DD40 Dangerous Driving Conviction: Points, Ban And Years On Your Licence

Yes, you can look for car insurance with a DD40 once your ban ends and you've passed the extended test. Specialist brokers look for insurers that consider dangerous driving, though the choice is narrower and prices are likely to be higher.

DD40 dangerous driving conviction: key facts
  • Points3–11Only if the court exceptionally doesn't ban you; normally it records a ban instead.
  • On your licence4 yearsFrom the date of conviction.
  • Ban1 year+At least 1 year, then a compulsory extended retest.
  • Insurers may see it4 yearsAt any time during the 4-year endorsement.

Sentences can also include a fine, a community order or up to 2 years in prison.

What Is A DD40 Motoring Conviction?

DD40 is the endorsement code for dangerous driving. It means a court found that you drove a vehicle dangerously on a road or other public place.

Nobody has to be hurt for a DD40. The offence is about the standard of the driving and the danger it created. Where someone is seriously injured or killed, the code is DD10 or DD80 instead.

Dangerous driving can be dealt with in a magistrates' court or the Crown Court. The Sentencing Council's dangerous driving guideline sets a range from a community order up to 2 years in prison, with a ban of at least 1 year. The minimum ban rises to 2 years if you've been banned two or more times, for 56 days or more each, in the 3 years before the offence.

The Extended Retest After A Dangerous Driving Conviction

A DD40 ban comes with an extended retest. The law says that when the court bans you for dangerous driving, it must ban you until you pass an extended driving test, so the ban doesn't simply end on a date.

The extended practical test lasts at least 60 minutes and has higher fees. Under the rehabilitation rules, a ban until a test is passed isn't spent until you pass it.

UK driving licence with a DD40 conviction endorsement.DD40

What Counts As A DD40 Dangerous Driving Conviction?

The law sets a two-part test. Your driving counts as dangerous if it falls far below what a competent and careful driver would do, and it would be obvious to that driver that driving that way was dangerous.

Driving a vehicle in a state that a careful driver could see was dangerous also counts. That includes anything attached to it or carried in it, and how it's secured.

Dangerous means a danger of injury to anyone or of serious damage to property. The court looks at what a careful driver would have known in the circumstances, and at anything you're shown to have known yourself.

Dangerous Or Careless Driving Conviction: The Difference

The difference is how far the driving fell short. Careless driving falls below what a competent and careful driver would do. Dangerous driving falls far below it, where the danger would be obvious. The penalties show the same gap.

DD40 dangerous driving
The testDriving falls far below a competent and careful driver, and the danger would be obvious
Points3 to 11
On your licence4 years from conviction
BanAt least 1 year, plus an extended retest
CourtMagistrates' court or Crown Court
Maximum2 years in prison
CD10 careless driving
The testDriving falls below a competent and careful driver
Points3 to 9
On your licence4 years from the offence (from conviction if you're banned)
BanThe court may ban you
CourtMagistrates' court
MaximumA fine (no prison)

Sources: the legal meaning of dangerous driving (checked 1 Oct 2026), the GOV.UK endorsement codes list and the Sentencing Council guidelines for dangerous and careless driving (checked 30 Sep 2026). Court names are for England and Wales. 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.

Other Dangerous Driving Conviction Codes

CodeOffencePointsOn licence
DD10Causing serious injury by dangerous driving3–114 years
DD60Manslaughter or culpable homicide while driving a vehicle3–114 years
DD80Causing death by dangerous driving3–114 years
DD90Furious driving3–94 years

Can You Get Car Insurance After A DD40 Conviction?

Yes, once your ban has ended and you've passed the extended test. Specialist brokers can look for insurers that consider a DD40, but not every insurer will quote, and prices are likely to be higher while the conviction is recent. Our guide to convictions and cover explains which convictions insurers ask about.

Getting Back On The Road After A Dangerous Driving Ban

After a DD40 the ban doesn't end on a date alone, because you also need to pass the extended test. Have cover in place before your first drive after you pass, and give insurers your test pass date alongside your conviction and ban dates.

The wider steps are in our guide to getting insured after any ban.

Do You Have To Tell Your Insurer About A DD40?

Yes, whenever the insurer's questions cover it. Give the DD40 code, conviction date, ban dates and test pass date exactly as your paperwork shows.

What Cover Can You Get With A DD40 Conviction?

A DD40 doesn't rule out comprehensive cover, but fewer insurers may offer it. Some may quote only third party, fire and theft or third party only, or add a higher excess or a black box condition.

Driving a van or riding a motorbike once you're back on the road? The DD40 is on your driving record whatever you drive, so those insurers may ask about it too. See van insurance after a DD40 or motorbike cover with a DD40.

Please note that policy features, benefits, terms and conditions vary among insurance providers, so always check the policy wording.

Cover Tip: Read the conditions before you buy. If a DD40 quote comes with a black box or a higher excess, those terms are part of your cover, so check you can live with them.

