SP50 Conviction: Points, Ban And Years On Your Licence
Yes, you can look for car insurance with an SP50, through specialist brokers who search for insurers that consider speeding convictions. MoneyHelper says an unspent conviction will probably mean a specialist or non-standard policy.
- Points3–63 with a fixed penalty. A court gives 3 to 6, or a ban instead.
- On your licence4 yearsFrom the offence date, or from conviction if you're banned for it.
- BanPossibleA court can ban you, and 12 points in 3 years normally means a ban.
- Insurers may see it4 yearsAt any time during the 4-year endorsement.
A fixed penalty is a £100 fine and 3 points. In court, the fine is based on your income, up to £2,500 for speeding on a motorway.
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What Is An SP50 Motoring Conviction?
SP50 is the endorsement code GOV.UK lists for exceeding the speed limit on a motorway. The national limit on a motorway is 70mph for cars and motorbikes, but GOV.UK's speed limit table sets 60mph for a car towing a caravan or trailer, for buses and coaches over 12 metres long, and for goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes. Some stretches of motorway also have variable limits, and then the limit shown on the sign applies.
SP50 Conviction Penalties: Points, Fine And A Possible Ban
With a fixed penalty, GOV.UK says you pay a £100 fine and get 3 points, unless you're offered a speed awareness course. If it goes to court, the fine is usually based on your income, and the maximum is higher on a motorway: £2,500 rather than £1,000.
For a 70mph limit, the Sentencing Council speeding guideline starts at 3 points for 71 to 90mph. At 91 to 100mph it's a ban of 7 to 28 days or 4 to 6 points, and at 101mph and above it's a ban of 7 to 56 days or 6 points. Driving grossly over the limit can mean a longer ban.
Those points matter more if you passed your test recently. GOV.UK says your licence is cancelled if you get 6 or more points within 2 years of passing your test, and you'd need to pass both parts of the test again. Points on a provisional licence that haven't expired carry over when you pass.
SP50When Does An SP50 Become Spent?
An SP50 leaves your driving record 4 years after the offence, or 4 years after conviction if you're banned for it, but that isn't the date it's spent. For an adult in England and Wales, a driving endorsement is spent 5 years from conviction (2 years 6 months if you were under 18). When there's more than one penalty, the longest rehabilitation period decides when the conviction is spent.
A Fixed Penalty Or A Court Fine
Rehabilitation guidance treats an endorsement from a fixed penalty as a conviction, and it's spent 5 years from the date the penalty was given. A fine on its own would be spent after 12 months, but the endorsement's 5 years is longer, so it decides.
A Ban
A ban is spent when it ends. For an adult, a ban of less than 5 years means the conviction is spent 5 years after you got it, and a longer ban is spent on the date it ends. The Sentencing Council guideline's speeding bans run from 7 to 56 days, though driving grossly over the limit can mean a longer one.
A Speed Awareness Course Instead Of Points
GOV.UK says the £100 fine and 3 points apply unless you're given the option of a speed awareness course, so taking one means no points or SP code on your licence for that offence. If an insurer's questions ask about courses, answer them truthfully.
Points That Have Stopped Counting
Points count towards a totting-up ban for the first 3 years, but the code stays on your record for 4, and it isn't spent until 5. In one Financial Ombudsman case, the points had expired, but the endorsement was still on the licence and within the 5 years the insurer asked about, so it wasn't spent and the insurer could take it into account.
Later Convictions And Compensation Orders
If you're convicted again before a conviction is spent, in most cases neither is spent until the later rehabilitation period ends. A compensation order isn't spent until it's paid in full.
Sources: GOV.UK rehabilitation periods and Rehabilitation of Offenders Act guidance, checked 15 October 2026.
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 SP50 Conviction?
Yes. Specialist brokers can look for insurers that consider an SP50, though not every insurer will quote. Insurers look at your whole record, and our guide to car insurance with a conviction history explains which convictions they ask about.
Getting Back On The Road After An SP50 Ban
If the court bans you, don't drive until the ban has ended. 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 have to retake your test. You can compare quotes before then: MIB says to buy your insurance ahead of the date you need the cover to start.
Do You Have To Tell Your Insurer About An SP50?
Yes, whenever the insurer's questions cover it, until it's spent. That can be after it has left your driving record, because an SP50 drops off after 4 years but isn't spent until 5 years after conviction or the fixed penalty for an adult. Give the code, the offence date, whether it was a fixed penalty or a court case, and any ban dates exactly as your paperwork 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 SP50 Conviction?
Car insurance after an SP50 comes in the same three levels as any policy: comprehensive, third party, fire and theft, and third party only. Comprehensive may still be available through specialist brokers, though some insurers may only offer the lower levels or ask for a higher excess.
Driving a van or riding a motorbike as well? Those insurers may ask about an SP50 too, so see van insurance after an SP50 or motorbike cover with an SP50.
Please note that policy features, benefits, terms and conditions vary among insurance providers, so always check the policy wording.
Cover Tip: Make sure the cover matches how you use the car. MIB says business use counts for anything beyond your commute to a single place of work, such as travelling between sites or to a meeting.
Telling Your Insurer About An SP50 Conviction
Insurers may be able to find out about an SP50 at any time during the 4 years it's on your record, and you'll need to answer their questions accurately for as long as it's unspent, which for an adult is longer. It helps to know how long convictions need declaring for car insurance.
