How Long Do Points Stay On My Licence?

UK Driving Licence - RTD

Committing a driving offence in the UK usually means getting points on your licence. And the more serious the offence, the more points you’re likely to be awarded. As road traffic solicitors, we’re used to dealing with endorsement codes, so we’ve put together the need-to-knows on the penalty points system.

What are penalty points?

When you commit a driving offence, you’ll receive an endorsement with a unique penalty code. So driving without due care and attention has the endorsement code CD10 and carries 3 to 9 penalty points.

And endorsements don’t just apply to the driver. You can also get penalty points if you’ve incited another driver to commit an offence or helped or caused them to do it. You can find out more about endorsements and penalty points at GOV.UK.

How does the endorsement system work?

If you’ve committed a driving offence, the more serious it is, the more points you’ll receive on a scale from 1-11. 

So, for example, driving while disqualified incurs between 3-11 points, while minor pedestrian crossing offences incur 3 points on your licence.

Drivers who accumulate 12 or more penalty points within three years face disqualification. In addition, a special Code TT99 will stay on their record for four years following a “totting up” offence.

How long do points stay on my licence?

So how long do points stay on your driving licence? That depends on the offence you’ve committed:

Accident offences

Offences including failing to stop at an accident, are covered by codes AC10, AC20, and AC30. You’ll earn between 4-10 penalty points, valid for four years after the offence date.

Disqualified driver

Driving while disqualified (BA10, BA30) earns you 6 penalty points. The endorsement stays on your licence for four years from the date of the offence. 

Causing death or serious injury while disqualified (BA40, BA60) results in 3-11 points. This endorsement remains on your driving record for four years from your conviction date.

Careless Driving

These offences (CD10, CD20, CD30, CD33) include driving without due care and attention and carry 3-9 points that stay on your licence from the date of the offence. 

More serious careless driving offences (CD40, CD50, CD60, CD70) incur 3-11 points and stay on your driving record for 11 years, starting from the date of your conviction. 

Other serious offences (CD80 and CD90) also incur 3-11 points and remain on your driving record for four years after the date of your conviction.

Construction and use

If you’re driving a car that’s not roadworthy, your penalty points stay on your licence for four years after your conviction. CU10, CU20, CU30, CU40, and CU50 all carry a fixed 3-point penalty, while CU80 carries a 3-6 point endorsement.

Reckless or dangerous driving

Codes DD10, DD40, DD60, DD80, and DD90 stay on your licence for four years after the date of your conviction. In addition, you’ll receive between 3 and 11 points.

Drink and Drug driving

Drink and drug driving and related offences (DR10, DR20, DR30, DR31, DR61, DG10, DG60, DG80) are considered serious offences with a penalty of between 3-11 points. This code stays on your licence for 11 years after the conviction date.

Offences with the codes DR40, DR50, DR60, DR70, DG40, DG70, DG90 incur between 4 and 10 points. These codes stay on your licence for four years from the date of your offence. However, if you’re disqualified, they stay on record for or four years from the date of your conviction.

Insurance offences

If you drive an uninsured vehicle IN10, you’ll be penalised 6 to 8 points which stay on your licence for four years after the date of the offence.

Licence offences

Codes LC20, LC30, LC40, and LC50 carry 3-6 penalty points. The penalty stays on your licence for four years from the date of your offence.

Miscellaneous offences

These offences are listed under codes MS10-90 and carry between 2 and 6 penalty points, except for racing MS50, which can carry up to 11 penalty points. All MS codes stay on your driving record for four years after the date of the offence.

Speeding 

Speeding offences SP10-50 are among the most common, landing you between 3-6 points on your licence, which expire four years after your speeding violation date.

Worried about points on your licence?

The good news is that points are only valid for some of the time they stay on your record – 3 years for a 4-year endorsement and 10 years for an 11-year endorsement. So in the final year, the police can’t use your penalty points for a “totting up” offence leading to disqualification.

However, licence points can affect your insurance premiums and may be seen by future employers. It’s never been easier to check your licence, so make sure you know the score with endorsements and penalty points.

Stay on the road with Road Traffic Defence

Whether you’re looking for a dangerous driving solicitor or you need help with personal injury claims, Road Traffic Defence can help. If you need a motoring solicitor to help with incidents, accidents and advice, we’re on your team so contact us today.