How Long Do Points Stay On Your Licence?

In this guide for motorists, we answer frequently asked questions about how long points stay on your licence, how the points impact your insurance and how to get them removed.

What are penalty points?

Penalty points are given to drivers in the event of certain motoring offences.

Endorsement codes are used to refer to motoring offences, with each attributed a number of penalty points that will be issued to the offending motorist.

The number of points you receive will depend on factors such as the nature and severity of the offence committed. For example, speeding carries a minimum of 3 penalty points.

The more serious the offence, the more points you’ll receive, among other potential punishments such as a fine, custodial sentence and a driving ban.

How long do penalty points stay on your licence?

Penalty points will stay on your licence for either 4 or 11 years, depending on the offence committed.

Speeding points (conviction codes SP10, SP20, SP30, SP40, SP50) stay on your licence for four years, as do licence offence points (conviction codes LC20, LC30, LC40, LC50), accident-related points (conviction codes AC10, AC20, AC30), careless driving offences (conviction codes CD10, CD20, CD30, CD40, CD50, CD60, CD70, CD80, CD90), dangerous driving (conviction codes DD10, DD40, DD60, DD80, DD90), traffic sign points (conviction codes TS10, TS20, TS30, TS40, TS50, TS60, TS70) and motorway offences (conviction code MW10).

Drink driving points will stay on your licence for four years under offences DR40 and DR90, while offences with conviction codes DR10, DR20, DR30, DR31, and DR61 stay on the licence for 11 years.

Similar to drink driving, drug driving points will stay on your licence for up to four years for offence code DG40, while offence codes DG10, DG40, DG60, and DG80 remain on your licence for 11 years from the date of the offence.

How long do points stay on your licence for the different types of motoring offences?

The following tables detail how long points stay on your licence for specific offences.

Accident offences

These codes must stay on a driving record for 4 years from the date of the offence.

Code	Offence	Penalty points
AC10	Failing to stop after an accident	5 to 10
AC20	Failing to give particulars or report an accident within 24 hours	5 to 10
AC30	Undefined accident offences	4 to 9

Disqualified driver

Codes BA10 and BA30 must stay on a driving record for 4 years from the date of the offence.

Code	Offence	Penalty points
BA10	Driving while disqualified by order of court	6
BA30	Attempting to drive while disqualified by order of court	6

Codes BA40 and BA60 must stay on a driving record for 4 years from the date of the conviction.

Code	Offence	Penalty points
BA40	Causing death by driving while disqualified	3 to 11
BA60	Causing serious injury by driving while disqualified	3 to 11

Careless driving

Codes CD10 to CD33 must stay on a driving record for 4 years from the date of the offence.

Code	Offence	Penalty points
CD10	Driving without due care and attention	3 to 9
CD20	Driving without reasonable consideration for other road users	3 to 9
CD30	Driving without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration for other road users	3 to 9
CD33	Causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving	3 to 9

Codes CD40 to CD70 must stay on a driving record for 11 years from the date of the conviction.

Code	Offence	Penalty points
CD40	Causing death through careless driving when unfit through drink	3 to 11
CD50	Causing death by careless driving when unfit through drugs	3 to 11
CD60	Causing death by careless driving with alcohol level above the limit	3 to 11
CD70	Causing death by careless driving then failing to supply a specimen for alcohol analysis	3 to 11

Codes CD80 and CD90 must stay on a driving record for 4 years from the date of the conviction.

Code	Offence	Penalty points
CD80	Causing death by careless, or inconsiderate, driving	3 to 11
CD90	Causing death by driving: unlicensed, disqualified or uninsured drivers	3 to 11

Construction and use offences

These codes must stay on a driving record for 4 years from the date of the offence.

Code	Offence	Penalty points
CU10	Using a vehicle with defective brakes	3
CU20	Causing or likely to cause danger by reason of use of unsuitable vehicle or using a vehicle with parts or accessories (excluding brakes, steering or tyres) in a dangerous condition	3
CU30	Using a vehicle with defective tyre(s)	3
CU40	Using a vehicle with defective steering	3
CU50	Causing or likely to cause danger by reason of load or passengers	3
CU80	Breach of requirements as to control of the vehicle, such as using a mobile phone	3 to 6

Reckless/dangerous driving

These codes must stay on a driving record for 4 years from the date of the conviction.

Code	Offence	Penalty points
DD10	Causing serious injury by dangerous driving	3 to 11
DD40	Dangerous driving	3 to 11
DD60	Manslaughter or culpable homicide while driving a vehicle	3 to 11
DD80	Causing death by dangerous driving	3 to 11
DD90	Furious driving	3 to 9

Drink driving

Codes DR10 to DR61 must stay on a driving record for 11 years from the date of the conviction.

