke to someone from DVLA who at the time told me it was 2 years you are allowed to drive on and American licence in the UK but now I come to find out that is not true it is only a year.  So as far as I was concerned I was legally allowed to drive and when I get back then I will be going for my theory and driving test as now I am aware the laws have changed so thank you for answering my question.

Cheers Alissa

I'm surprised you were able to get insurance after that first year.

That's just it, the laws haven't changed--I think it has been the same for years and years now.  If someone told you two years, they were dead wrong, and you have been breaking the law.  They won't take your word for it that the DVLA themselves told you the wrong thing.  I'm still not even sure that you were legal to drive on a US license the day after you came back from getting it as I'm pretty sure the laws talk about your entering the country for residence, which you had done years before.  I could be totally wrong on that one, but regardless, you were breaking the law and driving without a license when you got your ticket.  Telling them someone else said differently won't change that, and it could cause some big problems for you.  Let us know what happens.  I'm really curious now.

I'm still not even sure that you were legal to drive on a US license the day after you came back from getting it as I'm pretty sure the laws talk about your entering the country for residence, which you had done years before. 

I was wondering about that too. I had a look on the DVLA website, but it doesn't address this situation. And I can't recall anyone here on UKY getting their US license years after taking residence in the UK either. It's an interesting one!

So as far as I was concerned I was legally allowed to drive and when I get back then I will be going for my theory and driving test as now I am aware the laws have changed so thank you for answering my question.

The laws haven't changed at all recently that I know of - it's been 1 year for driving on a US licence since long before you got your licence 2 years ago. I've been a member of the forum since January 2007 and it was definitely one year back then.

I'm still not even sure that you were legal to drive on a US license the day after you came back from getting it as I'm pretty sure the laws talk about your entering the country for residence, which you had done years before.

That's what I was just wondering because the www.direct.gov.uk website states:

'If you are the holder of an ordinary driving licence (car, moped, motorcycle entitlement) and provided your licence remains valid, you can drive any category of small vehicle shown on your licence for up to 12 months from the time you became resident.'

This implies that if you began your UK residency 12 years ago, then it has been illegal for you to drive in the UK on a US licence for the last 11 years. As chary said though, there's no provision listed for someone who got a US licence after having lived in the UK for several years so I'm not sure of the laws in that situation.

I could be totally wrong on that one, but regardless, you were breaking the law and driving without a license when you got your ticket.

You may also have been driving without valid insurance as well, since I doubt your insurance will be covering you to drive on an invalid licence.

I have been living in the UK since Nov of 1997 and this was the case even then. Was told I would have to get a UK licence but the end of Nov 1998...