Penalties
Penalty points and driving licence bans
Checked on 7 September 2026.DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): endorsement codes and penalty points (as of 10 September 2026)
How long do penalty points stay on your licence?
Four years from the date of the offence for most codes, four years from the conviction for dangerous driving and for anything that ends in a disqualification, and eleven years from the conviction for drink and drug driving codes.
There is a second clock inside the first. An endorsement is valid, meaning a court can count it against you, for the first three years of a four year endorsement and the first ten years of an eleven year one. After that it stays on the record but is spent.
How are penalty points added to my licence?
Points follow an offence, not a payment by itself. For a fixed penalty, the notice states the offence, amount and endorsement. Accepting it means paying and completing any driving licence identification required by the notice. For a court case, the magistrates decide guilt and then select the number of points within the statutory range, or impose a disqualification where the law allows.
Some offences have a fixed number of points and others have a range. The court uses seriousness and the circumstances of the offence to choose within that range. A single incident involving several endorsable offences does not always produce a simple total of every row: the Road Traffic Offenders Act contains rules for points attributed to offences committed on the same occasion.
DVLA then records the endorsement code, points and dates notified by the fixed penalty office or court. The online driving-record service is the practical place to check the result. If the code or date is wrong, keep the notice or court order and contact the body that made the decision as well as following DVLA's correction instructions.
- Read the notice or court result and identify the endorsement code, number of points and relevant dates.
- If accepting a fixed penalty, pay and provide any requested licence details through the route on the notice. Payment alone may not complete an endorsable offer.
- If disputing liability, request the court route in the way and by the deadline shown. Do not pay first and assume the allegation can still be appealed.
- After the case is completed, view your DVLA record and check that the code, points and dates match the official result.
- Tell an insurer or employer when their policy, proposal form or driving rules require it. Answer the exact question asked and do not confuse DVLA retention with a separate disclosure question.
DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): endorsement codes and penalty points (as of 10 September 2026); GOV.UK, Parking fines and penalty charge notices: fixed penalty notices (as of 10 September 2026); DVLA, View or share your driving licence information (as of 10 September 2026)
How do I pay a fine that carries penalty points?
Use the payment route printed on the fixed penalty or conditional offer. Eligible police notices can be paid through the Home Office Penalty Notice Portal using the notice or conditional-offer document, a valid payment card and, where requested, driving licence information. Other notices give their own online, telephone or postal instructions. Keep the confirmation and do not send money without the exact reference.
GOV.UK's fixed penalty guidance gives a usual payment period of 28 days and warns that an unpaid notice can increase by 50 per cent and lead to prosecution. The document in your hand controls the exact date. If you want to contest the offence, follow its court-hearing option instead of paying. A lost notice does not stop the clock, so contact the issuing office immediately for the reference and instructions.
A fine imposed by a court is paid through the court service, not the police portal. The notice of fine gives the date and enforcement office. If you cannot pay as ordered, contact that office before missing the instalment or due date. Ignoring court enforcement can add costs and trigger enforcement measures, while contacting the office gives it accurate information about what has happened.
GOV.UK, Parking fines and penalty charge notices: fixed penalty notices (as of 10 September 2026); Home Office, Penalty Notice Portal (as of 10 September 2026)
When do penalty points expire and stop counting?
- Points run from 1 to 11 on a single offence. The commonest endorsement in the country, SP30 for exceeding the limit on a public road, carries 3 to 6.
- Most endorsements stay on the record for 4 years from the date of the offence. Dangerous driving codes and any offence that ends in a disqualification run 4 years from the date of the conviction instead.
- Drink and drug driving, and causing death by careless driving under the influence, stay for 11 years from the date of the conviction. Those are codes CD40, CD50, CD60, CD70, DR10, DR20, DR30, DR31, DR61, DG10, DG60 and DR80.
- There is a second clock inside the first. A 4 year endorsement is valid, meaning a court can count it against you, for the first 3 years. An 11 year endorsement is valid for the first 10. After that it stays on the record but is spent.
- Insurers and employers may be able to find out about a 4 year endorsement at any time during the 4 years, and about an 11 year endorsement during the first 5 years, or the first 30 months if you were under 18.
- Reaching 12 points inside 3 years means the court must disqualify for at least 6 months, unless it is satisfied there are grounds to mitigate. A second disqualification inside 3 years is 12 months and a third is 2 years.
