What is the fine for using a hand-held phone while driving in Northern Ireland?

nidirect states that if the case goes to court, a driver can face disqualification as well as a maximum fine of £1,000, or £2,500 for bus and goods-vehicle drivers.

The rules cover hand-held use while driving or riding. Limited exceptions include calling 999 or 112 in a genuine emergency where stopping is unsafe or impracticable, being safely parked, or using the device as a passenger.

For a new driver, six points within two years of passing can trigger licence revocation under the new-driver rules, making a mobile-phone fixed penalty especially significant.

Police fixed penalties and camera notices are not private debts. Read the response deadline carefully, comply with any separate legal requirement to identify the driver, and use the court-hearing route if you genuinely dispute an allegation that cannot be resolved administratively.