Car Insurance After a Conviction UK 2026

Last reviewed: 26 April 2026

Your declaration duty under the Consumer Insurance Act 2012

If you have received a driving conviction, whether a Fixed Penalty Notice resulting in penalty points, a court-imposed endorsement, or a disqualification, you are legally obliged to declare it to your motor insurer. The Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012 (CIDRA) requires you to take reasonable care to answer all insurer questions accurately and honestly.

Most UK motor insurers ask about convictions within the last five years. This five-year declaration window typically runs from the date of the offence, not the date of conviction or the date the points appear on your licence. Some insurers extend the window for serious offences, confirm the specific question asked and declare all relevant convictions accurately.

Failing to declare a conviction is a material non-disclosure. Where the non-disclosure is careless, CIDRA allows the insurer to reduce the claim settlement proportionately. Where deliberate, the insurer may void the policy from inception, retain the premium, and decline all claims. Criminal liability under the Fraud Act 2006 applies to deliberate insurance fraud. Assuming a conviction will not be discovered is not a sound strategy, insurers verify endorsement history via DVLA records at claims stage, and endorsements remain accessible in DVLA's internal records beyond the four-year printout retention period.

Which insurers underwrite drivers with convictions

For minor endorsements, SP30 (speeding, 3 points), TS10 (traffic signal offence), and similar codes, most mainstream FCA-authorised direct motor insurers will provide cover with a premium loading. The higher the points total or the more recent the offence, the larger the loading and the fewer mainstream brands will quote.

For more serious endorsements, DR10 (drink driving), DR20, IN10 (using a vehicle without insurance), CD10 (careless driving causing death or serious injury), or DD40 (dangerous driving), mainstream direct brands typically decline to quote. Specialist FCA-authorised brokers who access Lloyd's of London market underwriters and other specialist capacity are the appropriate route.

Adrian Flux Insurance Services (FRN 307071) is a specialist broker with established appetite for convicted-driver and high-endorsement profiles. Carole Nash Insurance Consultants Limited (FRN 307243) is a BIBA-registered specialist broker with experience in non-standard motor including endorsed and convicted drivers. A-Plan Insurance (FRN 309081) operates a broker network with specialist capability for non-standard risk profiles. All are verifiable at register.fca.org.uk. BIBA's broker finder at biba.org.uk/find-insurance/ identifies additional specialist brokers by endorsement type.

Premium loadings by conviction type

The additional cost applied to your premium following a conviction depends on the endorsement code and the time elapsed since the offence. Indicative ranges from market data for a driver with a single relevant conviction in a surrounding clean record:

Minor speeding (SP30, 3 points): approximately 5 to 15 percent loading. The loading declines as the offence ages toward the five-year declaration boundary.

Careless driving causing no injury (CD10, 3 to 9 points): approximately 20 to 40 percent loading. More serious than a simple speed limit breach; insurers weight behavioural risk signals more heavily.

Drink driving (DR10, 3 to 11 points, often disqualification): approximately 50 to 200 percent loading. A significant proportion of mainstream direct brands decline DR10 holders; specialist Lloyd's market access is typically required.

Using a vehicle while uninsured (IN10, 6 to 8 points): approximately 80 to 250 percent loading. IN10 signals a driver who has breached the fundamental Road Traffic Act 1988 section 143 requirement, insurers treat this as a direct risk indicator beyond the points count.

Dangerous driving (DD40, 3 to 11 points, often disqualification): approximately 100 to 300 percent loading. Most underwriters, including most specialist brokers, apply multi-year minimum holding periods after a DD40 conviction before they will provide cover at any price.

Drink-driving (DR10) and uninsured-driving (IN10): finding cover after the hardest convictions

DR10 and IN10 are the two convictions that most consistently produce mainstream insurer declination and require specialist Lloyd's market placement. If you hold either conviction in the last five years, the practical steps are:

Contact a BIBA-registered specialist convicted-driver broker. The broker will present your full risk profile, including the conviction details, any rehabilitation course completion, your surrounding clean record, and the time elapsed, to underwriters with specific appetite for the risk category. Premiums will be substantially above the clean-licence market; this is the actuarial cost of the conviction.

For DR10 holders, completing the DVSA Drink Drive Rehabilitation course (a one-day course that reduces the disqualification period where mandated by the court) provides a completion certificate that some specialist underwriters accept as a positive risk factor, reducing the premium loading relative to non-completers.

For IN10 holders, demonstrating continuous insured driving and a clean subsequent record, even at high premium, is the most effective rehabilitation path. Each year of clean driving reduces the actuarial loading applied to the IN10 for the remainder of the five-year declaration window.

Licence rehabilitation and when convictions become spent

DVLA endorsements are retained on the driving record for four years from the date of conviction for standard offences (including SP30 and most minor codes). Serious offences, DR10, DD40, and equivalents, are retained for eleven years. After the retention period, the endorsement no longer appears on the licence printout.

However, DVLA's internal records retain endorsement data beyond the printout period, and insurers can access this data for the full five-year declaration window. The endorsement may disappear from your licence printout before the insurer's five-year declaration window closes.

Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, most driving convictions become "spent" after a rehabilitation period, and spent convictions do not need to be declared in most general contexts. Motor insurance is subject to a specific disclosure framework, driving endorsements must be declared for the period specified by the insurer's questions regardless of ROA 1974 spent status.

Key Figures

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I need to declare a conviction to my insurer?

The standard declaration period is five years from the date of the offence, as specified in the insurer's application questions. This may extend beyond the DVLA's four-year printout retention for standard endorsements. Declare all convictions within the insurer's specified window.

Can I get car insurance with a DR10 drink-driving conviction?

Yes, but not through most mainstream direct brands. A DR10 requires specialist underwriting accessed through a BIBA-registered convicted-driver broker such as Adrian Flux (FRN 307071) or Carole Nash (FRN 307243). Premiums will be 50 to 200 percent above the equivalent clean-licence rate.

What happens if I don't declare a conviction?

Non-declaration is a material non-disclosure under CIDRA 2012. Careless non-disclosure may result in a reduced claim settlement; deliberate non-disclosure may result in the policy being voided from inception, the premium retained, and all claims declined. Criminal fraud liability may also apply.

Does completing a drink-drive rehabilitation course help with insurance?

Some specialist underwriters accept completion of the DVSA Drink Drive Rehabilitation course as a positive risk factor, reducing the premium loading relative to non-completers. Confirm with the specific broker or underwriter at quotation.

When does a driving conviction stop affecting my insurance premium?

Once a conviction falls outside the insurer's five-year declaration window, from the date of the offence, it no longer needs to be declared and no longer affects the premium. Each passing year within the window reduces the loading applied, as the actuarial predictive power of older endorsements declines.

Sources & Verification

• Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2012/6
• DVLA, penalty points and endorsements: https://www.gov.uk/penalty-points-endorsements
• FCA Register, Adrian Flux (FRN 307071), Carole Nash (FRN 307243), A-Plan (FRN 309081): https://register.fca.org.uk
• ABI Motor Insurance data: https://www.abi.org.uk
• BIBA, Find a specialist broker: https://www.biba.org.uk/find-insurance/
• Road Traffic Act 1988: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/52
• HMRC Insurance Premium Tax: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/insurance-premium-tax

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always verify rates with official sources before making any financial decision.