Speeding and Penalty Points

The court has the power to fine you and add penalty points to your driving licence if you have been caught speeding.

Endorsements (Penalty points) will remain on your driving record for up to 11 years depending on the offence.

You can also be disqualified from driving if you have built up more than 12 points in 3 years. If you’re a new driver you will be subjected to different rules.

Endorsements and Penalty Points

Every endorsement has a particular code. Each code is given its own ‘Penalty points’. The more serious your offence is the more points you will receive.
Penalty points and endorsement codes will remain on your driving record for up to 11 years depending on the offence.

Endorsements and your Driving Record

Endorsements will be added to your driving licence either on the date you are convicted or the date of the offence.
The endorsement will stay on your licence and be valid for 3 years if it’s a 4 year endorsement.

If you have an 11 year endorsement it will be valid for 10 years. If you commit a speeding offence or any other offence while you’re endorsement is valid the court will take it into account.

They will also take it into account if the endorsement is still valid and the court is considering your case.

Your car insurance company and your employers could find out about your endorsement. They could find out about it at any time during your 4 year endorsement.

If you have an 11 year endorsement they could find out about it in the first 5 years. If you are under 18 years of age and you have a 4 year endorsement they may find out about it in the first 30 months.

4 Years from the Date of your Conviction

Any endorsements that you receive for exceeding speed limits will remain on your record for 4 years. This is from the date of your conviction if you were caught driving dangerously.

Please note, you will have to pay up to 175% of your weekly income. This is regardless of how many endorsements you receive.

The maximum fine for endorsements is £1,000. Endorsements will also remain on your record for this length of time if your driving resulted in disqualification.

Regardless of why you were given points on your licence, they will stay on your record for 4 years.

11 Years from the Date of your Conviction

Endorsements that last 11 years will be given if you were caught drink or drug driving. This includes driving or attempting to get behind the wheel when you were above the alcohol limit or while you were unfit through drink.

You could also be given endorsements that last 11 years if you were driving or attempting to drive and refused to give a specimen. This is also the case if you were refusing to give the police permission to get a specimen that was taken without your consent.

You may have been incapacitated for other reasons that do not include drug or drink driving. If you were to cause death by driving carelessly or while you were under the influence of drugs or drink you could also face endorsements that last 11 years.

Endorsements can also cover driving a vehicle that has brakes that do not work properly.

New drivers

If you are a new driver you may find that you’re likely to receive a ban. This is the case if you get more than 6 points in your first 2 years of passing your driving test.

Driving bans are different from cancelled licences. If you have a cancelled licence because you continued to travel 50mph in a 30mph zone, you may have to take your test again.

If you accrue more than 12 points within 3 years on your driving licence you could be disqualified for up to 56 days.

Points on your Provisional Driving Licence

If you were given penalty points on your provisional driving licence you should be careful. A speeding ticket followed by a notice of intended prosecution will carry over to your full licence.

However, this only occurs if the points have not yet expired. If you receive more penalty points because you were caught by a speed camera you could get more than 6 points.

In this case, you may find that you’re likely to receive a ban.

When your Licence is Cancelled

If your driving licence is cancelled within the first 2 years you will have to apply for a new licence. You will also have to take the practical and the theory tests again.

This is the punishment for getting more than 1 speeding fine in the first 2 years.

If you don’t Have your Full Licence

If you do not have your full licence you cannot get away with taking a speed awareness course as some drivers do. You will have to take your driving test again, however, you can still use your current provisional licence.

Handing over your Driving Licence

If you have received a NIP and a section 172 notice you’ll be given 28 days to respond. You must do this as soon as possible.

If you cannot attend a speed awareness course and you’re told to hand over your driving licence, again, you must do so. You will need to give it to the police or hand it over when you get to court.

If you no longer live at the same address or your driving licence is damaged the court will get it updated. You should receive your licence within 3 weeks.

Removing Expired Endorsements

Once your endorsements have expired they will be removed automatically. If you have received incorrect endorsements you will need to contact the court that convicted you.