If you have received a penalty for a motoring offence, you may want to know exactly how many points are currently recorded on your driving licence. Checking your driving record can help you understand whether you are at risk of disqualification and whether any endorsements are still valid.
The good news is that you can check points on your driving licence online. You can also use the service to check disqualifications and create a licence check code to share your driving record with a third party, such as a car hire company.
In this guide, we explain how to check how many penalty points you have, how long endorsements stay on your driving record, what happens to new drivers who receive points and what you should do if your licence information is incorrect.
How Can I Check Points On My Driving Licence?
The easiest way to check how many penalty points you have is through the government’s View or Share Your Driving Licence Information service.
The online service allows you to:
- View your driving record
- Check how many penalty points you have
- Check any driving disqualifications
- See your endorsement details
- Check which vehicles you can drive
- Create a driving licence check code to share your information with another person or organisation.
To access the service, you will need your:
- Driving licence number
- National Insurance number
- Postcode shown on your driving licence.
You can also use your Driver and Vehicles Account to access your driving record and create a check code.
What Is A Driving Record?
Your driving record contains relevant information about your driving licence and motoring history.
It can include:
- Penalty points
- Endorsements
- Disqualifications
- The vehicles you are permitted to drive
- Other information held by the DVLA about your driving licence.
Your photocard driving licence does not show your current penalty points in the way the old paper counterpart did.
Instead, you can check your current licence information online.
What Happened To The Paper Counterpart?
The paper counterpart of the photocard driving licence was abolished in 2015.
Penalty points are therefore not physically added to your photocard driving licence. Instead, endorsements are recorded electronically on your driving record.
This means that if you want to know how many penalty points you have, you should check your online driving record rather than relying on what is printed on your licence.
How Do You Get Points On Your Driving Licence?
Penalty points are added to your driving record when you are convicted of a motoring offence, or when you accept a fixed penalty for an offence that carries an endorsement. The number of points depends on the offence.
Common motoring offences and the points they can attract include:
| Driving offence | Typical penalty points |
| Speeding | 3 to 6 points |
| Careless or inconsiderate driving | 3 to 9 points |
| Using a mobile phone while driving | 3 to 6 points |
| Failing to comply with a red traffic light | 3 points |
| Driving without insurance | 6 to 8 points |
| Dangerous driving | 3 to 11 points |
| Drink driving | 3 to 11 points |
| Drug driving | 3 to 11 points |
| Failing to provide a specimen for analysis | 4 to 11 points |
| Driving while unfit through drink or drugs | 3 to 11 points |
These are not the only offences that can result in penalty points. Different offences have different endorsement codes and sentencing ranges, and a court may impose a driving disqualification instead of, or alongside, penalty points.
Speeding
Speeding offences commonly result in 3 to 6 penalty points, depending on the circumstances and how the offence is dealt with. A lower-level speeding offence may be dealt with by a fixed penalty of £100 and 3 points, provided you are not offered and do not choose an eligible driver training course instead.
More serious speeding offences can be referred to court, where the number of points or length of any disqualification will depend on the speed, the applicable speed limit and the circumstances of the offence.
Careless Or Inconsiderate Driving
Careless or inconsiderate driving can result in 3 to 9 penalty points. The precise number depends on the seriousness of the offence.
A court can also impose a driving disqualification in appropriate cases, particularly where the circumstances make the offence more serious.
Using A Mobile Phone While Driving
Using a hand-held mobile phone or other hand-held device while driving normally carries 6 penalty points and a £200 fine if dealt with by a fixed penalty.
A conviction can therefore have a significant impact on your driving record. For new drivers, receiving 6 or more penalty points within the first two years after passing a first driving test can result in the licence being revoked.
Running A Red Light
Failing to comply with a red traffic light normally carries 3 penalty points. This is commonly dealt with by a fixed penalty, although more serious cases can be taken to court.
Driving Without Insurance
Driving or using a vehicle without valid insurance can result in 6 to 8 penalty points, depending on the offence and circumstances. You may also receive a substantial fine and could face a driving disqualification.
This is particularly important because 6 points can have serious consequences for new drivers, whose licences can be revoked if they reach 6 points within their first two years of passing their driving test.
Dangerous Driving
Dangerous driving is a more serious motoring offence and can result in 3 to 11 penalty points. However, dangerous driving will often result in a mandatory driving disqualification, with the length of the ban depending on the circumstances.
A conviction for dangerous driving can therefore have consequences beyond the number of points recorded on your licence.
Drink And Drug Driving
Drink driving and drug driving offences can result in 3 to 11 penalty points, although a conviction for driving or attempting to drive while over the relevant alcohol limit will normally result in a minimum 12-month driving disqualification.
