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How driving convictions impact car insurance
How do motoring conviction codes affect your car insurance?
If you break the law while driving – such as by speeding or driving dangerously – and you’re caught, the police will issue you with a driving conviction.
You will need to tell your car insurer about the conviction, and it will also need to be listed when you come to apply for a new policy. The conviction will then be taken into account when the insurer decides how much you will pay for your car insurance premium.
Insurers will deem you as a higher risk driver if you have a motoring conviction. This means they will see you as more likely to have an accident or to get another conviction, and the price you pay for insurance will be higher because of this.
The impact on your car insurance will depend on what kind of driving conviction you have been given. If it is for a serious incident, such as drink driving for example, this could push your car insurance price up more than if the conviction is for a less-severe offence, such as a speeding ticket.
The cost of your car insurance depends on a range of different factors, including motoring convictions. These factors include your age, your vehicle, your postcode and your profession. This is why younger drivers typically pay the highest costs for car insurance as they are seen as the most likely to have an accident.
Driving licence points and endorsements
When you receive a driving conviction, or endorsement as it is also known, you will be given a number of penalty points which range from 1 to 11.
The more severe the offence, the more points you will receive. These stay on your driving licence for a number of years, depending on the type of conviction. This can be from 4 to 11 years depending on the offence.
In some cases, the penalty of the conviction could be having your driving licence taken away and you being disqualified from driving.
Past driving convictions
As well as telling your current insurer about any convictions you receive while driving, you also need to tell it about any previous convictions you have received.
Each insurer has its own rules on this but typically will ask for details of any convictions received in the past five years.
If you fail to tell your insurer about this, and then need to make a claim on your policy, you could have you insurance invalidated and the insurer may refuse to pay out.
If this happens an insurer can also make a note of the offence in your records and this will be seen by future insurers, making it really hard to find insurance at an affordable price, if at all.
The most common driving offences
There are lots of different types of driving convictions; here we list the most common with the number of penalty points you could receive for each. For an extensive list of convictions and points see the government website.
Speeding offences
These penalty points remain on your licence for four years from the date of the offence.
| Code | Offence | Number of penalty points |
|---|---|---|
| SP10 | Exceeding goods vehicle speed limits | 3 to 6 |
| SP20 | Exceeding speed limit for type of vehicle (excluding goods or passenger vehicles) | 3 to 6 |
| SP30 | Exceeding statutory speed limit on a public road | 3 to 6 |
| SP40 | Exceeding passenger vehicle speed limit | 3 to 6 |
| SP50 | Exceeding speed limit on a motorway | 3 to 6 |
Careless driving offences
Penalty codes ‘CD10 to CD30’ and ‘CD80 and CD90’ will stay on a driving record for four years from the date of the offence. Codes CD40 to CD70 will remain on a driving record for 11 years.
| Code | Offence | Number of penalty points |
|---|---|---|
| CD10 | Driving without due care and attention | 3 to 9 |
| CD20 | Driving without reasonable consideration for other road users | 3 to 9 |
| CD30 | Driving without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration for other road users | 3 to 9 |
| CD40 | Causing death through careless driving when unfit through drink | 3 to 11 |
| CD50 | Causing death by careless driving when unfit through drugs | 3 to 11 |
| CD60 | Causing death by careless driving with alcohol level above the limit | 3 to 11 |
| CD70 | Causing death by careless driving then failing to supply a specimen for alcohol analysis | 3 to 11 |
| CD80 | Causing death by careless, or inconsiderate, driving | 3 to 11 |
| CD90 | Causing death by driving: unlicensed, disqualified or uninsured drivers | 3 to 11 |
Construction and use offences
These codes must stay on a driving record for four years from the date of the offence.
| Code | Offence | Number of penalty points |
|---|---|---|
| CU10 | Using a vehicle with defective brakes | 3 |
| CU20 | Causing or likely to cause danger by reason of use of unsuitable vehicle or using a vehicle with parts or accessories (excluding brakes, steering or tyres) in a dangerous condition | 3 |
| CU30 | Using a vehicle with defective tyre(s) | 3 |
| CU40 | Using a vehicle with defective steering | 3 |
| CU50 | Causing or likely to cause danger by reason of load or passengers | 3 |
| CU60 | Breach of requirements as to control of the vehicle, such as using a mobile phone | 3 to 6 |
Traffic direction and signs
These codes remain on a driving record for four years from the date of the offence.
| Code | Offence | Number of penalty points |
|---|---|---|
| TS10 | Failing to comply with traffic light signals | 3 |
| TS20 | Failing to comply with double white lines | 3 |
| TS30 | Failing to comply with “stop” sign | 3 |
| TS40 | Failing to comply with direction of a constable/warden | 3 |
| TS50 | Failing to comply with traffic sign (excluding “stop” signs, traffic lights or double white lines) | 3 |
| TS60 | Failing to comply with a school crossing patrol sign | 3 |
| TS70 | Undefined failure to comply with a traffic direction sign | 3 |
Drinking offences
Codes DR10 to DR61 must stay on a driving record for 11 years from the date of the conviction. They are some of the most serious offences listed and can also result in immediate driving bans.
Codes DR40 to DR70 must stay on a driving record for four years from the date of the offence or four years from the date of conviction where a disqualification is imposed.
| Code | Offence | Number of penalty points |
|---|---|---|
| DR10 | Driving or attempting to drive with alcohol level above limit | 3 to 11 |
| DR20 | Driving or attempting to drive while unfit through drink | 3 to 11 |
| DR30 | Driving or attempting to drive then failing to supply a specimen for analysis | 3 to 11 |
| DR31 | Driving or attempting to drive then refusing to give permission for analysis of a blood sample that was taken without consent due to incapacity | 3 to 11 |
| DR61 | Refusing to give permission for analysis of a blood sample that was taken without consent due to incapacity in circumstances other than driving or attempting to drive | 10 |
| DR40 | In charge of a vehicle while alcohol level above limit | 10 |
| DR50 | In charge of a vehicle while unfit through drink | 10 |
| DR60 | Failure to provide a specimen for analysis in circumstances other than driving or attempting to drive | 10 |
| DR70 | Failing to provide specimen for breath test | 4 |
Disqualified driver offences
Codes BA10 and BA30 must stay on a driving record for four years from the date of the offence. Codes BA40 and BA60 must stay on a driving record for four years from the date of the conviction.
| Code | Offence | Number of penalty points |
|---|---|---|
| BA10 | Driving while disqualified by order of court | 6 |
| BA30 | Attempting to drive while disqualified by order of court | 6 |
| BA40 | Causing death by driving while disqualified | 3 to 11 |
| BA60 | Causing serious injury by driving while disqualified | 3 to 11 |
Frequently asked questions
Finder survey: Has your car ever been involved in an accident or broken down?
| Response | 55+ | 45-54 | 35-44 | 25-34 | 16-24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 43.21% | 41.52% | 44.07% | 50.31% | 37.86% |
| No | 34.63% | 41.52% | 31.78% | 27.33% | 33.98% |
| N/A I don't have a car | 22.16% | 16.96% | 24.15% | 22.36% | 28.16% |
Source: Finder survey by Censuswide of 1032 Brits, December 2023
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*Based on data provided by Consumer Intelligence Ltd, www.consumerintelligence.com (Mar ’24). 51% of car insurance customers could save £539.54
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