Code	Offence	Penalty points
DR10	Driving or attempting to drive with alcohol level above limit	3 to 11
DR20	Driving or attempting to drive while unfit through drink	3 to 11
DR30	Driving or attempting to drive then failing to supply a specimen for analysis	3 to 11
DR31	Driving or attempting to drive then refusing to give permission for analysis of a blood sample that was taken without consent due to incapacity	3 to 11
DR61	Refusing to give permission for analysis of a blood sample that was taken without consent due to incapacity in circumstances other than driving or attempting to drive	10

Codes DR40 to DR70 must stay on a driving record for 4 years from the date of the offence or 4 years from date of conviction where a disqualification is imposed.

Code	Offence	Penalty points
DR40	In charge of a vehicle while alcohol level above limit	10
DR50	In charge of a vehicle while unfit through drink	10
DR60	Failure to provide a specimen for analysis in circumstances other than driving or attempting to drive	10
DR70	Failing to co-operate with a preliminary test	4

Drug driving

These codes must stay on a driving record for 11 years from the date of the conviction.

Code	Offence	Penalty points
DG10	Driving or attempting to drive with drug level above the specified limit	3 to 11
DG60	Causing death by careless driving with drug level above the limit	3 to 11
DR80	Driving or attempting to drive when unfit through drugs	3 to 11

These codes must stay on a driving record for 4 years from the date of the offence or 4 years from date of conviction where a disqualification is imposed.

Code	Offence	Penalty points
DG40	In charge of a vehicle while drug level above specified limit	10
DR70	Failing to co-operate with a preliminary test	4
DR90	In charge of a vehicle when unfit through drugs	10

Insurance offences

Code IN10 must stay on a driving record for 4 years from the date of the offence.

Code	Offence	Penalty points
IN10	Using a vehicle uninsured against third party risks	6 to 8

Driving licence offences

These codes must stay on a driving record for 4 years from the date of the offence.

Code	Offence	Penalty points
LC20	Driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence	3 to 6
LC30	Driving after making a false declaration about fitness when applying for a licence	3 to 6
LC40	Driving a vehicle having failed to notify a disability	3 to 6
LC50	Driving after a licence has been cancelled (revoked) or refused on medical grounds	3 to 6

Miscellaneous motoring offences

These codes must stay on a driving record for 4 years from the date of the offence.

Code	Offence	Penalty points
MS10	Leaving a vehicle in a dangerous position	3
MS20	Unlawful pillion riding	3
MS30	Play street offences	2
MS50	Motor racing on the highway	3 to 11
MS60	Offences not covered by other codes (including offences relating to breach of requirements as to control of vehicle)	3
MS70	Driving with uncorrected defective eyesight	3
MS80	Refusing to submit to an eyesight test	3
MS90	Failure to give information as to identity of driver etc	6

Motorway offences

Code MW10 must stay on a driving record for 4 years from the date of the offence.

Code	Offence	Penalty points
MW10	Contravention of special roads regulations (excluding speed limits)	3

Pedestrian crossings

These codes must stay on a driving record for 4 years from the date of the offence.

Code	Offence	Penalty points
PC10	Undefined contravention of pedestrian crossing regulations	3
PC20	Contravention of pedestrian crossing regulations with moving vehicle	3
PC30	Contravention of pedestrian crossing regulations with stationary vehicle	3

Speed limits

These codes must stay on a driving record for 4 years from the date of the offence.

Code	Offence	Penalty points
SP10	Exceeding goods vehicle speed limits	3 to 6
SP20	Exceeding speed limit for type of vehicle (excluding goods or passenger vehicles)	3 to 6
SP30	Exceeding statutory speed limit on a public road	3 to 6
SP40	Exceeding passenger vehicle speed limit	3 to 6
SP50	Exceeding speed limit on a motorway	3 to 6

Traffic direction and signs

These codes must stay on a driving record for 4 years from the date of the offence.

Code	Offence	Penalty points
TS10	Failing to comply with traffic light signals	3
TS20	Failing to comply with double white lines	3
TS30	Failing to comply with ‘stop’ sign	3
TS40	Failing to comply with direction of a constable/warden	3
TS50	Failing to comply with traffic sign (excluding ‘stop’ signs, traffic lights or double white lines)	3
TS60	Failing to comply with a school crossing patrol sign	3
TS70	Undefined failure to comply with a traffic direction sign	3

Special code

Code TT99 must stay on a driving record for 4 years from the date of conviction.

