Emma Watson banned from driving

Harry Potter actress Emma Watson has been banned from driving for six months after being caught speeding.

Watson, who played Hermione Granger in the film franchise, drove 38mph in a 30mph zone in Oxford on the evening of July 31 last year.

The 35-year-old, now a student, was made to pay a total of £1,044 at High Wycombe magistrates’ court on Wednesday.

Watson already had nine points on her licence before the speeding incident occurred, the court heard.

According to MailOnline, it is Watson’s fourth driving offence in less than two years. She received the points on her licence for offences in October 2023, November 2023 and January 2024.

The incident in July 2024 occurred on a restricted road in Oxford, where Watson is currently studying for a doctorate. MailOnline reported that she was driving a £30,000 Audi S3 at the time of the incident.

Emma Watson’s journey since Harry Potter has been multifaceted. After starring in films like The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), The Bling Ring (2013), Beauty and the Beast (2017), and Little Women (2019), she has shifted her focus to academia and activism. Since 2023, Watson has been pursuing a master’s degree in creative writing at Oxford University, where she has embraced student life, even competing in the university’s Summer Eights rowing regatta. Her advocacy for gender equality, notably as a UN Goodwill Ambassador for Women since 2014, and her public support for trans rights have kept her in the public eye. In 2023, she and her brother Alex launched Renais, a sustainable gin brand, further diversifying her endeavors. Despite her driving ban, Watson’s academic and activist commitments are expected to continue unaffected.

Watson already had nine penalty points on her driving licence from previous infractions in October 2023, November 2023, and January 2024. In the UK, accumulating 12 or more penalty points within a three-year period triggers an automatic six-month driving ban. The latest offence added three more points, pushing her total to 12 and resulting in the disqualification. At a brief hearing at High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, Watson was fined £1,044 (approximately $1,400), which included a £660 fine for her guilty plea, a £264 surcharge, and £120 in court costs. She did not attend the five-minute hearing, and her lawyer, Mark Haslam, confirmed to the court that Watson, now a student, was “in a position to pay the fine.”

Zoe Wanamaker, a nine-time Olivier Award nominee, has had a distinguished career in theatre and film, with her role as Madam Hooch being one of many highlights. Her recent speeding offence, like Watson’s, underscores the strict enforcement of UK traffic laws, which apply uniformly regardless of fame. The UK’s penalty point system, similar to Australia’s demerit point system, ensures that endorsements remain on a driver’s record for four to 11 years, depending on the offence’s severity.

The 76-year-old drove her blue Volvo at 46mph in a 40mph limit, the court heard.

She was also fined £1,044 and banned for six months.

Duncan Jones, Wanamaker’s lawyer, said that she was not asking for “special treatment” and accepted the fine.

District Judge Arvind Sharma, sentencing, endorsed three more points on her licence and disqualified her from driving for six months.

Neither Watson or Wanamaker attended their short hearings.

As Watson and Wanamaker navigate their temporary driving restrictions, their cases underscore the broader message that accountability on the road applies to everyone, regardless of celebrity status. For Watson, who has stepped back from Hollywood to focus on her studies and personal growth, the ban is a minor setback in an otherwise dynamic career. Her fans, accustomed to her resilience as Hermione Granger, are likely to see her weather this challenge with the same determination. Meanwhile, the Harry Potter franchise continues to evolve, with a new HBO television series in production, featuring young actors like Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, set to debut in 2027.

The incidents involving Watson and Wanamaker highlight the universal nature of traffic laws and the consequences of repeated infractions. As both actresses move forward, their contributions to film, theatre, and advocacy remain undiminished, even if their driving privileges are temporarily on hold.

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Related Topics : Emma Watson, Harry Potter, Road safety, Actress, Hermione Granger