Penalty points (endorsements)
How long endorsements stay on your driving record
Endorsements stay on your driving record for 4 or 11 years depending on the offence. This can start from either the date you’re convicted or the date of your offence.
The endorsement is ‘valid’ for the first:
- 3 years, for a 4-year endorsement
- 10 years, for an 11-year endorsement
A court can take your endorsement into account if both:
- you commit another offence while it’s valid
- the endorsement is still on your driving record when the court considers your case
Other people, like insurers and employers, may be able to find out that you have the endorsement:
- any time during a 4-year endorsement
- during the first 5 years of an 11-year endorsement, or the first 30 months if you’re under 18
4 years from date of conviction
An endorsement will stay on a driving record for 4 years from the date of conviction if the offence:
- is for reckless/dangerous driving - shown on the driving record as DD40, DD60 and DD80
- results in disqualification
Example
Date of conviction 28 May 2011 - the endorsement must stay on the driving record until 28 May 2015.
4 years from the date of offence
In all other cases endorsements stay on your driving record for 4 years from the date of offence.
Example
Date of offence 10 June 2012 - the endorsement must stay on the driving record until 10 June 2016.
11 years from date of conviction
If the offence is:
- drink driving or drug driving - shown on the driving record as DR10, DR20, DR30, DR31, DR61 and DR80
- causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs – shown on the driving record as CD40, CD50 and CD60
- causing death by careless driving, then failing to provide a specimen for analysis – shown on the driving record as CD70
Example
Date of conviction 3 December 2009 - the endorsement must stay on the driving record until 3 December 2020.