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No excise licence

s.29 Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 · Magistrates

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Sentencing framework

The guideline structures sentencing for motoring offences by setting maximum fines based on offence severity, taking into account the offender's financial circumstances. It emphasizes determining fines that reflect the seriousness of the offence and aiming to remove any economic benefit derived from committing the offence.

Maximum sentence

L3 or five times annual duty, whichever is greater

Court

Magistrates

Starting point

A (1-3 months unpaid)

Offence range

Discharge - L3 or five times annual duty, whichever is greater

Aggravating factors

  • ·If offence committed in course of business, court should consider uplift of at least 25%

The sentencing process, step by step

  1. Step 1 — determining the offence category based on the guideline specifics.
  2. Step 2 — assessing culpability and harm, none available for fine-band offences.

Always read the full guideline

This is a one-page summary. For any live case, sentencing exercise, or legal advice the authoritative source is the Sentencing Council's own definitive guideline — including the category bands, step-by-step sentencing approach, and all statutory factors not captured here.

Open the full guideline on sentencingcouncil.org.uk

Source: Sentencing Council · Crown copyright, licensed under Open Government Licence v3.0. Summary fetched 2026-06-28. Not legal advice — see a regulated adviser for any live case.