SP20 Conviction: Points, Ban And Years On Your Licence
Yes, you can still get car insurance with an SP20. Insurers set their own rules on speeding points, so prices and choice may vary, and specialist brokers can search for insurers that consider speeding convictions.
- Points3–63 with a fixed penalty, or 3 to 6 from a court.
- On your licence4 yearsFrom the offence date, or from conviction if you're banned.
- BanPossibleA court can ban you instead of giving points.
- Insurers may see it4 yearsAny time while it's on your record.
A fixed penalty is £100 and 3 points, unless the police offer a speed awareness course instead. In court, the fine can be up to £1,000, or £2,500 on a motorway.
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What Is An SP20 Motoring Conviction?
SP20 is the endorsement code for exceeding the speed limit for your type of vehicle, other than goods or passenger vehicles. GOV.UK's endorsement code list gives it 3 to 6 penalty points, and it stays on your driving record for 4 years from the date of the offence, or from conviction if the court bans you.
Some vehicles have lower limits than an ordinary car on the same road. The law sets maximum speeds for particular classes of vehicle, and GOV.UK lists lower limits for a car towing a caravan or trailer and for heavier motorhomes. Goods vehicles have their own code, SP10, and so do passenger vehicles such as buses and coaches, SP40.
SP20 Penalties: Fixed Penalty, Course Or Court
An SP20 can be dealt with by a fixed penalty, a speed awareness course or a court. GOV.UK's guide to speeding penalties says that if you get a fixed penalty notice and plead guilty, you pay a £100 fine and get 3 points, unless you're given the option of a speed awareness course instead. The police decide whether a course is appropriate, and you can't have been on one in the past 3 years. If you plead not guilty, or the police send the case to court, a court can fine you more, give you more points or ban you.
In court, the Sentencing Council speeding guideline lists towing a caravan or trailer as something that can make a speeding offence more serious.
SP20 Points And New Drivers
GOV.UK's guide to penalty points for new drivers says your licence is cancelled if you get 6 or more points within 2 years of passing your test, and you'd need a new provisional licence and to pass both tests again. Points from an SP20 count towards a ban under totting up for the first 3 of the 4 years: the Sentencing Council says reaching 12 or more points means the court must normally ban you for at least 6 months, or longer if you had an earlier ban of 56 days or more in the 3 years before the offence.
SP20Speed Limits When Towing And For Motorhomes
These are the national limits GOV.UK lists, in miles per hour, unless signs show a different limit. In built-up areas with street lights, the limit for all of these is 30 mph, or 20 mph in Wales. Motorhome weights are maximum unladen weights.
| Vehicle | Single carriageway | Dual carriageway | Motorway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars, motorcycles and car-derived vans | 60 | 70 | 70 |
| Cars and car-derived vans towing caravans or trailers | 50 | 60 | 60 |
| Motorhomes up to 3.05 tonnes | 60 | 70 | 70 |
| Motorhomes over 3.05 tonnes | 50 | 60 | 70 |
Towing On A Motorway
The limit for a car towing a caravan or trailer is 60 mph on a motorway. The Highway Code also says you mustn't use the right-hand lane of a motorway with three or more lanes while towing a trailer, except in prescribed circumstances.
When A Motorhome Counts As A Goods Vehicle
GOV.UK says a motorhome is classed as a goods vehicle if it carries goods for exhibition and sale, or is used as a workshop or for storage. Goods vehicle limits then apply.
Sources: GOV.UK speed limits and the Highway Code motorway rules, checked 15 October 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 An SP20 Conviction?
Yes. Specialist brokers can look for insurers that consider an SP20, though prices may be higher while it's recent. Each insurer sets its own rules, but most ask about convictions from the last 5 years, and our guide to car insurance with a recent conviction covers the general rules.
Getting Back On The Road After An SP20 Ban
An SP20 doesn't always mean a ban, but a court can disqualify you. If it does, don't drive until the ban has ended. You can compare quotes before then: MIB says to buy your insurance ahead of the date you need the cover to start. GOV.UK says that if you're banned for 56 days or more, you must apply for a new licence before driving again, and the court will tell you if you also have to retake your test. For a shorter ban, you don't need a new licence, but you can't drive until it has ended.
Do You Have To Tell Your Insurer About An SP20?
Yes, whenever the insurer's questions cover it, until it's spent. That can include an SP20 from a fixed penalty, if the question asks about endorsements, points or fixed penalties, and it can be after the points stop counting and after it leaves your record. Give the code, dates and points exactly as your paperwork or licence record shows. If you get it during a policy, MoneyHelper says you don't have to declare it until you renew, unless your policy says you must.
What Cover Can You Get With An SP20 Conviction?
Comprehensive cover may still be available after an SP20. Some insurers may offer only third party, fire and theft or third party cover, or ask for a higher excess or a black box.
Driving a van or riding a motorbike with an SP20? It's on your driving record whatever you drive, so those insurers may ask about it too. See van insurance with an SP20 or motorbike insurance with an SP20.
Please note that policy features, benefits, terms and conditions vary among insurance providers, so always check the policy wording.
Cover Tip: Tell the insurer if you tow a caravan or trailer, and check what the policy says about towing. MIB says wrong or out-of-date details can leave you uninsured without realising.
Telling Your Insurer About An SP20 Conviction
Insurers may be able to find out about an SP20 for the whole time it's on your record, and you'll need to answer their questions accurately until it's spent, which for an adult is later. It helps to know how long you have to declare points.
- 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. An SP20's points only count towards a ban for the first 3 years, but most insurers' questions go back 5 years, and points that have stopped counting still need declaring if the insurer's question covers them.
- 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 as if it never existed, which means any ongoing claim will be declined.
