Speeding points stay on your licence for 4 years, or for 11 years if it’s a particularly bad offence. They stay on your licence either from the date of your conviction, or the date of your offence.
Even after the points have come off your licence record, traffic offences are not rehabilitated for five years. This will mean that most insurers will still require you to tell them about it for five years from the date of the conviction, even if the conviction itself no longer shows on your licence record.
How many points do you get for speeding?
Depending on the severity of your offence, you’ll get between 3 and 6 points on your licence. Certain types of speeding might fall under a different category of offence and will therefore result in a different penalty.
For example, police might consider your speed to be “dangerous driving” or “furious driving”. You can get between 3 and 11 points on your licence for dangerous driving, and between 3 and 9 points on your licence for furious driving. In each case, the points will stay on your licence for 4 years from the date of your conviction.
If you’re caught speeding and the police find traces of drugs or alcohol in your system, then you can get between 3 and 11 points on your licence. These points will stay on your licence for 11 years from the date of your conviction. You’ll get the same penalty if you refuse to provide a blood sample for the police to test for traces of drink or drugs.
You can find a complete guide to penalty point codes, and their corresponding penalties, here.
How Many Points Can You Get on Your Licence Before It’s Cancelled?
If you’re a new driver, your licence will be cancelled if you get six or more points within two years of passing your test. For more experienced drivers, you’ll be disqualified from driving if you get 12 or more points on your licence within a period of 3 years.
If you’re a new driver, you’ll have to apply for a new provisional licence. You’ll also have to pass both your theory and your practical test again before you get another full licence. The process for more experienced drivers depends on the type and length of disqualification.
What to Do When You Get Points on Your Licence
Tell your insurance provider about any points you accrue on your licence as soon as possible. It’s very likely that they’ll increase the price of your premium. This is because speeding drivers are more likely to get involved in accidents. So through getting speeding points, you’ve proven yourself to be a more dangerous driver. You’re a higher risk, and this will be reflected in a higher premium.
But if you don’t tell your insurer about your speeding points, they may cancel your policy.
When getting a new insurance policy, you’ll most likely be asked if you’ve ever had a policy cancelled before. So if you fail to tell your insurers, you’ll struggle to find anyone else to insure you. And of course, it’s illegal to drive without car insurance.
For more information about how speeding points could affect the cost of your insurance, please read your policy wording.
