Do I Have to Tell My Insurer About Penalty Points?

Key things to know

1. You should tell your insurer about any penalty points on your licence, because the details you give form the basis of your quote and your cover.
2. Endorsements stay on your driving record for four or 11 years depending on the offence, counted from the date of the offence or the date of conviction.
3. Twelve or more points within three years makes you liable to a disqualification of at least six months under the totting-up system.
4. If the details you give an insurer change or turn out to be wrong and you do not tell them, it may affect your cover, so declare anything still live.
5. You can check your points free online through the DVLA service using your licence number, National Insurance number and postcode.

Penalty points are the detail drivers are most tempted to gloss over on an insurance form, usually in the hope that nobody checks. Insurers do ask, and the answer feeds directly into both the price and the validity of your cover. This article explains when points must be declared, how long they stay on your record, and what silence can mean if you need to claim.

Do You Have to Tell Your Insurer About Penalty Points?

Yes. The details you give an insurer form the basis of your quote and the cover that follows from it, and if any of those details change or turn out to be wrong and you do not inform the insurer, it may affect your cover. That applies to points you already have when you take out a policy and to points you pick up while the policy runs. Licence status matters too: if your licence is revoked, suspended or you are disqualified from driving, that is something to raise with your insurer straight away rather than waiting for renewal.

What Counts as an Endorsement or a Disqualification?

An endorsement is the formal record of a motoring conviction on your licence: a unique offence code plus penalty points on a scale of one to 11, depending on how serious the offence was. Minor matters are often dealt with by a fixed penalty notice. Endorsable fixed penalties add points to your licence, usually three, alongside a £100 penalty; non-endorsable ones carry a fine, usually £50, with no points. Some penalties are higher: driving without insurance carries £300 and six points, and using a mobile phone behind the wheel carries £200 and six points. A disqualification is more serious. If you build up 12 or more points within three years you are liable to be disqualified under the totting-up system, for a minimum of six months. Courts can also disqualify for a single offence, usually for between a week and a few months, and for serious offences such as dangerous driving or drink-driving they must do so.

When Must You Declare Points, at Quote and at Renewal?

At every point the insurer asks. Quotes include a question about convictions and endorsements, and you should declare any still on your record. When you accept a fixed penalty, the Fixed Penalty Office tells the DVLA about the endorsement so it can be added to your record, and a court conviction is endorsed in a similar way. If you get points mid-term, tell the insurer when asked, or at the latest at renewal, when the conviction question is put again. New drivers face a sharper version of the rules: if you reach six or more points within two years of passing your first test, your licence is revoked, and you must then apply for a provisional licence and retake both tests. A revoked or suspended licence affects your cover, so tell your insurer immediately if it happens.

When Do Endorsements Come Off Your Record?

Endorsements stay on your driving record for either four or 11 years depending on the offence. Most, including speeding and careless driving, run for four years, counted from either the date of the offence or the date of conviction depending on the offence. The most serious, including drink and drug driving and causing death by careless driving, stay for 11 years from the date of conviction. During the endorsement period, insurers and employers may be able to find out that the endorsement exists, so the safe assumption is to declare anything still live. Once the period ends, the endorsement comes off your licence record, and insurer questions focus on convictions that are still showing. One related comfort: paying a fixed penalty discharges liability for the offence and it does not form part of your criminal record, so it will not appear on a DBS check.

What Can Happen to a Claim If You Stay Silent?

The risk is that the missing points change information your cover is based on. If the details you give an insurer are inaccurate, incomplete or change and you do not inform them, it may affect your cover, and that can leave costs you expected the policy to handle falling back on you. There is also the licence itself to think about: without a valid licence your insurance is invalid, which is why a revocation, suspension or disqualification should be raised with your insurer immediately. Points will push the price up at renewal, but there are legitimate ways to reduce the bill, and our guide to lowering your car insurance premium covers them. If a claim has already been refused and you think the decision was wrong, our article on challenging a rejected claim sets out your options, and making a claim step by step explains what to expect during the process.

How Do You Check the Points on Your Licence Record?

Use the free DVLA service for viewing your driving licence information online, available 24 hours a day. You need your driving licence number, your National Insurance number and your postcode, and it shows your penalty points, when your licence expires and which vehicles you are licensed to drive. Checking before you request quotes means your answers are accurate rather than remembered. If a third party, such as an employer, needs to verify your record, generate a temporary check code for them instead of handing over your licence details, because the service is designed for drivers to check their own records only.

Check your policy: What insurers ask about, and how far back they ask, varies between companies. If you are unsure whether something needs declaring, ask the insurer directly and keep a note of the answer.

Before your next quote or renewal, look up your licence record online and declare every endorsement still showing, so the cover you buy is built on information that holds up when it matters.

Questions answered

Do I need to declare points that have fallen off my licence?
No. Endorsements stay on your licence record for four or 11 years depending on the offence, and once that period ends the points come off. Insurers usually ask about convictions still showing on your licence, but if you are unsure, ask the insurer directly.

Do penalty points appear on a DBS check?
No. Paying a fixed penalty discharges liability for the offence and it does not form part of your criminal record, so it is not automatically released on a DBS check.

What should I do if I get points during my policy year?
Tell your insurer rather than waiting for renewal. If your licence is revoked, suspended or you are disqualified, raise it straight away because it can affect your cover.

Can new drivers lose their licence through points?
Yes. Reaching six or more points within two years of passing your first test revokes the licence, and you must then apply for a provisional licence and retake both tests.