- Section 35(4) of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 limits that mitigation. The court cannot take account of anything said to make the offence not serious, of hardship other than exceptional hardship, or of circumstances already used to avoid or shorten a totting ban in the 3 years before the conviction.
- A driver inside 2 years of their first pass has a 6 point limit, not 12. Reaching it revokes the licence, and the only route back is a new provisional and both parts of the test again. Points carried over from a provisional licence count towards that 6.
- The 2 year probationary period does not restart when you pass a test in another category, so passing a lorry test does not give you a fresh 2 years.
- Codes are modified for secondary liability. Aiding and abetting changes the 0 in the code to a 2, causing or allowing changes it to a 4, and encouraging or persuading changes it to a 6. The points are the same as for the principal offence.
DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): endorsement codes and penalty points (as of 10 September 2026); DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): how long endorsements stay on your driving record (as of 10 September 2026); DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): new drivers (as of 10 September 2026); GOV.UK, Driving disqualifications (as of 7 September 2026); legislation.gov.uk, Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988, section 35: disqualification for repeated offences (as of 7 September 2026); legislation.gov.uk, Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act 1995, sections 1 to 3 (as of 7 September 2026); DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): removing expired endorsements from your driving record (as of 10 September 2026)
| Endorsement group | How long on the record | Date the period starts | How long valid for court purposes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most offences | 4 years | Date of offence | First 3 years |
| Dangerous driving and offences ending in disqualification | 4 years | Date of conviction | First 3 years |
| Listed drink, drug and causing-death offences | 11 years | Date of conviction | First 10 years |
Source: DVLA endorsement duration guidance, checked 27 January 2025.
Example
Three speeding points followed by another offence two years later
- First offence
- 3 points
- Second offence
- 3 points
- Gap between offences
- 2 years
- Driver status
- Not in new-driver period
- Both offences sit inside the three-year totting window.
- The total is 6 points, below the 12-point totting threshold.
- The first endorsement can still remain visible on the DVLA record after it stops being valid for totting purposes, because most such records last four years.
The driver is not at the totting threshold, but both sets of points remain relevant until their separate validity and retention periods end.
What does every DVLA endorsement code mean?
Speed limits
| Code | Offence | Points | Stays for |
|---|---|---|---|
| SP10 | Exceeding goods vehicle speed limits | 3 to 6 | 4 years from the offence |
| SP20 | Exceeding speed limit for type of vehicle, excluding goods or passenger vehicles | 3 to 6 | 4 years from the offence |
| SP30 | Exceeding statutory speed limit on a public road | 3 to 6 | 4 years from the offence |
| SP40 | Exceeding passenger vehicle speed limit | 3 to 6 | 4 years from the offence |
| SP50 | Exceeding speed limit on a motorway | 3 to 6 | 4 years from the offence |
DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): endorsement codes and penalty points (as of 10 September 2026); DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): how long endorsements stay on your driving record (as of 10 September 2026)
Construction and use
| Code | Offence | Points | Stays for |
|---|---|---|---|
| CU10 | Using a vehicle with defective brakes | 3 | 4 years from the offence |
| CU20 | Causing or likely to cause danger by reason of use of unsuitable vehicle or using a vehicle with parts or accessories (excluding brakes, steering or tyres) in a dangerous condition | 3 | 4 years from the offence |
| CU30 | Using a vehicle with defective tyres | 3 | 4 years from the offence |
| CU40 | Using a vehicle with defective steering | 3 | 4 years from the offence |
| CU50 | Causing or likely to cause danger by reason of load or passengers | 3 | 4 years from the offence |
| CU80 | Breach of requirements as to control of the vehicle, such as using a mobile phone | 3 to 6 | 4 years from the offence |
DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): endorsement codes and penalty points (as of 10 September 2026); DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): how long endorsements stay on your driving record (as of 10 September 2026)
Insurance
| Code | Offence | Points | Stays for |
|---|---|---|---|
| IN10 | Using a vehicle uninsured against third party risks | 6 to 8 | 4 years from the offence |
DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): endorsement codes and penalty points (as of 10 September 2026); DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): how long endorsements stay on your driving record (as of 10 September 2026)
