How long do penalty points stay on your driving licence?
Find out how penalty points could impact your car insurance.
When playing football or joining the local pub quiz, racking up points is ideal. It’s positively encouraged. But that’s not the case with your driving licence.
So, let’s get to the point and figure out how they impact your car insurance.
What are penalty points?
You receive penalty points when you're convicted of a motoring offence, like speeding. The goal is to have zero points, meaning there aren’t any ‘endorsements’ or ‘penalties’ on your licence (these are just fancy words for driving offences).
“Each endorsement has a special code”, says GOV.UK, “and is given ‘penalty points’ on a scale from 1 to 11. You get more points for more serious offences.” And some penalties come with fines, which range in cost.
So, the endorsement reflects the motoring offence while the penalty is how many points you’ll get on your licence for it, if convicted.
Here are a few examples:Footnote [1]
| Endorsement (motoring offence) | Potential penalty points | How long it stays on your licence |
|---|---|---|
| Breach of requirements as to control of the vehicle, such as using a mobile phone | 3 to 6 | 4 years from the date of the offence |
| Driving without due care and attention | 3 to 9 | 4 years from the date of the offence |
| Leaving a vehicle in a dangerous position | 3 | 4 years from the date of the offence |
How long do penalty points stay on your licence?
Endorsements and penalty points will stay on your driving record for 4 or 11 years, depending on the offence.Footnote [1]
The endorsement is effective (or valid) for the first:
- 3 years, but will stay on your licence for 4 years, on a 4-year endorsement.
- 10 years, but stays on your licence for 11 years, on an 11-year endorsement.
The endorsement remains on your record for an additional year after the validity period to ensure it’s visible to insurers and other authorities.
4 years from date of conviction
An endorsement will stay on a driving record for 4 years if: Footnote [2]
- it is for reckless/dangerous driving
- it results in disqualification or being banned from driving
11 years from date of conviction
An endorsement will remain on your record for 11 years (with 3 to 11 points) if:Footnote [2]
- drink driving or drug driving
- causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs
- causing death by careless driving, then failing to provide a specimen for analysis
If found guilty of any motoring offences related to causing death or driving under the influence (of drugs or alcohol), penalty points will remain on your driving licence longer.
How do I find out how many penalty points I have on my driving licence?
To find out how many penalty points you may have, check out GOV.UK to view your driving licence information.
How many penalty points lead to a driving ban?
You’ll be banned, or disqualified, from driving if you build up 12 or more points within any 3-year period. Footnote [3]
But the rules are different for new drivers.
Penalty points for new drivers
If you’re a new driver, your licence will be cancelled if you get 6 or more points within 2 years of passing your test. Footnote [4]
And if you received points on your provisional licence, and they haven’t expired, they’ll carry over to your full licence when you pass your test.Footnote [4]
How long would a driving ban last?
This is decided by the court, based on how serious they believe the offence is. And your ban can last: Footnote [3]
- 6 months, if you get 12 or more penalty points within 3 years
- 12 months, if you get a second disqualification within 3 years
- 2 years, if you get a third disqualification within 3 years
How many penalty points or fines would you get for speeding offences?
This is usually dependent on how much you exceeded the speed limit by, and the severity. For example, if there was an accident due to the speeding, you can expect a minimum of 3 points and a £100 fine for a speeding offence. Footnote [5]
Can penalty points affect my car insurance?
Yes, under the Road Traffic Act 1998, it’s an offence to withhold information from your current or future insurers. This means you must tell your insurance provider about any penalty points you have on your driving license. Even though points may not affect your monthly payments (premiums) immediately, if you fail to share this information it can lead to issues later on, such as cancellation of your policy or struggles to get insurance in the future.
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