CoverMapWhat counts as a motoring conviction?
When a court or fixed penalty puts points on your licence, the offence is recorded as an endorsement with a code. Insurers ask for these codes on application forms, so it helps to know yours. You can view your driving licence record on GOV.UK to see which codes and points you have and when they will be removed.
Insurers price convictions because, as Confused.com puts it, they “assume that you’re more likely to take risks when you drive”. Admiral says the effect depends on how old the offences are and how many points you have.
Common endorsement codes and penalty points
These are some of the codes drivers most often see. Points ranges are as listed by GOV.UK.
| Code | Offence | Penalty points |
|---|---|---|
| SP30 | Exceeding statutory speed limit on a public road | 3–6 |
| SP50 | Exceeding speed limit on a motorway | 3–6 |
| CU80 | Breach of requirements as to control of the vehicle, such as using a mobile phone | 3–6 |
| CD10 | Driving without due care and attention | 3–9 |
| MS90 | Failure to give information as to identity of driver | 6 |
| IN10 | Using a vehicle uninsured against third party risks | 6–8 |
| AC10 | Failing to stop after an accident | 5–10 |
| DR10 | Driving or attempting to drive with alcohol level above limit | 3–11 |
| DG10 | Driving or attempting to drive with drug level above the specified limit | 3–11 |
| DD40 | Dangerous driving | 3–11 |
Source: GOV.UK, Penalty points (endorsements): endorsement codes and penalty points. Selected codes. Checked October 2026.
Points totals and disqualification
GOV.UK says you can be disqualified if you build up 12 or more penalty points within three years. New drivers face a tighter rule: the licence is cancelled if you reach 6 or more points within two years of passing your test. If that applies to you, our young driver car insurance guide covers what new drivers pay.
How long do points stay on your licence?
GOV.UK says endorsements must stay on your driving record for 4 or 11 years, depending on the offence.
- 4 years from the date of the offence: the usual period.
- 4 years from the date of conviction: for reckless or dangerous driving, or where the offence led to disqualification.
- 11 years: for drink driving, drug driving, and causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs.
Don’t confuse this with the 12-point disqualification rule above, which looks at points built up within three years. The record period is a separate clock.
How long do you have to declare a conviction to insurers?
This is where people often get confused. How long an endorsement stays on your licence is not the same as how long you must tell an insurer about it. The charity Unlock explains that the time an offence stays on your licence is “governed by road traffic legislation which is entirely separate” from the time it takes to become spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
| Rule | Time period | Who says so |
|---|---|---|
| Endorsement stays on your driving record | 4 or 11 years | GOV.UK |
| Endorsement becomes spent | 5 years (2.5 years if you were under 18 at the time) | Unlock |
| Period insurers typically ask about | Last 5 years (2.5 years for drivers under 18) | Admiral, Confused.com |
Source: GOV.UK; Unlock, Motoring offences guide (February 2026); Admiral (September 2026); Confused.com (June 2026). Checked October 2026.
In practice, Confused.com says you need to tell your insurer about convictions from the last five years, and once a conviction is spent you don’t have to disclose it when getting a quote or buying a policy. MoneySuperMarket says most motoring convictions are spent after five years, and that once spent you can access the same prices as drivers with no convictions.
So an endorsement can still be on your licence after it is spent. Read each insurer’s question carefully, because the wording of the question is what you answer.
Points you get during a policy
Convictions don’t only matter when you buy. Finder advises contacting your insurer about new points as soon as you know about them, rather than waiting until renewal. Your policy documents will say what you must report mid-term.
How much do convictions add to car insurance?
Published data shows a clear pattern: the more convictions, the higher the price. Confused.com’s figures compare average quotes by number of convictions.
| Convictions declared | Average comprehensive quote |
|---|---|
| None | £707 |
| 1 | £853 |
| 2 | £1,022 |
| 3 | £1,129 |
| 4 | £1,415 |
Source: Confused.com, Convicted driver car insurance (June 2026). Quotes from March–May 2026, comprehensive cover only. Checked October 2026.
MoneySuperMarket’s figures for June–August 2026 point the same way: £523 for drivers with no convictions, £653 with a driving conviction and £1,090 with a non-driving conviction. These are on a different basis from Confused.com’s, so compare within each table rather than across them.
Price by type of offence
The offence matters too. Confused.com analysed policies sold between 1 January and 21 May 2026 and reported the median annual premium for drivers declaring each conviction.
| Offence (GOV.UK code) | Drivers | Median premium | Change in drivers declaring it, 2024 to 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding on a public road (SP30) | 56,844 | £505.43 | Up 11.39% |
| Speeding on a motorway (SP50) | 15,938 | £539.62 | Up 16.57% |
| Using a handheld device (CU80) | 2,495 | £635.74 | Up 33.70% |
| Driving over the alcohol limit (DR10) | 1,787 | £911.31 | Up 2.70% |
| Driving uninsured (IN10) | 3,843 | £1,147.13 | Up 14.80% |
Source: Confused.com, Top motoring convictions (June 2026), 910,209 quotes analysed. Year-on-year change compares 2,887,580 drivers (2024) with 3,148,402 (2025). Codes are CoverMap’s mapping of offence names to GOV.UK codes. Checked October 2026.