Careless driving
| Code | Offence | Points | Stays for |
|---|---|---|---|
| CD10 | Driving without due care and attention | 3 to 9 | 4 years from the offence |
| CD20 | Driving without reasonable consideration for other road users | 3 to 9 | 4 years from the offence |
| CD30 | Driving without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration for other road users | 3 to 9 | 4 years from the offence |
| CD33 | Causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving | 3 to 11 | 4 years from the offence |
| CD40 | Causing death through careless driving when unfit through drink | 3 to 11 | 11 years from the conviction |
| CD50 | Causing death by careless driving when unfit through drugs | 3 to 11 | 11 years from the conviction |
| CD60 | Causing death by careless driving with alcohol level above the limit | 3 to 11 | 11 years from the conviction |
| CD70 | Causing death by careless driving then failing to supply a specimen for alcohol analysis | 3 to 11 | 11 years from the conviction |
| CD80 | Causing death by careless, or inconsiderate, driving | 3 to 11 | 4 years from the conviction |
| CD90 | Causing death by driving: unlicensed, disqualified or uninsured drivers | 3 to 11 | 4 years from the conviction |
DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): endorsement codes and penalty points (as of 10 September 2026); DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): how long endorsements stay on your driving record (as of 10 September 2026)
Dangerous driving
| Code | Offence | Points | Stays for |
|---|---|---|---|
| DD10 | Causing serious injury by dangerous driving | 3 to 11 | 4 years from the conviction |
| DD40 | Dangerous driving | 3 to 11 | 4 years from the conviction |
| DD60 | Manslaughter or culpable homicide while driving a vehicle | 3 to 11 | 4 years from the conviction |
| DD80 | Causing death by dangerous driving | 3 to 11 | 4 years from the conviction |
| DD90 | Furious driving | 3 to 9 | 4 years from the conviction |
DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): endorsement codes and penalty points (as of 10 September 2026); DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): how long endorsements stay on your driving record (as of 10 September 2026)
Drink
| Code | Offence | Points | Stays for |
|---|---|---|---|
| DR10 | Driving or attempting to drive with alcohol level above limit | 3 to 11 | 11 years from the conviction |
| DR20 | Driving or attempting to drive while unfit through drink | 3 to 11 | 11 years from the conviction |
| DR30 | Driving or attempting to drive then failing to supply a specimen for analysis | 3 to 11 | 11 years from the conviction |
| DR31 | Driving or attempting to drive then refusing to give permission for analysis of a blood sample that was taken without consent due to incapacity | 3 to 11 | 11 years from the conviction |
| DR61 | Refusing to give permission for analysis of a blood sample that was taken without consent due to incapacity, in circumstances other than driving or attempting to drive | 10 | 11 years from the conviction |
| DR40 | In charge of a vehicle while alcohol level above limit | 10 | 4 years from the offence |
| DR50 | In charge of a vehicle while unfit through drink | 10 | 4 years from the offence |
| DR60 | Failure to provide a specimen for analysis in circumstances other than driving or attempting to drive | 10 | 4 years from the offence |
| DR70 | Failing to co-operate with a preliminary test | 4 | 4 years from the offence |
DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): endorsement codes and penalty points (as of 10 September 2026); DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): how long endorsements stay on your driving record (as of 10 September 2026)
Drugs
| Code | Offence | Points | Stays for |
|---|---|---|---|
| DG10 | Driving or attempting to drive with drug level above the specified limit | 3 to 11 | 11 years from the conviction |
| DG60 | Causing death by careless driving with drug level above the limit | 3 to 11 | 11 years from the conviction |
| DR80 | Driving or attempting to drive when unfit through drugs | 3 to 11 | 11 years from the conviction |
| DG40 | In charge of a vehicle while drug level above specified limit | 10 | 4 years from the offence |
| DR90 | In charge of a vehicle when unfit through drugs | 10 | 4 years from the offence |
DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): endorsement codes and penalty points (as of 10 September 2026); DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): how long endorsements stay on your driving record (as of 10 September 2026)
Licence
| Code | Offence | Points | Stays for |
|---|---|---|---|
| LC20 | Driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence | 3 to 6 | 4 years from the offence |
| LC30 | Driving after making a false declaration about fitness when applying for a licence | 3 to 6 | 4 years from the offence |
| LC40 | Driving a vehicle having failed to notify a disability | 3 to 6 | 4 years from the offence |
| LC50 | Driving after a licence has been cancelled or refused on medical grounds | 3 to 6 | 4 years from the offence |
DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): endorsement codes and penalty points (as of 10 September 2026); DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): how long endorsements stay on your driving record (as of 10 September 2026)
Traffic directions and signs
| Code | Offence | Points | Stays for |
|---|---|---|---|
| TS10 | Failing to comply with traffic light signals | 3 | 4 years from the offence |
| TS20 | Failing to comply with double white lines | 3 | 4 years from the offence |
| TS30 | Failing to comply with a stop sign | 3 | 4 years from the offence |
| TS40 | Failing to comply with the direction of a constable or warden | 3 | 4 years from the offence |
| TS50 | Failing to comply with a traffic sign, excluding stop signs, traffic lights or double white lines | 3 | 4 years from the offence |
| TS60 | Failing to comply with a school crossing patrol sign | 3 | 4 years from the offence |
| TS70 | Undefined failure to comply with a traffic direction sign | 3 | 4 years from the offence |
DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): endorsement codes and penalty points (as of 10 September 2026); DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): how long endorsements stay on your driving record (as of 10 September 2026)
Pedestrian crossings
| Code | Offence | Points | Stays for |
|---|---|---|---|
| PC10 | Undefined contravention of pedestrian crossing regulations | 3 | 4 years from the offence |
| PC20 | Contravention of pedestrian crossing regulations with moving vehicle | 3 | 4 years from the offence |
| PC30 | Contravention of pedestrian crossing regulations with stationary vehicle | 3 | 4 years from the offence |
DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): endorsement codes and penalty points (as of 10 September 2026); DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): how long endorsements stay on your driving record (as of 10 September 2026)
Accidents
| Code | Offence | Points | Stays for |
|---|---|---|---|
| AC10 | Failing to stop after an accident | 5 to 10 | 4 years from the offence |
| AC20 | Failing to give particulars or report an accident within 24 hours | 5 to 10 | 4 years from the offence |
| AC30 | Undefined accident offences | 4 to 9 | 4 years from the offence |
DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): endorsement codes and penalty points (as of 10 September 2026); DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): how long endorsements stay on your driving record (as of 10 September 2026)
Disqualified driver
| Code | Offence | Points | Stays for |
|---|---|---|---|
| BA10 | Driving while disqualified by order of court | 6 | 4 years from the offence |
| BA30 | Attempting to drive while disqualified by order of court | 6 | 4 years from the offence |
| BA40 | Causing death by driving while disqualified | 3 to 11 | 4 years from the conviction |
| BA60 | Causing serious injury by driving while disqualified | 3 to 11 | 4 years from the conviction |
DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): endorsement codes and penalty points (as of 10 September 2026); DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): how long endorsements stay on your driving record (as of 10 September 2026)
Motorway
| Code | Offence | Points | Stays for |
|---|---|---|---|
| MW10 | Contravention of special roads regulations, excluding speed limits | 3 | 4 years from the offence |
DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): endorsement codes and penalty points (as of 10 September 2026); DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): how long endorsements stay on your driving record (as of 10 September 2026)
Miscellaneous
| Code | Offence | Points | Stays for |
|---|---|---|---|
| MS10 | Leaving a vehicle in a dangerous position | 3 | 4 years from the offence |
| MS20 | Unlawful pillion riding | 3 | 4 years from the offence |
| MS30 | Play street offences | 2 | 4 years from the offence |
| MS50 | Motor racing on the highway | 3 to 11 | 4 years from the offence |
| MS60 | Offences not covered by other codes, including offences relating to breach of requirements as to control of vehicle | 3 | 4 years from the offence |
| MS70 | Driving with uncorrected defective eyesight | 3 | 4 years from the offence |
| MS80 | Refusing to submit to an eyesight test | 3 | 4 years from the offence |
| MS90 | Failure to give information as to identity of driver | 6 | 4 years from the offence |
DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): endorsement codes and penalty points (as of 10 September 2026); DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): how long endorsements stay on your driving record (as of 10 September 2026)
Theft or unauthorised taking
| Code | Offence | Points | Stays for |
|---|---|---|---|
| UT50 | Aggravated taking of a vehicle | 3 to 11 | 4 years from the offence |
DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): endorsement codes and penalty points (as of 10 September 2026); DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): how long endorsements stay on your driving record (as of 10 September 2026)
What happens when I reach 12 penalty points?
