TT99 Totting-Up Ban: Points, Ban And Years On Your Licence
Yes, you can look for car insurance with a TT99 for when your ban ends, through specialist brokers who search for insurers that consider banned drivers. MoneyHelper says an unspent conviction will probably mean a specialist or non-standard policy.
- PointsNone for TT99 itselfIt records the ban; the points come from the codes behind it.
- On your licence4 yearsFrom the date of conviction.
- Ban6 months+The usual minimum, longer after an earlier ban, unless the court finds grounds to cut it.
- Insurers may see it4 yearsAt any time during the 4-year endorsement.
The convictions that took you to 12 or more points have their own dates, and insurers may ask about those too while they're unspent.
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What Is A TT99 On Your Driving Licence?
TT99 isn't an offence. GOV.UK says it shows a disqualification under totting up: if the total of penalty points reaches 12 or more within 3 years, the driver can be disqualified. The ban comes from the court that dealt with the offence that took you to 12 or more.
Not every endorsement counts. Points only add up when the offences were committed within 3 years of each other, and GOV.UK says a 4-year endorsement is only valid for its first 3 years.
TT99 Ban Lengths And The 56-Day Rule
The Road Traffic Offenders Act's totting-up ban rules set a minimum ban, not a fixed one. It's at least 6 months, at least 1 year if one earlier ban counts, and at least 2 years if two or more count. An earlier ban usually only counts if it was for 56 days or more and was imposed in the 3 years before the latest offence. The court can also order you to pass an extended driving test before you get your licence back.
Exceptional Hardship And The TT99 Ban
The court can give a shorter ban, or none, if it finds grounds for mitigating the normal consequences. But the Sentencing Council's guideline on driving bans says hardship doesn't count unless it's exceptional, and grounds the court accepted in the 3 years before the conviction can't be used again. You have to prove it, usually with sworn evidence, and losing your job isn't enough on its own.
TT99When Does A TT99 Become Spent?
A TT99 stays on your driving record for 4 years from the date of conviction, but that isn't the same as being spent. In England and Wales, a driving ban is spent when it ends. Each endorsement behind it is normally spent 5 years from its own conviction date (2 years 6 months if you were under 18), so the offence that triggered the ban can still need declaring after the ban is over.
Are Your Points Wiped After A TT99 Ban?
Not in the way many people think. After a totting-up ban, the law says the points that led to it don't count towards another totting-up ban, and DVLA says the individual offences that led to it are removed from your driving record when a new licence is issued. But that doesn't make them spent: each endorsement is a sentence under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, normally spent 5 years after its conviction for an adult. Until then, declare it if an insurer's questions cover it, so keep your court paperwork.
If The Court Ordered A Retest Or A Prison Sentence
A ban that lasts until you pass a test isn't spent until you've passed it. If the offence behind the TT99 also brought a prison sentence, that has its own rehabilitation period. When there's more than one penalty, the longest period decides, and a further conviction before then can push the date back.
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 A TT99 Ban?
Yes, for when your ban has ended, and you can compare quotes before then. Specialist brokers can look for insurers that consider a TT99, though not every insurer will quote. Each insurer sets its own questions about past convictions, and our guide explains how long a conviction stays relevant for car insurance.
Getting Back On The Road After A TT99 Ban
You can't drive at all during the ban, and driving while disqualified is a separate offence. A totting-up ban is at least 6 months, and GOV.UK says if you're disqualified for 56 days or more you must apply for a new licence before driving again. The court will tell you if you also have to retake your test. If you keep a car during the ban, GOV.UK says it must stay insured unless it's kept off the road and declared SORN.
Do You Have To Tell Your Insurer About A TT99?
Yes, whenever the insurer's questions cover it, until it's spent. Where they're covered, give the TT99 and each unspent conviction behind it, with the offence, conviction and 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 A TT99 Ban?
Car insurance after a TT99 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.
Going back to a van or a motorbike? Those insurers may ask about a TT99 too, so see van cover after a TT99 ban or motorbike insurance after a TT99.
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'll use the car once you're driving again. MIB says business trips beyond your commute need business use, and making deliveries needs hire and reward cover.