These medians are for sold policies, not average quotes, so they sit on a different scale from the table above. The useful point is the ranking: in this data, driving uninsured and drink driving came with far higher premiums than speeding. The sharpest rise in drivers declaring an offence was for mobile phone use.
What happens if you don’t declare a conviction?
Confused.com warns that an undeclared conviction puts your policy at risk of being cancelled and invalidated, and that you could then be responsible for paying any outstanding claims yourself. MoneySuperMarket adds that not declaring an unspent conviction risks committing fraud.
The Financial Ombudsman Service explains the rules insurers must follow under the Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012. You must take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation. What happens next depends on how the mistake was made:
- Reasonable care taken: the insurer has no remedy.
- Deliberate or reckless: the insurer can avoid the policy, keep the premiums and decline all claims.
- Careless: it depends on what the insurer would have done with the right information. If it would have charged more, it can pay a proportion of the claim (for example, two-thirds of the claim if you paid two-thirds of the correct premium). If it would have used different terms, those apply retrospectively. If it would not have insured you, it can avoid the policy and refund your premiums.
The FOS judges you by the standard of a reasonable consumer, not an expert, and looks at how clear the insurer’s questions were. That cuts both ways: a clear question about convictions in the last five years leaves little room for a missed answer.
The same disclosure rules apply to changes to the car itself. Our specialist car insurance guide covers modifications you need to declare.
How to compare car insurance with a conviction
- Check your record first. View your licence record on GOV.UK so you enter the right code, points and date.
- Work out what is unspent. Declare what the insurer asks for. Under Unlock’s and Confused.com’s guidance, that is typically convictions from the last five years.
- Know that mainstream insurers will ask. Unlock notes that mainstream insurers ask about motoring convictions, so expect the question on most quote forms and answer it the same way each time.
- Note when each conviction becomes spent. MoneySuperMarket says prices can return to those for drivers with no convictions once a conviction is spent, so a renewal after that date may look different.
- Look at the rest of your quote. A conviction is one factor among many. See our tips for cheaper car insurance, and our car insurance guide for cover levels and average costs.
Claims and convictions are recorded separately on applications. For how claim-free years build up and transfer, see our no-claims bonus guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to declare a driving conviction to my insurer?
Insurers typically ask about motoring convictions from the last five years (two and a half years if you were under 18), according to Admiral and Confused.com. Once a conviction is spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, Confused.com says you don't have to disclose it.
How long do penalty points stay on my licence?
GOV.UK says endorsements stay on your driving record for 4 or 11 years depending on the offence. Most stay for 4 years; drink and drug driving offences stay for 11 years.
Is the time on my licence the same as the time I must declare it?
No. Unlock explains that time on your licence is set by road traffic law, while the time to become spent is set by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. Most endorsements are spent after 5 years.
How much does one conviction add to car insurance?
Confused.com data for March to May 2026 shows an average comprehensive quote of £853 with one conviction, against £707 with none. Your own price depends on the offence, its age and the rest of your details.
What happens if I don't declare points on my licence?
Your policy could be cancelled and invalidated, leaving you to pay claims yourself, says Confused.com. MoneySuperMarket warns that not declaring an unspent conviction also risks committing fraud.
Do I need to tell my insurer about points I get mid-policy?
Finder advises telling your insurer as soon as you know about new points. Check your policy documents for exactly what you must report.
How many points before I lose my licence?
GOV.UK says you can be disqualified with 12 or more points within three years. New drivers lose their licence with 6 or more points within two years of passing their test.
Sources
- GOV.UK – Penalty points: endorsement codes and penalty points
- GOV.UK – Penalty points: how long endorsements stay on a licence
- The National Archives – GOV.UK penalty points print page (15 Jul 2026)
- Unlock – Motoring offences guide (20 Feb 2026)
- Confused.com – Convicted driver car insurance (22 Jun 2026)
- Confused.com – Top motoring convictions (4 Jun 2026)
- Confused.com – Motoring conviction codes (28 May 2025)
- MoneySuperMarket – Car insurance for convicted drivers (5 Oct 2026)
- Admiral – How do penalty points affect your insurance? (3 Sep 2026)
- Finder UK – How driving convictions impact car insurance (2 Apr 2026)
- Financial Ombudsman Service – Misrepresentation and non-disclosure