When the offences take the total to 12 or more within three years, the case goes to court for disqualification. The ordinary minimum stated in the rules is 6 months. The prosecution and court calculate the total from offence dates, so an older endorsement can remain on the record yet fall outside the three-year totting calculation.
The court can consider grounds for reducing or avoiding the normal period. If hardship is relied on, it must be exceptional. Losing the convenience of driving or facing the ordinary effects of a ban is not enough on its own. Prepare evidence that proves the claimed consequences, including the effect on people other than the driver where relevant. The court can reject unsupported assertions.
Do not drive if the court disqualifies you. Check when the ban begins, whether DVLA requires a new licence application and whether a retest was ordered. A TT99 entry records the totting disqualification rather than adding another set of points. Its presence helps explain why the disqualification occurred.
A driver close to the threshold should not expect a fixed penalty at all. Section 54 of the Road Traffic Offenders Act lets an officer give an endorsable fixed penalty only after checking the driving record and being satisfied the driver would not be liable to a totting up ban. If the new points would take the total to 12, the case goes to court, where the fine is set from weekly income and the ban is considered in the same hearing.
| Earlier disqualifications taken into account | Minimum ban unless the court mitigates |
|---|---|
| None | 6 months |
| One | 1 year |
| Two or more | 2 years |
Source: Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988, section 35(2), checked 10 September 2026. Only disqualifications the court is required to take into account count.
Example
A driver on nine valid points recorded speeding again
- Existing valid points
- 9
- New offence
- SP30, speeding
- Offence dates
- All within 3 years
- Earlier bans
- None
- A speeding fixed penalty carries 3 points, and nine plus 3 reaches the 12 point threshold.
- Because the driver would be liable to a totting up ban, no endorsable fixed penalty can be given. The case goes to court.
- The court must add at least 3 points and then disqualify under section 35 unless it finds grounds to mitigate.
- Exceptional hardship is the argument most drivers raise. Section 35(4) rules out ordinary hardship, so it needs evidence, not just a statement that losing the licence would be difficult.
The minimum ban is 6 months. The fine is set from weekly income under the speeding guideline instead of the £100 fixed amount.
legislation.gov.uk, Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988, section 35: disqualification for repeated offences (as of 7 September 2026); legislation.gov.uk, Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988, section 54: notices given at the roadside (as of 10 September 2026)
What happens if a new driver reaches 6 points?
The new-driver rule uses a lower threshold: 6 points during the 2 years after a first test pass. DVLA revokes the full licence when notified that the threshold has been reached. This is not a discretionary totting hearing and exceptional hardship is not the test for avoiding revocation.
Points from a provisional licence carry over while valid. A driver who passed with three points can therefore be revoked after a further three-point offence during probation. The date of the offence matters, so proceedings completed after the probationary anniversary can still trigger revocation if the offence occurred within the period.
After revocation you must obtain a provisional licence and pass both parts of the test again. Until then you can drive only under learner rules with the correct supervision, insurance and plates. The probationary period does not restart when you pass a test in another category, so it is the date of the first pass that matters.
Example
A driver 18 months after passing who picks up a phone offence
- Time since first pass
- 18 months
- Points already held
- 0
- New offence
- CU80, using a hand-held phone
- Points for that offence
- 6
- CU80 is the code for breaching the rules on control of the vehicle, and the Highway Code penalty table gives hand-held phone use 6 points.
- 6 points from a single offence reaches the 6 point new driver limit.
- The offence happened inside the first 2 years, so the date of the court hearing makes no difference.
DVLA revokes the licence after one offence. The driver needs a new provisional licence and must pass the theory and practical tests again.
DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): new drivers (as of 10 September 2026); legislation.gov.uk, Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act 1995, sections 1 to 3 (as of 7 September 2026); DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): endorsement codes and penalty points (as of 10 September 2026); Department for Transport, The Highway Code, Annex 5: penalties (as of 10 September 2026)
How do I challenge points or a driving ban?
Challenge the decision that created the endorsement. Before accepting a fixed penalty, use the hearing route on the document if you say the offence did not happen or the notice names the wrong person. Once a magistrates' court has convicted or sentenced you, GOV.UK directs applications and appeals through the court system. The correct route depends on whether you did not know about the case, somebody used your details, you challenge conviction, or you challenge sentence.
