Been convicted of a driving conviction? Want to check your penalty points or share your driving record with someone else, such as a convicted driver insurance provider? You might be wondering - how do I check my motoring offences?
Here’s the lowdown of where to find all the information you need.
GOV.UK says "The paper counterpart to the photocard driving licence was abolished on 8 June 2015", so your driving record is now checked online. In England, Scotland and Wales, the View or share your driving licence information service lets you:
- View your driving record, for example what vehicles you can drive
- Check your penalty points or disqualifications
- Create a licence ‘check code’ to share your driving record with a third party, for example an insurance provider or car hire company.
What Counts As A Driving Conviction For Insurance?
On an insurance form, "conviction" can cover a court conviction, an endorsement code, penalty points or a driving ban, so read each question carefully. GOV.UK says: "Each endorsement has a special code and is given ‘penalty points’ on a scale from 1 to 11." A few common codes:
| Code | What it covers | Points | Stays on your record |
|---|---|---|---|
| SP30 | Exceeding statutory speed limit on a public road | 3 to 6 | 4 years from the offence date |
| MS90 | Failure to give information as to identity of driver | 6 | 4 years from the offence date |
| DR10 | Driving or attempting to drive with alcohol level above limit | 3 to 11 | 11 years from the conviction date |
| TT99 | Shows a ban under ‘totting-up’ (12 or more points within 3 years) | None | 4 years from the conviction date |
Don't go only on whether points still count for totting up. GOV.UK says an endorsement is ‘valid’ for the first 3 years of a 4-year endorsement and the first 10 years of an 11-year one. But it also says insurers "may be able to find out that you have the endorsement: any time during a 4-year endorsement" and "during the first 5 years of an 11-year endorsement".
If a form asks about claims and convictions, answer each one on its own.
How Can Insurance Companies Check My Record?
Don't assume an insurer can't see it. As GOV.UK says above, insurers may be able to find out about an endorsement for some or all of the time it stays on your driving record.
If an insurer, or anyone else, asks to see your record, you can create a check code with the View or share your driving licence information service. GOV.UK says: "The check code will be valid for 21 days."
Why Should I Disclose My Conviction?
Because the law expects you to answer an insurer's questions carefully. The Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012 says: "It is the duty of the consumer to take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation to the insurer."
MoneyHelper says "You only have to disclose convictions if you’re asked." But if you are asked and hold one back, it warns: "If you deliberately don’t disclose your convictions when asked by the insurance company, your insurance could be invalid. This means it won’t pay out when you make a claim on it. If you’ve already made a claim, the insurance company can ask for the money back."
Spent convictions are different. MoneyHelper says: "If your conviction is spent, you don’t need to declare it when you apply for insurance, even if you’re asked." In England and Wales, GOV.UK's rehabilitation periods show an adult's driving endorsement is spent "5 years from the date of conviction" (2 years 6 months if you were under 18), and a ban is spent when "the period of the disqualification has passed". If you got more than one, government guidance says "the longest rehabilitation period determines when the conviction may become spent".
To check whether yours is spent, MoneyHelper points to Unlock's disclosure calculator.
Car Insurance If You Have A Driving Conviction
Cover can be harder to find while a conviction is unspent. MoneyHelper says: "Mainstream insurers typically refuse to cover those with unspent convictions." To compare quotes from providers that cover convicted drivers, use the form below.
