Car Insurance with Points on Your Licence UK 2026

Last reviewed: 26 April 2026

The declaration obligation: what you must tell your insurer

The Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012 (CIDRA) requires consumers to take reasonable care to answer all insurer questions accurately and honestly. Motoring convictions, including Fixed Penalty Notices that result in penalty points, are material facts that all motor insurers ask about and that must be declared.

The standard declaration period most UK motor insurers use is five years from the date of the offence. Some convictions, particularly serious offences carrying mandatory disqualification, remain declarable for a longer period under the insurer's own terms. Check the specific question your insurer asks, it typically asks for convictions in the last three or five years and specifies what must be included.

Failure to declare penalty points that are on your DVLA licence record at the time of application is a material non-disclosure under CIDRA 2012. Where the non-disclosure is careless, the insurer may 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.

Points are recorded on your DVLA driving record. Insurers access DVLA data with your consent at underwriting or at claims stage. Assuming that an old endorsement will not be discovered is not a sound strategy, DVLA endorsement records are accessible to insurers throughout the declaration period.

Which insurers cover drivers with penalty points

Minor endorsements, SP30 (exceeding the speed limit), TS10 (traffic signal offences), CU80 (vehicle not in roadworthy condition), are accepted by most FCA-authorised motor insurers, including mainstream direct brands. The premium loading reflects the actuarial risk associated with the specific endorsement and the number of points.

Drivers with three to six penalty points from minor endorsements can typically access quotes from mainstream direct brands, though premiums will be higher than for an equivalent clean-licence profile. Drivers with seven to nine points from minor endorsements may find some mainstream brands decline but specialist providers remain available.

Drivers with ten or more points from minor endorsements, or with any points from serious endorsements including DR10 (drink driving), DR20, DR30, IN10 (using a vehicle while uninsured), or DD40 (dangerous driving), will typically be declined by most mainstream direct brands. Specialist FCA-authorised brokers with Lloyd's market access provide the appropriate route.

Adrian Flux Insurance Services (FRN 307071) is a specialist broker with explicit 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 drivers. Confirm current FCA status for all brokers at register.fca.org.uk.

Premium loadings by endorsement type

The actuarial loading applied to a motor insurance premium for specific endorsements varies by insurer, points total, and time elapsed since the offence. Indicative ranges based on market data:

SP30 (speed limit offence, 3 points): Approximately 5 to 15 percent above an equivalent clean-licence premium. The loading declines as the offence ages toward the end of the five-year declaration period.

CU80 (using vehicle in dangerous condition, 3 points): Approximately 5 to 20 percent loading. Insurers view this as indicating a driver who disregards vehicle safety obligations.

TS10 (traffic signal offence, 3 points): Approximately 5 to 20 percent loading. Similar actuarial profile to SP30.

DR10 (driving with excess alcohol, 3 to 11 points, often disqualification): Approximately 50 to 200 percent loading depending on the Blood Alcohol Concentration recorded, whether disqualification occurred, and time elapsed since the offence. Many mainstream direct brands decline DR10 entirely. Lloyd's market specialists and dedicated convicted-driver brokers are the appropriate route.

IN10 (using a vehicle without insurance, 6 to 8 points): Approximately 80 to 250 percent loading. IN10 indicates a driver who has previously operated without the legal minimum insurance, a specific risk flag for insurers. Specialist brokers with Lloyd's market access are typically required for IN10 holders.

Drink-driving and IN10: finding cover after serious endorsements

DR10 and IN10 are the two endorsement codes most likely to result in mainstream insurer declination and the largest premium loadings among those who will provide cover. For drivers with DR10 or IN10 in the last five years, the market narrows significantly.

BIBA-registered specialist brokers (biba.org.uk/find-insurance/) are the correct starting point. A specialist broker with Lloyd's market access can approach underwriters with specific appetite for convicted-driver risks and negotiate terms that reflect the individual's full risk profile, including any rehabilitation course completion, the blood alcohol level recorded (for DR10), and the number of clean years since the offence.

The Driving Offenders Retraining Scheme (DORS), which administers the drink-driving rehabilitation course (typically a one-day course), provides a completion certificate that some specialist insurers accept as a positive risk factor, reducing the premium loading. Completion of a rehabilitation course is voluntary but is considered positively in some underwriting assessments.

Licence rehabilitation and when points expire

DVLA endorsements remain on the driving record for four years from the date of conviction for most offences, and for eleven years for serious offences including DR10. After expiry, the endorsement is no longer shown on the licence and, importantly, no longer needs to be declared to insurers once it has expired and falls outside the insurer's specified declaration window.

The practical timeline: an SP30 offence with three points from a 2022 conviction ceases to appear on the DVLA record in 2026 (four years from conviction). The insurer's five-year declaration window extends to 2027 (five years from offence date). The endorsement must therefore be declared to insurers during 2022 to 2027, even though it no longer appears on the licence from 2026.

Key Figures

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to declare old penalty points to my insurer?

Yes, for the period specified in your insurer's application questions, typically five years from the offence date. DVLA endorsements fall off the licence record after four years (or eleven years for serious offences), but the insurer's declaration window may extend beyond the DVLA's own retention period.

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

Yes, but not through most mainstream direct brands. DR10 typically requires specialist underwriting accessed through a BIBA-registered specialist broker with Lloyd's market access. Premiums are substantially above the clean-licence equivalent, 50 to 200 percent loading is typical. Completion of a drink-driving rehabilitation course may reduce the loading with some specialist underwriters.

Will my insurance be void if I forget to declare points?

Where the non-disclosure is careless, CIDRA 2012 allows the insurer to pay a proportionately reduced claim settlement. Where the non-disclosure is deliberate, the insurer may void the policy entirely, retain the premium, and decline all claims. Always declare all endorsements within the specified declaration period.

How much does an SP30 speeding conviction increase insurance?

An SP30 conviction with three penalty points typically produces a premium loading of 5 to 15 percent above an equivalent clean-licence premium. The loading declines as the conviction ages toward the end of the five-year declaration period.

Where do I find specialist car insurance for drivers with points?

BIBA-registered specialist brokers (biba.org.uk/find-insurance/) with convicted-driver expertise, such as Adrian Flux (FRN 307071) and Carole Nash (FRN 307243), access Lloyd's and specialist market underwriters for endorsed driver profiles that mainstream brands decline.

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): https://register.fca.org.uk
• ABI Motor Insurance Premium Tracker Q4 2025: 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.