A DVLA record correction is different. DVLA can correct an administrative mismatch after the court or fixed penalty office confirms the result, but it does not hear witnesses or decide whether the offence was proved. Send copies, keep originals and record the dates of every call or submission.
New-driver revocation follows from the conviction or fixed penalty that brought the total to the threshold, so the way to challenge it is to appeal that conviction. Section 5 of the Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act 1995 deals with that case. Once DVLA is told that you are appealing, it must grant a full licence free of charge while the appeal runs. If the conviction or endorsement is quashed, the full licence is restored without a retest. If the appeal is abandoned, or the points taken into account still come to 6 or more, the licence is treated as revoked again.
HM Courts and Tribunals Service, Appeal a magistrates' court decision (as of 10 September 2026); DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): new drivers (as of 10 September 2026); legislation.gov.uk, Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act 1995, section 5: restoration of licence without retesting (as of 10 September 2026)
Do penalty points work the same in Scotland and Northern Ireland?
Scotland shares the Great Britain driving record. DVLA holds the licence for drivers in England, Scotland and Wales, the endorsement codes on this page are the same, and the 12 point totting up rule and the 6 point new driver rule apply to all three. What differs is the process that produces the points: a Scottish case is prosecuted by the procurator fiscal and decided in a Scottish court, and the Sentencing Council guidelines for England and Wales do not set the Scottish fine.
Northern Ireland has its own licensing agency, the Driver and Vehicle Agency, and its own fixed penalty office run with the PSNI. nidirect says a fixed penalty can be given to a driver who does not hold a Northern Ireland licence, and the Driver and Vehicle Agency then creates and holds a driving record for that driver. Endorsable tickets there need the full driving licence handed in to a police station or sent to the Fixed Penalty Office before the penalty is complete.
For a Great Britain driver the practical rule is simple: whichever part of the UK the notice comes from, pay or contest it through the body that issued it, and then check the DVLA record to see what has been added.
DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): endorsement codes and penalty points (as of 10 September 2026); nidirect, Fixed Penalties for motoring offences (as of 10 September 2026); DVLA, View or share your driving licence information (as of 10 September 2026)
Which offences put the most points on a licence?
Most drivers meet only a handful of codes. Speeding (SP30) carries 3 to 6 points, and a fixed penalty for it is 3. Using a phone at the wheel (CU80) carries 3 to 6. Driving without insurance (IN10) carries 6 to 8, which on its own reaches the new driver limit. Drink driving (DR10) is endorsed with 3 to 11 points and stays on the record for 11 years from the conviction.
The range matters because a court chooses within it, while a fixed penalty always uses the fixed figure. That is why two drivers with the same code can end up with different totals, and why a driver near a threshold is often better served by a course or a fixed penalty than by a hearing, where available.
What does TT99 mean on a licence?
Disqualification under totting up. It records that the total reached 12 or more points within 3 years and the driver was disqualified.
It carries no points of its own, because it is a record of a disqualification rather than an offence. It stays on the record for 4 years from the conviction.
Why do some codes end in 2, 4 or 6?
Because they record secondary liability. Aiding and abetting an offence changes the 0 in the code to a 2, causing or allowing it changes it to a 4, and encouraging or persuading changes it to a 6. The points are the same as for the principal offence.
Common questions
- How long do penalty points stay on my licence?
- Most endorsements stay on the DVLA record for four years from the offence date. Dangerous driving endorsements and offences that end in disqualification normally run for four years from conviction. The listed drink and drug driving codes, plus specified causing-death codes involving drink or drugs, stay for eleven years from conviction. Retention is not the same as the period during which a court counts the points for totting up. Read the code, date and status on your own record rather than calculating only from when the notice arrived.
- How many points before I lose my licence?
- A driver who reaches 12 or more points for offences committed within three years normally faces at least 6 months' disqualification. The court, not DVLA, deals with the totting-up hearing and can consider statutory grounds for mitigating the normal period. Earlier qualifying disqualifications can increase the minimum period. Points are not simply wiped away because a hearing is pending, and the dates of the offences, rather than the dates notices were paid, decide which points sit inside the three-year window.