Drug driving offences can also result in a minimum 12-month disqualification. The court can impose other penalties, including a fine and, in more serious cases, imprisonment.
Accepting A Fixed Penalty
Some motoring offences can be dealt with by a fixed penalty notice rather than prosecution in court. If you accept the fixed penalty, the relevant points are normally endorsed on your driving record.
For example, an eligible lower-level speeding offence may result in 3 points and a £100 fine. Similarly, using a hand-held mobile phone while driving can result in 6 points and a £200 fine.
Before accepting a fixed penalty, it is important to check how many points you already have. Accumulating further points can potentially lead to a driving disqualification, particularly if you are approaching the 12-point totting-up threshold.
Being Convicted In Court
If you are prosecuted and convicted of a motoring offence, the court can impose penalty points where the offence carries an endorsement. The number of points depends on the offence and its seriousness.
Some offences carry a fixed number of points, while others have a range. The court may also impose a driving disqualification where the law allows or requires it.
If you are facing prosecution for a motoring offence, it is important to understand the potential points and disqualification before deciding how to respond to the allegation.
What Do I Need To Check My Driving Record?
Before accessing your driving record, you will need some information to confirm your identity.
For the online service, you need:
- Your driving licence number
- Your National Insurance number
- The postcode on your driving licence.
If you have lost your driving licence number or cannot access your information, you may need to contact the DVLA for assistance.
It is important not to share your personal licence information with anyone unless you are satisfied that they have a legitimate reason for requesting it.
How Do I Check Someone Else’s Driving Licence?
There is a separate GOV.UK service for checking another person’s driving licence information.
For example, a car hire company may need to check whether a customer has penalty points or a driving disqualification before allowing them to hire a vehicle.
The driver can create a licence check code and give it to the organisation that needs to check their driving record.
The organisation will generally need:
- The last eight characters of the driver’s driving licence number
- The driver’s check code.
A check code is valid for 21 days and can only be used once.
You should only allow another person or organisation to access your driving information where you have given permission.
What Is A Driving Licence Check Code?
A driving licence check code allows someone else to view your driving record.
You might need to create one if:
- You are hiring a car
- An employer needs to check your driving history
- A company needs to verify your licence
- You have been asked to provide evidence of your driving record.
The check code is separate from your driving licence number and is designed to allow someone to access the relevant licence information without giving them unrestricted access to your personal account.
A check code is valid for 21 days.
How Many Penalty Points Can You Get?
The number of penalty points you can receive depends on the offence.
Endorsements can carry between one and 11 penalty points, with more serious driving offences generally attracting more points. Some offences can also result in a driving disqualification.
Examples include:
| Offence | Typical endorsement |
| Speeding | 3 to 6 points |
| Careless driving | 3 to 9 points |
| Using a vehicle while uninsured | 6 to 8 points |
| Using a mobile phone while driving | 3 to 6 points |
| Failing to comply with a traffic light | 3 points |
| Dangerous driving | 3 to 11 points |
| Drink driving | 3 to 11 points |
The exact penalty will depend on the offence and the circumstances.
Some offences can result in a disqualification rather than, or as well as, penalty points.
How Long Do Points Stay On Your Driving Licence?
One common question is how long endorsements stay on your driving record.
Most endorsements remain on a driving record for either four or 11 years, depending on the offence.
For example, many speeding offences remain on the driving record for four years from the date of the offence.
Careless driving offences also generally remain on the record for four years from the date of the offence.
More serious offences can remain for longer. Drink driving and certain drug driving endorsements, for example, remain on the driving record for 11 years from the date of conviction.
How Long Are Penalty Points Valid?
It is important to distinguish between how long an endorsement stays on your driving record and how long it is valid for certain legal purposes.
For a four-year endorsement, it is generally valid for the first three years.
For an 11-year endorsement, it is generally valid for the first 10 years.
The court can take an endorsement into account if you commit another offence while the endorsement is valid and it remains on your driving record when the court considers the new case.
What Happens If I Get 12 Penalty Points?
If you accumulate 12 or more penalty points within three years, you can be disqualified from driving under the totting-up rules.
The standard periods of disqualification are:
- Six months for 12 or more points
- 12 months for a second disqualification within three years
- Two years for a third disqualification within three years.
However, the court can consider whether disqualification would cause exceptional hardship in appropriate cases.
If you are approaching 12 points, it is important to obtain legal advice before assuming that a driving ban is inevitable.
What Happens To New Drivers Who Get Points?
There are special rules for new drivers.
If you receive six or more penalty points within the first two years after passing your first driving test, your licence will be revoked.
This can include points that were already on your provisional licence.
For example, if you received three penalty points while learning to drive and then received another three points shortly after passing your test, your total could reach six within the relevant two-year period.