- 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 a 4-year endorsement at any time while it lasts. An SP50 stays on your record for 4 years from the offence, or from conviction if you're banned for it, but that's separate from when it's spent.
- 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 SP50 Is Spent - For an adult, the endorsement is spent 5 years from conviction (2.5 years if you were under 18), and one from a fixed penalty is spent 5 years from the date it was given. A ban that ends later is spent when it ends. Until then, declare it whenever an insurer's questions cover it, even after the points stop counting. Once it's spent, MoneyHelper says you don't need to declare it, even if you're asked.
How Does An SP50 Conviction Affect Your Insurance Price?
There's no single price for car insurance after an SP50. 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 |
|---|---|
| How recent the SP50 is | A recent conviction may be priced higher. Don't assume the price falls at every renewal, as each insurer sets its own rules. |
| Points or a ban | A fixed penalty means 3 points. In court it's 3 to 6 points or a ban. If you're banned, the 4 years on your record run from conviction, not the offence. |
| Your total points | Points from other codes add up. An SP50 alongside other speeding points may narrow the choice of insurers and raise the price further. |
| 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: Note two dates and compare again at each: when your SP50 leaves your record 4 years after the offence (or after conviction, if you're banned), and when it's spent, usually 5 years after conviction or the fixed penalty for an adult in England and Wales. A ban that ends later, or a later conviction, can push the spent date back. Until then, answer honestly if an insurer asks about it.
How Can You Help Reduce Insurance Costs After An SP50 Conviction?
While it's unspent, an SP50 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 SP50. 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 SP50 Conviction
An SP50 can happen on a long motorway run, when the road feels empty and the speed creeps up. It's 3 points with a fixed penalty, but in court the motorway maximum fine is higher than on other roads.
A common mix-up is thinking you can stop mentioning it once the points stop counting. GOV.UK's guide to how long endorsements last says the points count towards a ban for 3 years and the code stays on your record for 4 (from conviction, if you're banned), but for an adult the endorsement isn't spent until 5 years after conviction or the fixed penalty.
My rule of thumb: check your driving record before you quote, so the code, dates and points you give match what the insurer can see.
Insurance Expert & Co-founder of Clean Green Cars
SP50 Conviction Insurance Questions
Can I Be Banned For An SP50?
Yes, if it goes to court. For a 70mph limit, the Sentencing Council guideline gives a ban of 7 to 28 days or 4 to 6 points at 91 to 100mph, and a ban of 7 to 56 days or 6 points at 101mph and above. A fixed penalty on its own is 3 points, but 12 points within 3 years normally means a totting-up ban.
Does A Speed Awareness Course Mean An SP50?
No. GOV.UK says that with a fixed penalty you pay £100 and get 3 points, unless you're given the option of a speed awareness course. A course taken instead means no points. It's only offered if the police decide it's appropriate and you haven't been on one in the past 3 years.
Do I Still Declare An SP50 After The Points Stop Counting?
Yes, if an insurer's questions cover it and it isn't spent yet. The points stop counting towards a ban after 3 years and the code leaves your record after 4, but for an adult it isn't spent until 5 years after conviction or the fixed penalty, or later if a ban runs longer. Once it's spent, MoneyHelper says you don't need to declare it, even if you're asked.
Is An SP50 A Criminal Record?
It can be. A court conviction for an SP50 is a criminal conviction. GOV.UK says a fixed penalty won't appear on your criminal record unless a court gives you a conviction because of one, though rehabilitation rules still treat an endorsed fixed penalty as a conviction. If a form asks about criminal convictions, see car insurance with a criminal record.
Can I Be A Named Driver With An SP50?
Possibly. It depends on whether the main driver's insurer accepts an SP50 on the policy, and it may raise the price. MoneyHelper says you might be asked about the convictions of everyone covered by a policy.
What Happens After I Submit My Details?
Clean Green Cars introduces you to specialist brokers who consider SP50 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 SP50 Conviction
Have these to hand before you get quotes.
- Your SP50 offence date, and the conviction or fixed penalty date
- Whether it was a fixed penalty or a court case
- Your points, and any ban start and end dates
- Any other points on your licence and their dates
- The car's registration, mileage and where it's kept overnight
Compare SP50 Motorway Speeding Car Insurance Quotes
Sources For SP50 Conviction Facts
- GOV.UK: endorsement codes and penalty points - SP50 points and years on your record (checked 15 Oct 2026).
- GOV.UK: how long endorsements stay - when the 4 years run from conviction, 3 years for totting up, and when insurers may find out (checked 15 Oct 2026).
- GOV.UK: speeding penalties - the fixed penalty, speed awareness courses, court fines and bans (checked 15 Oct 2026).
- GOV.UK: speed limits - motorway limits by type of vehicle (checked 15 Oct 2026).
- Sentencing Council: speeding - points, bans and the higher motorway fine in court (checked 15 Oct 2026).
- GOV.UK: new drivers - 6 points within 2 years of passing your test (checked 15 Oct 2026).
- GOV.UK: rehabilitation periods - when endorsements, fines 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, specialist policies, spent convictions, convictions you get during a policy and everyone covered by 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).