Telling Your Insurer About A TT99 Ban
Insurers may be able to find out about a TT99 for the whole time it's on your record, and the convictions behind it may still need declaring while they're unspent. 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 an endorsement at any time during a 4-year endorsement. That's separate from when each conviction is 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 A TT99 Is Spent - The ban is spent when it ends, but each endorsement behind it is normally spent 5 years from its own conviction date for an adult (2 years 6 months if you were under 18). Another penalty or a further conviction can make it longer. Once it's spent, MoneyHelper says you don't need to declare it, even if you're asked.
How Does A TT99 Ban Affect Your Insurance Price?
There's no single price for car insurance after a TT99. Each insurer sets its own rules, and these are the things that can shape a quote.
| Key Factor | Impact on your price |
|---|---|
| How recent the ban is | A recent ban may be priced higher. Don't assume the price falls at every renewal, as each insurer sets its own rules. |
| The codes behind it | Insurers may ask about each code that took you to 12 or more points, not just the TT99, and some codes stay on your record longer than others. |
| How long the ban was | A ban longer than the 6-month minimum, because of an earlier ban, may narrow the choice of insurers. |
| 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 when each code behind your TT99 is spent, usually 5 years after its conviction for an adult in England and Wales, and compare again as each date passes. Until a conviction is spent, answer honestly if an insurer asks about it.
How Can You Help Reduce Insurance Costs After A TT99 Ban?
While they're unspent, the convictions behind a TT99 can stay in a quote when insurers ask about them, but the details around them are yours to change.
Ask About A Black Box Policy
Ask whether a black box policy is offered with a TT99. 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 A TT99 Totting-Up Ban
A TT99 often builds up quietly: a few sets of points over a couple of years, then one more takes the total to 12. The ban can come as a shock, but once it ends, it's still possible to find cover.
A common mix-up is thinking the slate is wiped clean once the ban is served. The points that led to it don't count towards another totting-up ban, but the convictions behind them still need declaring until they're spent, which for an adult is 5 years after each conviction.
My rule of thumb: keep your court paperwork and a list of every code with its offence and conviction dates, because DVLA removes the offences behind a TT99 from your record when your new licence is issued. Give insurers the same details every time, so you compare quotes on the same basis.
Insurance Expert & Co-founder of Clean Green Cars
TT99 Totting-Up Ban Insurance Questions
Are My Points Wiped After A TT99 Ban?
Not completely. The points that led to the ban don't count towards another totting-up ban, and DVLA removes those offences from your record when a new licence is issued. But each conviction still needs declaring when an insurer asks, until it's spent, which for an adult is normally 5 years after that conviction.
How Long Is A TT99 Ban?
At least 6 months. It's at least 1 year if you had one earlier ban of 56 days or more in the 3 years before the latest offence, and at least 2 years if you had two or more. The court can make it longer, or shorten or avoid it if it finds grounds such as exceptional hardship.
Can I Avoid A TT99 Ban With Exceptional Hardship?
Possibly, but it's hard to show. The court can shorten or avoid the ban if it finds grounds, but ordinary hardship doesn't count, losing your job isn't enough on its own, and grounds accepted in the last 3 years can't be used again.
Do I Need To Retake My Test After A TT99?
Not automatically. The court can order you to pass an extended driving test, and it will tell you if you have to. Because a totting-up ban is at least 6 months, you must apply for a new licence before driving again.
What If I Passed My Test Recently?
Different rules apply. 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 a new provisional licence and 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 TT99 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 A TT99 Ban
Have these to hand before you get quotes.
- Your TT99 conviction date and ban end date
- Every code behind the ban, with its offence and conviction dates
- Any earlier bans and their dates
- The car's registration and where it's kept overnight
- Your annual mileage, type of use and claims history
Compare TT99 Totting Up Ban Car Insurance Quotes
Sources For TT99 Totting-Up Ban Facts
- GOV.UK: endorsement codes and penalty points - what TT99 shows and how long it stays on your record (checked 15 Oct 2026).
- GOV.UK: driving disqualifications - totting-up ban lengths and the 56-day licence rule (checked 15 Oct 2026).
- Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988, section 35 - the minimum ban, earlier bans and exceptional hardship (checked 15 Oct 2026).
- Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988, section 29 - which points count after a totting-up ban (checked 15 Oct 2026).
- Sentencing Council: driving disqualification - how courts treat totting up and exceptional hardship (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 - specialist policies, 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).
