How Long Do Points Stay on Your Driving Licence?

How long do penalty points stay on my driving licence?

The retention period depends on the type of offence. For most common motoring offences, points remain on your licence for 4 years from the date of the offence. For more serious offences, points are retained for 11 years.

Note: Points remain visible on your licence and to insurance companies for the full retention period shown above, even once they no longer count towards a totting up ban.

When do penalty points count towards a driving ban?

Points count towards a totting up disqualification for 3 years from the date of the offence. If you accumulate 12 or more points within any 3-year period, a magistrates' court will normally impose a driving ban of at least 6 months. A second disqualification within 3 years carries a minimum ban of 12 months. A third or subsequent disqualification within 3 years carries a minimum of 2 years.

Once the 3-year totting up period has expired, those points no longer count towards the 12-point threshold. However, they continue to appear on your licence for the full 4-year retention period and remain visible to insurers throughout.

A driver facing a totting up ban may put forward an 'exceptional hardship' argument - for example, that losing their licence would result in the loss of employment that others financially depend upon. Courts consider these arguments case by case and are not obliged to accept them. See our penalty points and driving bans guide for a full explanation of the totting up process.

What happens to a new driver's licence if they get 6 or more penalty points?

Under the Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act 1995, any driver who passed their test within the past 2 years and accumulates 6 or more penalty points will have their licence revoked automatically. This applies to both car and motorcycle licences. The revocation is not a court-imposed disqualification - it happens by operation of law as soon as the 6-point threshold is reached.

Following revocation, the driver must re-apply for a provisional licence and pass both the theory test and the practical driving test again from scratch before they are permitted to drive. The requirement to retake both tests applies even if the points accumulated from minor offences over a period of time rather than from a single serious incident.

Note that the new driver threshold is 6 points, not the 12 points that applies to fully licensed drivers. This lower threshold reflects the higher risk associated with newly qualified drivers on UK roads.

How do penalty points affect my car insurance?

You are legally required to declare all penalty points to your motor insurer at renewal and when taking out a new policy. Points signal an increased risk to the insurer and your premium will typically rise as a result. The size of the increase depends on a number of factors including the insurer's underwriting policy, the number and type of points, your age, the vehicle you drive, and your overall claims history.

Some insurers will refuse to cover drivers with certain convictions or combinations of points. Failing to declare penalty points or convictions when applying for or renewing motor insurance may invalidate your policy entirely. If your insurer later discovers undisclosed points, they may cancel your policy or refuse to pay out on a claim. You can check your current driving licence record and points total on the government's online licence information service. For more on how convictions affect cover, see our speeding and insurance guide.