- When An SP20 Is Spent - For an adult in England and Wales, the endorsement is spent 5 years from conviction (2.5 years if you were under 18), and government guidance says one from a fixed penalty also becomes spent after 5 years. A ban that runs past that keeps it unspent until the ban ends. Once it's spent, MoneyHelper says you don't need to declare it, even if you're asked.
How Does An SP20 Conviction Affect Your Insurance Price?
There's no single price for car insurance after an SP20. MoneyHelper says cover might be more expensive with an unspent conviction. These are the things that can shape a quote.
| Key Factor | Impact on your price |
|---|---|
| Your points | An SP20 can carry 3 to 6 points. A fixed penalty gives 3, and more points from a court may suggest a more serious case and a higher price. |
| Whether you were banned | A ban alongside an SP20 may suggest a more serious case to an insurer and may narrow the choice of cover. |
| Other points and codes | An SP20 on top of other endorsements may raise the price further. 12 or more points within 3 years normally means a ban. |
| The car you choose | Its value, power and any modifications all count. MIB says unmodified cars are generally cheaper to insure. |
| Mileage, use and parking | Give a realistic mileage, the right type of use and where the car is kept. MIB says wrong or out-of-date details can leave you uninsured without realising. |
The quotes you get will depend on your own details.
Price Insight: Use the exact points and dates from your paperwork or record for every SP20 quote. The same code can carry 3 or 6 points, so a guess can leave you with quotes you can't compare. GOV.UK's view your driving licence service shows your points while they're on your record.
How Can You Help Reduce Insurance Costs After An SP20 Conviction?
While it's unspent, an SP20 stays in a quote when insurers ask about it, but the details around it are yours to change.
Ask About A Black Box Policy
Ask whether a black box policy is offered with an SP20. MIB says telematics policies can reward safe driving with lower premiums over time.
Check The Insurance Group First
Check the group before you buy a car. MIB says lower-group cars are typically smaller, cheaper to repair and more affordable to insure.
Keep The Excess Affordable
Raise the voluntary excess only to a level you could pay if you claimed. MIB says a higher excess can reduce the premium.
Quote Before You Need Cover
MIB says quotes are likely to be lowest 20 to 26 days before your renewal is due, and starting early leaves time to compare.
Our Expert On An SP20 Conviction
An SP20 can catch out careful drivers, because the limit depends on what you're driving or towing, not just the road. A speed that's fine in a car on its own can be over the limit with a caravan behind it.
A common mix-up is thinking you only declare an SP20 while it's on your licence. GOV.UK's guide to how long endorsements last says it stays on your record for 4 years from the offence, but for an adult the endorsement isn't spent until 5 years, and most insurers ask about the last 5.
My rule of thumb: when the SP20 arrives, note the date it leaves your record and the date it's spent, and check each renewal against the later one.
Insurance Expert & Co-founder of Clean Green Cars
SP20 Conviction Insurance Questions
What's The Difference Between SP20 And SP30?
SP20 is for going over a limit set for your type of vehicle, such as the lower limits for a car towing a caravan. SP30 is exceeding the statutory speed limit on a public road. Both carry 3 to 6 points and stay on your record for 4 years from the offence, or from conviction if you're banned.
What Is The Speed Limit When Towing A Caravan?
For a car towing a caravan or trailer, GOV.UK lists 50 mph on single carriageways and 60 mph on dual carriageways and motorways. In built-up areas it's 30 mph, or 20 mph in Wales, unless signs show otherwise.
Do I Still Declare An SP20 After It Leaves My Record?
Yes, if your insurer's questions cover it and it isn't spent yet. An SP20 leaves your record after 4 years, but for an adult the endorsement isn't spent until 5 years, and most insurers ask about the last 5 years. Once it's spent, MoneyHelper says you don't need to declare it, even if you're asked.
Does A Speed Awareness Course Affect Car Insurance?
A course doesn't put an endorsement on your record. If you take one instead of the fixed penalty, you don't get the £100 fine or the 3 points, so there's no SP20. UKROEd, the not-for-profit company that manages the national scheme the courses belong to, says a course is offered by the police as an alternative to prosecution and isn't a conviction. It also says course details aren't shared with insurers. If an insurer's question asks about courses, answer it truthfully.
Can An SP20 Affect A New Driver's Licence?
Yes. If you passed your test in the last 2 years, 6 or more points cancels your licence, and the Highway Code says this applies even if you pay by fixed penalty. An SP20 carries 3 to 6 points, so two fixed penalties would be enough, and so would one SP20 of 6 points from a court. You'd need to pass the theory and practical tests again.
What Happens After I Submit My Details?
Clean Green Cars introduces you to specialist brokers who consider SP20 convictions. They contact you with quotes based on your details, and you're under no obligation to accept any quote.
What To Have Ready Before Comparing Quotes With An SP20 Conviction
Have these to hand before you get quotes.
- Your SP20 offence date and conviction date
- Your exact SP20 points, or any ban dates
- Any other points on your record and their dates
- Whether you tow a caravan or trailer
- The car's registration, mileage and where it's kept overnight
Compare SP20 Exceeding Vehicle Speed Limit Car Insurance Quotes
Sources For SP20 Conviction Facts
- GOV.UK: endorsement codes and penalty points - SP20 points and years on your record (checked 15 Oct 2026).
- GOV.UK: how long endorsements stay on your record - when the 4 years start, the 3-year valid period and when insurers may see it (checked 15 Oct 2026).
- GOV.UK: speeding penalties - the fixed penalty, speed awareness courses and court fines (checked 15 Oct 2026).
- GOV.UK: speed limits - limits for towing and motorhomes (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).
- MoneyHelper: insurance if you have a criminal conviction - why cover may cost more, spent convictions and convictions you get during a policy (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).
