How penalty points and driving offences affect car insurance

Key takeaways

• Committing driving offences can lead to you getting penalty points on your driving licence

• The more points you have on your licence, the more you’re likely to pay for car insurance

• Some insurers might even refuse to cover you if you have too many points on your licence

What are penalty points?

Penalty points, also known as driving endorsements, are what you get if you’re convicted of a driving offence like speeding or dangerous driving. The number of points you’ll be assigned will depend on the driving offence you’ve committed.

How do penalty points affect your car insurance?

Having penalty points on your licence will likely lead to your car insurance premiums going up, and if you get too many points some insurers may even refuse cover outright. Penalty points indicate that you were driving or using your car irresponsibly, meaning you’re at a higher risk of claiming on your car insurance policy.

How long do penalty points stay on your licence?

Penalty points will stay on your driving record for either 4 or 11 years, depending on the nature of the offence you committed. The time will start either from the date of the conviction or the date of the offence.

Do all penalty points affect your car insurance?

Yes, all penalty points will affect your car insurance premiums. But insurers will also see your driving convictions that got you the points, so the nature of your driving offence will affect how much your premiums go up.

Do I have to tell my insurer about penalty points on my licence?

You should always be honest about your driving history with your insurer - including any penalty points you’ve had that haven’t expired - otherwise your insurer might void your cover. Paying higher premiums is better than finding out you can’t claim on your policy at all because it’s invalid.

Do I have to declare all driving convictions?

You’ll only need to declare all unspent driving convictions on your record - failure to do so will result in your policy being invalidated. However after a certain amount of time your conviction will become ‘spent’, so you won’t need to tell your insurer, even if they ask.

How are penalty points issued?

If you commit a driving offence then it’s likely the police will be involved in prosecuting you. If you’re caught on camera committing a driving offence then you’ll be sent a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP), but this doesn’t mean you will definitely face prosecution.

The decision will be made ultimately by the courts, who will be able to charge you a fine and add endorsements - or penalty points - to your licence and driving record.

What happens if I get too many points on my licence?

If you accumulate 12 or more penalty points on your licence within a three-year period, you’ll be disqualified from driving. The length of your ban will depend on your history of convictions:

• If you’ve had 12 or more penalty points within three years your ban can last up to 6 months

• If you get a second disqualification within three years your ban could last up to a year

• If you get a third disqualification within three years, it could last up to two years

• If your disqualification lasts for 56 days or longer you’ll need to reapply for your driving licence, and possibly even have to retake your driving test.

Can I check how many penalty points I have?

You’ll be able to see how many penalty points you have on your record by viewing your driving licence on the UK government website. Just have your driving licence number and your national insurance number at hand.

What are the different types of driving offences?

The different types of driving offences have their own assigned codes and range of penalty points usually given for each offence. For example, speeding offences are references as SP followed by a number – and is usually worth 3-6 points.

The different types of driving offences, their codes and the points you’ll usually get are as follows:

How can I get cheaper car insurance with penalty points on my licence?

Having points on your licence might mean your premiums are likely to be higher, but you can still take certain steps to bring down the cost of cover:

Insure a smaller car: Smaller and less powerful cars in lower insurance groups are seen as a lower claim risk by insurers, so you might be able to reduce your premiums a little

Take out telematics cover: These clever telematics devices monitor your driving and report back to your insurance company, meaning that good, safe driving will result in a lower price to insure your vehicle

Pay more excess: Paying a higher voluntary excess fee indicates to insurers you’re less likely to make frivolous claims, so they’ll reward you with lower premiums

Pay annually: Your total cost will work out cheaper if you pay up front for the full year instead of paying monthly for car insurance

Add an experienced driver: Adding an experienced motorist to your policy as a named driver can help reduce your premiums if you’re a young driver with penalty points. Just be sure you’re honest about who’s doing more of the driving, otherwise you could be guilty of something called fronting

Finding car insurance with penalty points

Even if you have penalty points on your licence, it’s always good to compare car insurance quotes online to be sure you’re getting the best deal possible. Just tell us a little about yourself, your car and the cover you need, and we’ll search the market for deals that match your requirements.

You’ll be able to compare offers by the overall cost, the cover you’ll get and the excess you’ll need to pay to make a claim. Once you’ve found the one you want, just click through to the provider to finalise your purchase.