It shows disqualification under ‘totting-up’ – if the total of penalty points reaches 12 or more within 3 years, the driver can be disqualified.

Theft or unauthorised taking

Code UT50 must stay on a driving record for 4 years from the date of the offence.

Code	Offence	Penalty points
UT50	Aggravated taking of a vehicle	3 to 11

‘Mutual recognition’ codes

You’ll get an ‘MR’ code on your driving record if you’re disqualified while driving in Northern Ireland or the Isle of Man. Your disqualification period will also be valid in GB and will stay on your record for 4 years from the date of conviction.

Code	Offence
MR09	Reckless or dangerous driving (whether or not resulting in death, injury or serious risk)
MR19	Wilful failure to carry out the obligation placed on driver after being involved in a road accident (hit or run)
MR29	Driving a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or other substance affecting or diminishing the mental and physical abilities of a driver
MR39	Driving a vehicle faster than the permitted speed
MR49	Driving a vehicle whilst disqualified
MR59	Other conduct constituting an offence for which a driving disqualification has been imposed by the State of Offence

Aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring offences

For these offences, the codes are similar, but with the number 0 on the code changed to 2.

For example, code LC20 (driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence) becomes code LC22 on your driving record if you have helped someone to do this.

Causing or permitting offences

For these offences, the codes are similar, but with the number 0 on the code changed to 4.

For example, LC20 (driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence) becomes LC24 on your licence if you’ve caused or permitted someone to do this.

Inciting offences

For these offences, the codes are similar, but with the number 0 on the code changed to 6.

For example, DD40 (dangerous driving) becomes DD46 on your driving record if you’ve incited someone to do this.

How do you remove points from your licence?

Motoring endorsements are automatically removed by the DVLA from the driver’s licence after the relevant endorsement period – typically 4 years, or 11 years for more serious offences. The driver does not need to take any action to get the points removed from their licence.

When does the endorsement period start?

The endorsement period can start either from the date of the offence or the date of conviction for the offence.

In most cases, the four-year endorsement period starts from the date of the offence. However, if the offence relates to conviction codes DD40, DD60, DD80 for reckless or dangerous driving, or results in a driving ban, the four-year period will begin from the date of conviction for the offence.

11-year endorsement periods start from the date of conviction.

How long are penalty points ‘valid’ for?

Points are considered to be valid for the first 3 years of a 4year endorsement, or the first 10 years of an 11-year endorsement.

During this validity period, if you commit any further motoring offences, the new points will be added to any existing, valid points you have, and the court can take these into consideration when determining your case.

Do you have to disclose penalty points to your car insurer?

Withholding relevant information from your insurer, such as a speeding ticket, is an offence under the Road Traffic Act 1998 and may render your insurance cover invalidated, meaning you won’t be able to make a claim.

Each insurer should specify within its underwriting guidelines what it considers to be ‘relevant’ information, such as fixed penalty notices or pending motoring convictions, and to gather this information, should ask insurance applicants clear and specific questions.

When asked about driving offences, drivers have to answer the questions they’re asked.

When applying for insurance, insurers will typically run a DVLA database check against the driver’s licence for up-to-date information about any live endorsements. Specifically, they will be able to see any current four-year endorsements and endorsements within the first 5 years of an 11-year endorsement, or the first 30 months if under 18 years of age.

After five years, points are deemed ‘spent’ and an insurer is not permitted by law to raise your insurance rate after that point.

When do motoring penalty points become ‘spent’?

Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, penalty points remain on record for five years, during which time insurers may take these into consideration when deciding whether to offer cover and at what price.

After five years, the points are considered ‘spent’, which means insurers should not take them into account or use them as grounds to increase premiums.

How long do points stay on a new driver’s licence?

The rules on motoring endorsements for new drivers are stricter than for more experienced motorists.

Drivers who have held their licence for less than two years will have their licence revoked if they receive six or more points within this time. To reinstate their full licence, the new driver will then have to go through the learner driver process again – applying for a brand new provisional licence, then passing the theory and practical driving tests.

If the driver had points on their provisional licence, these will be carried over to their full licence. The full licence will be subject to cancellation if they are issued any further penalty points that take them to a total of six or more points within 2 years of passing their driving test.

Penalty points on licence FAQs

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Legal disclaimer

The matters contained in this article are intended to be for general information purposes only. This article does not constitute tax, financial or legal advice, nor is it a complete or authoritative statement of the rules and should not be treated as such.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information is correct, no warranty, express or implied, is given as to its accuracy and no liability is accepted for any error or omission.

Before acting on any of the information contained herein, expert tax, financial, legal or other advice should be sought.