- What is the rule for new drivers?
- 6 or more points within 2 years of passing your first test triggers DVLA revocation. Valid points already on a provisional licence count, and a further offence can take the total to the threshold. You must apply for a provisional licence and pass both theory and practical tests again before regaining a full licence. Passing another category later does not start a new probationary period. Revocation is an administrative consequence under the New Drivers Act, not the same thing as a court imposing a driving ban.
- What is exceptional hardship?
- Exceptional hardship is a high threshold used when a court considers whether to shorten or avoid a totting-up disqualification. Ordinary inconvenience or the usual effect of losing a licence is not enough. Evidence can concern serious consequences for other people, but the court decides each case and may test the account under oath. Section 35 also prevents the same circumstances from being used repeatedly within the statutory period. It is not an appeal against the convictions or points themselves, so arguments that an earlier offence did not happen belong in the case or appeal for that offence.
- Do penalty points start when I pay the fine?
- Usually not. For most four-year endorsements, DVLA records the period from the date of the offence. Dangerous driving and offences that result in disqualification use the conviction date. The eleven-year drink and drug group also uses the conviction date. The totting-up calculation looks at the dates on which offences were committed within a three-year period. Delaying payment or a hearing therefore does not move the offence date and cannot be used to push valid points outside the window.
- Can I appeal penalty points after accepting a fixed penalty?
- Accepting and completing a fixed penalty settles the offence and endorses the licence with the specified points. It does not lead to a council-style appeal. If you dispute the allegation, use the option on the offer for court rather than paying it. If a court convicted you, the route is an appeal or an application concerning that court decision, not a request to DVLA to reconsider the evidence. DVLA records the result it receives and can investigate a clerical error in the record, but it does not retry the offence.
- Do points on a provisional licence carry over?
- Yes. Valid points remain when you pass and receive a full licence. Under the new-driver rule, those existing points count towards the six-point threshold if you then receive further points during the two-year probationary period. Passing the test does not clear the record. This can make a three-point fixed penalty particularly serious for somebody who already has three valid provisional points, because reaching six causes revocation and a return to learner status.
- How do I check if points have been removed?
- Use DVLA's online service to view your driving record. It shows current penalty points and disqualifications. Compare the offence code and the date from which its retention period runs with the duration rules on this page. If a conviction, code or date is factually wrong, contact the court or fixed penalty office that supplied it and DVLA as directed. DVLA says most expired endorsements are removed from the record automatically once they are no longer valid, so there is normally nothing to apply for.
Sources
- DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): endorsement codes and penalty points (as of 10 September 2026)
- DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): how long endorsements stay on your driving record (as of 10 September 2026)
- DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): new drivers (as of 10 September 2026)
- GOV.UK, Driving disqualifications (as of 7 September 2026)
- legislation.gov.uk, Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988, section 35: disqualification for repeated offences (as of 7 September 2026)
- legislation.gov.uk, Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act 1995, sections 1 to 3 (as of 7 September 2026)
- DVLA, Penalty points (endorsements): removing expired endorsements from your driving record (as of 10 September 2026)
- DVLA, View or share your driving licence information (as of 10 September 2026)
- GOV.UK, Parking fines and penalty charge notices: fixed penalty notices (as of 10 September 2026)
- Home Office, Penalty Notice Portal (as of 10 September 2026)
- legislation.gov.uk, Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988, section 54: notices given at the roadside (as of 10 September 2026)
- legislation.gov.uk, Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act 1995, section 5: restoration of licence without retesting (as of 10 September 2026)
- HM Courts and Tribunals Service, Appeal a magistrates' court decision (as of 10 September 2026)
- Department for Transport, The Highway Code, Annex 5: penalties (as of 10 September 2026)
- nidirect, Fixed Penalties for motoring offences (as of 10 September 2026)
Related pages
- Endorsement code calculatorEnter your codes and offence dates to total current points.
- Driving offencesCourt guideline calculators for common offences.
- Child car seatsCheck the restraint rule by age, height and weight.
- Speeding finesWhere most endorsements come from.
- Penalty charge noticesCouncil penalties and private parking charges are separate systems.
- Licence codesThe other numbers on the photocard, which are not endorsements.
- Licence categoriesWhat each entitlement lets you drive.
- Insurance groupsWhy an endorsement moves a premium more than the car does.