Driving Licence Penalty Points: Maximum Points and How Long They Last

DVLA and Driving

Last reviewed: 23 July 2026

Common endorsement codes and penalty point ranges

Source: GOV.UK, Penalty points and endorsement codes

What is the maximum number of points on a UK licence?

There is no fixed cap on how many points can be endorsed, but 12 points within 3 years triggers the totting up rules and a minimum 6 month disqualification for most drivers.

The 12 point threshold comes from the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988. When accumulated points from offences committed within a 3 year window reach 12 or more, the court must disqualify for at least 6 months unless exceptional hardship is established. The window runs between offence dates, so an old conviction whose offence date falls outside the 3 years does not count towards totting, even if the points are still visible on the record.

Repeat totting is punished progressively. A driver disqualified under totting up within the previous 3 years faces a minimum 12 month ban the second time, and 2 years the third time. Courts can also disqualify for a single serious offence regardless of the points total, and for the most serious offences can order an extended retest before the licence is returned.

How many points can a new driver get?

A new driver loses the licence at 6 points within 2 years of passing the first practical test, under the Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act 1995.

Revocation under the New Drivers Act is automatic and administrative: DVLA revokes the licence as soon as the record shows 6 or more points from offences committed in the 2 year probationary period. There is no court hearing and no exceptional hardship argument. The driver reverts to provisional status and must pass both the theory and practical tests again to regain a full licence.

Points gained before passing the test also count. A learner who picked up 3 points on a provisional licence starts the probationary period already halfway to revocation, so a single CU80 mobile phone offence at 6 points would end the licence immediately. This makes the first 2 years the period in which minor offending carries the most severe practical consequences of any stage of a driving career.

How long do points stay on a driving licence?

Points remain on the driving record for 4 years for most offences, and 11 years for drink driving, drug driving and causing death by careless driving while unfit.

The 4 year endorsements cover the common offences: speeding, traffic signal offences, careless driving, insurance offences and mobile phone use. They count towards totting for 3 years from the offence date but stay visible on the record for the full 4 years. The 11 year endorsements, principally the DR and DG code families, run from the date of conviction and reflect the seriousness with which impaired driving is treated.

Insurers ask about convictions on their own timescales, typically the last 5 years, and are entitled to accurate answers regardless of what remains on the DVLA record. Drivers can check their current record free through the GOV.UK view driving licence service, which shows each endorsement code, the offence date and the removal date, and can generate a check code to share with employers or hire companies.

Can penalty points be avoided with a course?

Police forces can offer a speed awareness or other diversionary course instead of points for eligible minor offences, normally where the driver has not attended one for the same offence type within 3 years.

Course offers are discretionary and sit with the individual police force rather than the courts, guided by National Police Chiefs Council frameworks. Eligibility for speed awareness typically requires the recorded speed to fall within a band above the limit, broadly from 10 percent plus 2 mph up to 10 percent plus 9 mph, and no course attendance for a similar offence in the preceding 3 years. The course fee is paid by the driver, but no points are endorsed and there is no conviction.

Attendance is not reportable as a conviction, although some insurers ask directly about course attendance and are entitled to truthful answers where they do. Declining a course offer means the case proceeds by fixed penalty, usually £100 and 3 points for speeding, or by prosecution where the driver contests the allegation.

How do points affect car insurance costs?

Endorsements must be declared to insurers, and premium increases commonly range from around 5 percent for a single SP30 to more than 50 percent for serious or repeated offences.

Insurers rate on the endorsement code, the number of points and the recency of the offence. A single 3 point speeding endorsement has a modest effect with most mainstream insurers, while IN10 insurance offences and DR drink driving codes push many drivers into the specialist market where premiums can double. Failing to declare points an insurer asked about is grounds for voiding the policy, which then itself becomes declarable for years afterwards.

Points also interact with employment. Roles involving driving typically require licence checks through the DVLA share code system, and fleet insurers commonly set point limits above which an employee cannot be covered on company vehicles, most often at 6 or 9 points.

Frequently asked questions

What happens at 12 points on a driving licence?

The court must disqualify for at least 6 months under the totting up rules unless exceptional hardship is proven. The points come from offences committed within a 3 year window.

Do points start from the offence date or conviction date?

For totting up purposes points count from the offence date. The 11 year endorsements for drink and drug driving run from the conviction date instead.

How can a driver check how many points they have?

The free GOV.UK view driving licence service shows all current endorsements, offence dates and removal dates using the licence number, National Insurance number and postcode.

Do points transfer from a provisional to a full licence?

Yes. Points endorsed on a provisional licence carry over and count towards the 6 point New Drivers Act threshold during the 2 year probationary period.

Can points be removed from a licence early?

No. Endorsements run their statutory 4 or 11 year course and cannot be removed early. Only an appeal against the underlying conviction can change the record.