CD10 Careless Driving Conviction: Points, Ban And Years On Your Licence
Yes, you can look for car insurance with a CD10, through specialist brokers who search for insurers that consider careless driving. Prices may be higher while it's recent, and not every insurer will quote.
- Points3–9Penalty points, unless the court bans you instead.
- On your licence4 yearsFrom the offence date, or from conviction if you're banned.
- BanPossibleNot automatic: the court must endorse and may disqualify.
- Insurers may see it4 yearsInsurers may be able to find out about it any time in those 4 years.
A court can also give an unlimited fine. In England and Wales, careless driving is only tried in the magistrates' court.
Loading...
What Is A CD10 Motoring Conviction?
CD10 is the endorsement code for driving without due care and attention, the offence most people call careless driving. It goes on your driving record with 3 to 9 penalty points, and GOV.UK's endorsement code list keeps it there for 4 years from the date of the offence.
In law, careless and inconsiderate driving are one offence, recorded under three codes. CD10 is driving without due care and attention. CD20 is driving without reasonable consideration for other road users, and CD30 is either of the two. All three carry 3 to 9 points and stay on your record for 4 years.
If the court bans you as well, the 4 years run from the date of conviction instead of the offence date. That changes when the CD10 comes off your record, so check both dates on your paperwork.
New Drivers With A Careless Driving Conviction
A CD10 can cost a new driver their licence. GOV.UK says your licence is cancelled if you get 6 or more points within 2 years of passing your test, so a single CD10 of 6 points or more is enough on its own. You'd then need a new provisional licence and to pass both the theory and practical tests again.
For every driver, a CD10 counts towards totting up: 12 or more points within 3 years normally means a ban of at least 6 months.
CD10What Counts As A CD10 Careless Driving Conviction?
A CD10 is about the standard of your driving on the day, not a fixed list of actions. The offence is driving without due care and attention. Less serious cases can be dealt with without a court hearing, while the most serious go to the magistrates' court.
| Route | What it can mean |
|---|---|
| Fixed penalty notice | GOV.UK lists careless or inconsiderate driving among the offences that can get a fixed penalty notice. The law sets that fixed penalty at £100, with 3 points on your licence. |
| Educational course | GOV.UK says the police can also decide to offer driver training. |
| Court | The court must endorse your licence and may ban you. Without a ban it gives 3 to 9 points, and it can give an unlimited fine. |
Sources: GOV.UK minor motoring offences, the Fixed Penalty Order 2000, the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 and the Sentencing Council careless driving guideline (in force from 1 July 2025), checked 30 September 2026. Endorsement codes and processes in Northern Ireland are different.
This information is based on our understanding of current law and insurance practice at the time of writing. Rules, penalties and rehabilitation periods can change and may apply differently depending on individual circumstances.
Can You Get Car Insurance After A CD10 Conviction?
Yes. Specialist brokers can look for insurers that consider a CD10. Prices are likely to be higher while the conviction is recent, and a CD10 at the top of the points range may narrow the choice. Each insurer sets its own rules on which convictions it asks about, and our convictions guide covers the general rules.
Getting Back On The Road After A Careless Driving Ban
A CD10 doesn't always mean a ban, but the court can disqualify you. If it does, don't drive until the ban has ended, and have cover in place before your first drive. If you were banned for 56 days or more, you must apply for a new licence before driving again. The next steps are in getting insured after any ban.
Do You Have To Tell Your Insurer About A CD10?
Yes, whenever the insurer's questions cover it, until it's spent. That can include a CD10 from a fixed penalty, if the question asks about endorsements, points or fixed penalties. Give the code, offence date, conviction date and points exactly as your paperwork shows. The section on telling your insurer below explains what's at stake.
What Cover Can You Get With A CD10 Conviction?
Comprehensive cover may still be available through specialist brokers after a CD10. Some insurers may offer only third party, fire and theft or third party cover, or ask for a higher excess or a black box. MoneyHelper notes that the accidental damage excess can cost more if you have driving convictions.
Driving a van or riding a motorbike with a CD10? It's on your driving record whatever you drive, so those insurers may ask about it too. See van insurance with a CD10 or motorbike insurance with a CD10.
Please note that policy features, benefits, terms and conditions vary among insurance providers, so always check the policy wording.
Cover Tip: If your CD10 followed an accident, declare the accident as well as the conviction, even if you didn't claim. MoneyHelper says an undeclared accident can mean a future claim is reduced or rejected.
Telling Your Insurer About A CD10 Conviction
Insurers may be able to find out about a CD10 for the whole time it's on your record, so answer their conviction questions accurately.
- Answer The Conviction Questions Accurately - Under the Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012, what an insurer can do about a wrong answer depends on whether it was careless, or deliberate or reckless. MoneyHelper says an insurer can reject a claim if it has reason to believe you didn't take reasonable care to answer its questions truthfully and accurately.
- Insurers May Be Able To See It For 4 Years - GOV.UK says insurers may be able to find out about an endorsement any time during a 4-year endorsement. That's the whole time a CD10 stays on your record. Most insurers' questions go back further, to the last 5 years.
- What Can Happen If Details Are Wrong - The Financial Ombudsman says an insurer might charge more, restrict the policy, settle a claim only in part, or cancel the policy from the start, so an ongoing claim is declined.
- When A CD10 Is Spent - In England and Wales, the endorsement is spent 5 years from conviction (2.5 years if you were under 18). Once it's spent, MoneyHelper says you don't need to declare it, even if you're asked.