If your licence is revoked under the New Drivers Act, you will need to:
- Apply and pay for a new provisional licence.
- Pass the theory test again.
- Pass the practical driving test again.
You will then regain a full licence once you have successfully completed the required tests.
Do Penalty Points Affect Car Insurance?
Penalty points can affect your car insurance.
Insurers may ask whether you have any driving convictions or endorsements when you apply for cover or renew an existing policy.
Depending on the circumstances, a history of motoring offences could result in higher insurance premiums.
It is important to provide accurate information when applying for insurance. Failing to disclose relevant information could create additional problems if you later need to make a claim.
What If My Driving Licence Shows Incorrect Endorsement Details?
If you check your driving record and discover incorrect endorsement details, you should take steps to have the information corrected.
GOV.UK advises that you should contact the court that convicted you if the endorsement details on your driving licence are incorrect.
This could be important if:
- The wrong offence has been recorded
- The number of penalty points is incorrect
- The date of the offence is wrong
- An endorsement has been recorded against you incorrectly
- A disqualification is showing when it should not be.
You should not simply assume that an incorrect endorsement will disappear automatically.
What If My Licence Has Been Revoked?
A driving licence can be revoked in certain circumstances.
For new drivers, this can happen if six or more penalty points are accumulated within the first two years after passing the first driving test.
A licence can also be revoked or cancelled in other circumstances, including certain medical or licensing issues.
If your licence has been revoked, you should not continue driving unless you are legally entitled to do so.
The consequences of driving without a valid licence can be serious, so it is important to establish your current licence status before getting behind the wheel.
Can I Check My Points If I Have A Provisional Licence?
Yes – penalty points can be recorded while you hold a provisional licence.
Any penalty points on your provisional licence that have not expired can be carried over to your full licence when you pass your driving test.
This means new drivers should check their driving record rather than assuming that passing their driving test resets their penalty points.
Do Points From Speeding Stay On Your Record?
Speeding offences generally result in an endorsement remaining on your driving record for four years from the date of the offence.
A standard speeding offence can result in three to six penalty points, although the precise outcome depends on the circumstances.
For some lower-level speeding offences, drivers may instead be offered a speed awareness course if they meet the eligibility requirements.
If you are prosecuted in court, the potential penalty can be more serious, including a larger fine, additional points or disqualification.
What About Mobile Phone, Red Light And Other Motoring Offences?
Penalty points can arise from a wide range of driving offences.
For example:
- Using a mobile phone while driving can result in three to six points.
- Failing to comply with traffic light signals normally carries three points.
- Careless driving can result in three to nine points.
- Dangerous driving can result in three to 11 points.
- Speeding can result in three to six points.
- Driving without insurance can result in six to eight points.
Some offences can also result in immediate or court-imposed disqualification.
The consequences therefore depend on both the individual offence and your existing driving record.
What If I Am Disqualified From Driving?
Being disqualified means that you cannot legally drive during the period of your ban.
If you are disqualified for 56 days or more, you will generally need to apply for a new driving licence before driving again. You may also be required to retake your driving test or take an extended driving test, depending on what the court orders.
Driving while disqualified is itself a serious motoring offence and can result in further penalties.
How Can I Find Out When My Points Will Be Removed?
Your online driving record can show your endorsement information and when endorsements are due to be removed.
Most expired endorsements are automatically removed from your driving record when they are no longer valid.
The exact date depends on the offence and whether the relevant four or 11-year period runs from the date of the offence or the date of conviction.
If you believe an endorsement should have been removed but remains on your record, you should check the details and contact the relevant authority for clarification.
Why Should I Check My Driving Record?
Checking your driving record is particularly important if you:
- Have recently received penalty points
- Have been convicted of a motoring offence
- Are approaching 12 points
- Are a new driver
- Are applying for car insurance
- Are hiring a vehicle
- Need to provide your details to an employer
- Have recently completed a driving test
- Have been disqualified from driving
- Think your licence information may be incorrect.
Knowing exactly how many points you have can help you understand your position and avoid inadvertently driving while disqualified.
What Should I Do If I Am Facing A Motoring Offence?
If you have been convicted of a motoring offence, the impact on your driving licence can extend beyond the immediate fine or penalty.
Depending on the offence, you could receive penalty points, face disqualification or potentially have your licence revoked. The consequences can also include increased car insurance costs and difficulties with employment where driving is an important part of your role.
If you are facing court proceedings or are at risk of disqualification, obtaining legal advice before your hearing can be important.
At McArthur Solicitors, our criminal defence solicitors have specialist experience dealing with driving offences and motoring matters. We can advise you on the potential consequences of the offence, your driving record and the options available to you.
If you are concerned about penalty points, a potential driving ban or another motoring offence, contact McArthur Solicitors for expert legal advice and representation.