Telling Your Insurer About A DD40 Conviction

Honest answers protect your cover. These are the points that matter for a DD40.

  • Answer Each Question Accurately - The Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012 says you must take reasonable care not to give an insurer wrong information. If you're unsure what a question means, find out before you answer.
  • Insurers May Be Able To See It - GOV.UK says insurers may be able to find out about a 4-year endorsement at any time while it lasts. A DD40 stays for 4 years from conviction.
  • Wrong Answers Can Affect Claims - If information is wrong, the Financial Ombudsman says an insurer might charge more, restrict the policy, pay a claim only in part, or treat the policy as if it never existed.
  • When A DD40 Becomes Spent - The endorsement is spent 5 years from conviction (2.5 years if you were under 18), but the ban isn't spent until you pass the extended test. Once it's spent, MoneyHelper says you don't need to declare it, even if you're asked.

How Does A DD40 Conviction Affect Your Insurance Price?

Insurers price a DD40 on the details behind it, so two drivers with the same code may see very different quotes.

Key FactorImpact on your price
How recent it isPrices are likely to be highest soon after the conviction. Insurers may be able to see a DD40 for all 4 years it's on your record.
Your ban and retestA longer ban may point to a more serious case. Having driven little since your extended test may also count against you with some insurers.
Other codes on your licenceOther endorsements alongside a DD40 may narrow the choice of insurers further and push the price up.
The car you driveValue, power and modifications all count. A powerful or modified car may be harder to insure after dangerous driving.
Mileage, use and parkingGive a realistic mileage and the right use, including any business use. Where the car is kept overnight is part of every quote.

The quotes you get will depend on your own details.

Price Insight: A DD40 runs from the date you were convicted in court, not the date of the driving. Use the conviction date whenever a form asks how long ago it was.

Susan Difford working out an insurance quote on a calculator.

How Can You Help Reduce Insurance Costs After A Dangerous Driving Conviction?

1

Ask About A Black Box Policy

Ask whether a black box policy is available. It records how you drive after your DD40, though not every insurer offers one.

2

Choose Your Next Car With Care

Check the insurance group before you buy a car for life after your retest. A lower-group, unmodified car may be easier to insure.

3

Keep The Excess Affordable

Raise the voluntary excess only to a level you could pay if you claimed. Both excesses come off any payout.

4

Pay Upfront If You Can

Monthly instalments may add interest on top of a DD40 premium, so paying annually may cost less overall.

Our Expert On A DD40 Dangerous Driving Conviction

Receiving a DD40 is a serious moment. Between the court case, the ban and the retest, it can feel as if cover is out of reach for good. It isn't, though the choice of insurers is narrower at first.

A common mix-up is circling the end of the ban as the day you're back on the road. With a DD40 the ban lasts until you pass the extended test, which GOV.UK's guide to retaking your test after a ban says takes at least 60 minutes. So the date that matters most for your insurance is your pass date, not the end of the minimum ban.

My rule of thumb: once you've passed the extended test, give every insurer the same conviction date, ban dates and pass date. Matching details mean the quotes line up, and there's nothing to correct later.

- Susan Difford
Insurance Expert & Co-founder of Clean Green Cars
Susan Difford

DD40 Dangerous Driving Conviction Insurance Questions

Do I Have To Resit My Test After A DD40?

Yes. The court must ban you until you pass an extended driving test. GOV.UK says the extended test lasts at least 60 minutes and has higher fees.

Is DD40 The Same As DD10?

No. DD40 is dangerous driving, where nobody needs to be hurt. DD10 is causing serious injury by dangerous driving. Both carry 3 to 11 points and stay for 4 years from conviction.

When Will A DD40 Stop Affecting My Insurance?

There's no single date. Insurers may be able to find out about it throughout the 4 years from conviction. An adult's endorsement is spent after 5 years, but the longest rehabilitation period decides.

Can You Go To Prison For A DD40?

Yes, though not in every case. The Sentencing Council range runs from a community order up to 2 years in prison, depending on how serious the driving was.

Is A DD40 A Criminal Conviction?

Yes. Dangerous driving is a criminal offence, heard in a magistrates' court or the Crown Court.

What Happens After I Submit My Details?

Clean Green Cars introduces you to specialist brokers who consider dangerous driving convictions. They may contact you with quotes based on your details, which you can compare before deciding.

Susan Difford pointing at a question mark.

What To Have Ready Before Comparing Dangerous Driving Conviction Quotes

Have these to hand before you get quotes.

  1. DD40 conviction date and offence date
  2. Ban start date and extended test pass date
  3. Points and any other endorsement codes
  4. The car's registration and where it's kept overnight
  5. Annual mileage and claims history

Sources For DD40 Dangerous Driving Conviction Facts

More About DD40 Dangerous Driving Convictions