How Does A Careless Driving Conviction Affect Your Insurance Price?
Insurers look at the detail behind a CD10, not just the code. These parts of a careless driving conviction may move your quote.
| Key Factor | Impact on your price |
|---|---|
| Your points | A CD10 can carry anything from 3 to 9 points. More points may suggest a more serious case and a higher price. |
| How recent it is | Prices may be higher while the CD10 is recent. It leaves your record 4 years from the offence, or from conviction if you were banned. |
| Whether you were banned | A ban alongside a CD10 may suggest a more serious case to an insurer and may narrow the choice of cover. |
| Other points and codes | A CD10 on top of other endorsements may raise the price further. 12 or more points within 3 years normally means a ban. |
| Any accident behind it | If your CD10 followed an accident, any claim from it may count towards your price as well as the conviction. |
The quotes you get will depend on your own details.
Price Insight: Use the exact points from your record for every CD10 quote. A CD10 can carry anything from 3 to 9, so a guess can leave you with quotes you can't compare.
How Can You Help Reduce Insurance Costs After A CD10 Conviction?
Ask About Telematics Cover
Ask whether a black box policy is available with your CD10. The ABI says most insurers look at miles driven, time of day, and speed and braking patterns.
Protect Your Licence From Here
Stay clear of further points while the CD10 is on your record. It may already carry up to 9, and 12 or more within 3 years normally means a ban.
Keep The Excess Affordable
Raise the voluntary excess only to a level you could pay if you claimed. MoneyHelper says it can lower the premium, but you get less back on a claim.
Check The Insurance Group First
Check the insurance group before you change car while your CD10 is live. A lower-group, unmodified car may be easier to insure.
Our Expert On A CD10 Careless Driving Conviction
A CD10 can feel out of proportion when it came from a moment's lapse rather than a habit. It's still a serious mark, but it's one of the shorter-lived ones: GOV.UK keeps it on your record for 4 years, not 11.
A common mix-up is thinking a CD10 is finished with for every purpose once it leaves your record. The record clock runs 4 years from the offence, but in England and Wales the endorsement isn't spent until 5 years from the date of conviction. Those are two different dates, and they rarely line up.
My rule of thumb: the day you get your paperwork, put both dates in your calendar, the day the CD10 leaves your record and the day it's spent. Then check each renewal against them, rather than going from memory.
Insurance Expert & Co-founder of Clean Green Cars
CD10 Careless Driving Conviction Insurance Questions
How Many Points Do You Get For Careless Driving?
Between 3 and 9. The court must endorse your licence and picks the points within that range, unless it bans you instead. CD20 and CD30 carry the same 3 to 9.
Does A Careless Driving Fixed Penalty Affect Insurance?
It can. A fixed penalty still puts a careless driving endorsement and points on your record, and government guidance treats that endorsement as a sentence. Insurers may be able to find out about it for 4 years, and government guidance says it may become spent after 5. Insurers' questions vary: some ask about fixed penalties as well as convictions, so check what each question covers.
Can You Take A Course Instead Of Points For Careless Driving?
Sometimes. GOV.UK said in 2013 that the police would be able to offer educational training as an alternative to endorsement for careless driving. Whether it's offered is up to the police.
Does Careless Driving Stay On Your Record Forever?
No. A CD10 stays on your driving record for 4 years from the offence, or from conviction if you were banned. In England and Wales the endorsement is spent 5 years from conviction.
Is Careless Driving The Same As Dangerous Driving?
No. Careless driving (CD10) carries 3 to 9 points and a possible ban. Dangerous driving (DD40) is a separate, more serious offence with an obligatory ban.
What Happens After I Submit My Details?
Clean Green Cars introduces you to specialist brokers who consider careless driving convictions. They look at your CD10 details and may contact you with quotes. There's no obligation to buy.
What To Have Ready Before Comparing CD10 Quotes
Have these to hand so every CD10 quote uses the same details.
- CD10 offence and conviction dates Both are on your paperwork.
- Your exact CD10 points Anything from 3 to 9.
- Any ban start and end dates Only if the court banned you.
- Other codes, accidents and claims Including any accident behind the CD10.
- The car, its mileage and parking Registration, annual mileage and where it's kept overnight.
Compare CD10 Careless Driving Insurance Quotes
Sources For CD10 Careless Driving Conviction Facts
- GOV.UK: endorsement codes and penalty points - CD10 to CD90, with points and years on your record (checked 30 Sep 2026).
- GOV.UK: how long endorsements stay on your record - the 4-year rule and when insurers may be able to find out (checked 30 Sep 2026).
- Sentencing Council: careless driving guideline - the fine, points and possible ban in court (checked 30 Sep 2026).
- GOV.UK: minor motoring offences - fixed penalty notices for careless or inconsiderate driving (checked 30 Sep 2026).
- MoneyHelper: insurance if you have a criminal conviction - spent convictions (checked 15 Oct 2026).
- MoneyHelper: if your insurance claim is rejected - when an insurer can reject a claim over an answer given without reasonable care (checked 15 Oct 2026).
- MoneyHelper: car insurance - what you need to know - declaring accidents and voluntary excess (checked 15 Oct 2026).
- MoneyHelper: what a good car insurance policy looks like - the accidental damage excess (checked 15 Oct 2026).
- GOV.UK: rehabilitation periods - when endorsements and bans are spent (checked 15 Oct 2026).
- Financial Ombudsman: misrepresentation - what an insurer can do if an answer is wrong (checked 15 Oct 2026).
