DUP MP for North Antrim Ian Paisley Jnr has been fined £250 and given six penalty points for driving without insurance.
The 49-year-old did not attend Lisburn Magistrates Court on Thursday where he was formally accused of driving a Saab car on 18 February last year on the Laganbank Road in the city without an insurance policy.
Defence barrister Steven Molloy told the court he had been instructed "to enter a plea" to the offence.
Mr Paisley has been the MP for North Antrim since 2010 and previously he was a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for the same constituency from 1998 to 2010. He is a son of the DUP's founder, Ian Paisley.
Mr Molloy said his client had been "oblivious that he had no insurance" as he believed the policy would have been automatically renewed when it expires a few weeks beforehand and the fact that it had lapsed was "an oversight on his part."
"He insured the car the very next day," said the lawyer adding that Mr Paisley should be given "maximum credit" for his early plea and previous "very good character."
Although he said he was not formally applying for reporting restrictions on Mr Paisley's Co Down address, he asked the media not to report it "for security reasons."
As well as the fine and penalty points, District Judge Rosie Watters ordered the MP to pay a £15 "offenders levy."
