DocMuse is a private, paid service run by The Muse Technology EOOD (Bulgaria). It is not a government website and is not connected with nidirect, the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service or any other public body. It is not a law firm and is not regulated by the Law Society of Northern Ireland or any other legal regulator; its documents are not legal advice.
Covering letter with my reply naming the driver (Northern Ireland)
Northern Ireland · in English
€2.00Fill it in online free — pay only to download
16 questions · about 7 min
Made for use in Northern Ireland
Fill in the form
Your answers stay on this device for 7 days, or until you clear them.
- Instant download after payment
- Backup link emailed to you
- No account needed
For the registered keeper of a vehicle in Northern Ireland who has received a notice under Article 177 of the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 asking who was driving, usually with a speeding or other motoring offence notice. Fill in the form sent with it, then send it with this letter, which names you or another driver, names the keeper if you had sold the vehicle, or explains what you did to find out. Reply within the time the notice gives: failing to name the driver is an offence carrying six penalty points.
- Made for use in Northern Ireland
- Last updated October 29, 2026
- Document in English
Where a UK document reproduces the words of legislation or of a government publication — UK, Scottish or Northern Irish — it contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Published byDocMuse
When to use this document
- A speeding letter came from the police in Northern Ireland asking who was driving your car.
- Your partner was driving when the camera caught the car and you need to name them.
- You had already sold the car when the alleged offence happened.
- You want a dated covering letter to send with the form naming the driver.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Your full name
- Your address (flat, house number and street)
- Town or city
- Your postcode
- Date
- Police force or central ticket office that sent the notice
- Address for replies, as printed on the notice, with postcode
- Reference number on the notice
- Vehicle registration number (number plate)
- Date of the alleged offence
- Place of the alleged offence, as on the notice
- Your answer about the driver
- Name of the driver or keeper you name (leave empty if it is you)
- Their address, with postcode
- What you did to find out who was driving, or other explanation (date of sale, receipt)
- Attachments
Common questions
- Can I answer a Northern Ireland notice asking who was driving online?
- Use whatever route the notice itself gives: if it offers an online reply with its reference, that route is free and enough. Whichever route you use, complete the form sent with the notice fully and within the time it gives. This covering letter adds a dated record and any explanation, and is not a substitute for the form.
- I cannot work out who was driving my car in Northern Ireland. What should I say?
- Say so, and explain every enquiry you made: asking each person who uses the car, checking diaries and fuel receipts, asking for the camera photograph. Article 177 of the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 gives a defence to a keeper who shows that they did not know, and could not with reasonable diligence have found out, who was driving; the enquiries you record are what show that diligence. Keep a copy of everything you send.
- The car had been sold before the date on the notice. How do I answer it?
- Reply anyway, within the time the notice gives: say you were not the keeper then, give the date and time of the sale and the buyer’s name and address, and enclose a copy of the receipt. If DVLA’s record still shows you as the keeper, tell DVLA too: it registers Northern Ireland’s vehicles. Ignoring the notice is what leads to the offence.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.
Related documents
- Road accident record and exchange of details (Northern Ireland)
For a driver in Northern Ireland after a collision: one place to write down the other driver’s name, address, vehicle and insurer, the time and place, what happened, the damage and the witnesses, while the details are fresh. Each driver keeps their own record and sends it with the insurance claim. It is not an admission of fault, and it does not replace the report to the police that Article 175 of the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 requires if anyone else is hurt or you did not give your details at the scene.
- Challenge to a parking penalty charge notice (Northern Ireland)
For the driver or keeper of a vehicle given a penalty charge notice (PCN) for parking in Northern Ireland — on the street by the Department for Infrastructure, or in a council car park — who thinks it is wrong and has not yet received a Notice to Owner. The letter gives the ticket’s details, the reasons it should be cancelled and the evidence, and asks for any reduced charge to be held open. The online challenge route printed on the ticket does the same job; this letter suits post or email. Not for private car park charges.
- Claim to a dealer for a faulty used car (Northern Ireland)
For a consumer in Northern Ireland who bought a used car from a dealer and found a fault. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 the car must be of satisfactory quality for its age, mileage and price, and as described. The letter describes the fault and asks for the remedy you choose: rejection and a refund within 30 days of delivery, a repair or replacement, or, after a failed repair, a refund or a price reduction. It gives 14 days, then a claim in the county court — a small claim up to £5,000. Not for a private sale.
- Claim to DfI Roads for pothole damage (Northern Ireland)
For a driver, motorcyclist or cyclist in Northern Ireland whose vehicle was damaged by a pothole or other road defect. The letter tells DfI Roads, the Department for Infrastructure’s roads service, when and where it happened, the damage and the cost, holds the Department liable for the road’s condition and asks for its inspection and repair records. nidirect explains the free claim route; this letter goes with your evidence. If the claim is refused, the next step is the county court.
- Representations against a parking Notice to Owner (Northern Ireland)
For the registered keeper of a vehicle in Northern Ireland who has received a Notice to Owner for a parking penalty charge from the Department for Infrastructure or a council and wants it cancelled. The letter makes formal representations on a ground printed on the notice — for example that the contravention did not occur, or that the vehicle had been taken without consent — with the facts and the evidence. Send it within the time the notice gives; if it is rejected, the Northern Ireland Traffic Penalty Tribunal hears a free appeal.
- Complaint about a package holiday that was not as booked (Northern Ireland)
For a traveller in Northern Ireland whose package holiday — flights and hotel, or other travel services sold together — was not as booked: a different or poor hotel, missing services, a changed itinerary. Under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 the organiser is responsible for every part of the package and owes a price reduction and compensation for what went wrong. The letter claims them and is your final letter before a small claim in the county court, with 14 days to reply. Send it to the organiser by email and by recorded delivery (Royal Mail Signed For).