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Convicted Driver Insurance Guide
Getting a motoring conviction is expensive. A fine is paid in 38% of cases and, beyond that, insurance rates can skyrocket following a conviction. Here's some information explaining all you need to know about getting motor insurance when you have a conviction on your driving record.
How to get convicted driver insurance
While the cost of insurance will surely be higher if you have a conviction, having points on your licence does not mean you won't be able to find cover.
Most comparison sites and household-name insurance companies are equipped to handle motor insurance for convicted drivers—to an extent. That is, they can pretty easily handle a driver with a few points for speeding, for example.
That said, the ease with which a driver can get cover does depend how many points you have and what offences you committed. The higher the perceived risk, the harder it will be to find cover. Especially at an affordable price from a cheap car insurance company.
Drivers with more serious offences may need to go to a specialist provider or broker to find convicted driver insurance. One Sure Insurance and Adrian Flux are examples of brokers that specialise in convicted driver insurance.
What information you'll need to provide
In addition to the normal questions a driver is asked about their history, like what type of licence you hold and the number of years you've held it, you'll also need to answer questions about your convictions. This is so that the insurer can properly assess the risk and price your insurance correctly.
Here are examples of what a convicted driver insurer will want to know before supplying a quote:
- Date of the conviction
- Did you receive penalty points?
- Were you fined for the conviction?
- Did the conviction result in a driving ban?
How long do points stay on your licence?
Motoring convictions affect insurance for 4 or 11 years, depending on the offence.
Is driving without insurance a conviction?
Yes, driving without insurance is conviction code LC20, which is worth 3 to 6 points and stays on your record for 4 years from the date of the offence.
Can insurance companies find out about convictions?
Yes, car insurance companies will find out about convictions. They check driving records with the MyLicence system, which holds a record of all motoring convictions.
When you get quotes through a comparison site, the quotes you receive back will not reflect your conviction (unless you've told them in the quote forms). This is because comparison sites won't check the MyLicence system. However, that doesn't mean you can cheat your way through the system.
Car insurers will check your driving record with MyLicence. If you haven't disclosed convictions then when the insurer finds out the truth they will invalidate your insurance.
Do I have to declare spent convictions to insurance companies?
No, according to Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 you no longer have to declare spent conviction to insurance companies. Once they are spent, they no longer count against you.
Common Types of Convictions
While there are dozens of conviction codes, as you might expect some are more common than others. The most frequently committed offences relate to speeding, drink driving, driving uninsured, driving whilst using a mobile phone and traffic light offences. In fact, 85% of motoring convictions are for speed limit offences.
The table below show the number of points for each of these common offences, and how long they last on your driving record (and therefore, how long they impact your insurance rates!).
| Code | Offence | Penalty Points | Years on driving record from date of offence |
|---|---|---|---|
| SP30 | Exceeding statutory speed limit | 3 to 6 | 4 years |
| DR10 | Driving with alcohol level above limit | 3 to 11 | 11 years |
| IN10 | Driving uninsured | 6 to 8 | 4 years |
| CU80 | Driving whilst using a mobile phone | 3 to 6 | 4 years |
| TS10 | Traffic lights offence | 3 | 4 years |
| SP50 | Exceeding motorway limit | 3 to 6 | 4 years |
| LC20 | Driving not in accordance with a licence | 3 to 6 | 4 years |
| CD10 | Driving without due care and attention | 3 to 9 | 4 years |
| SP60 | Undefined speeding offence | 3 to 6 | 4 years |
| SP10 | Speeding, goods vehicle | 3 to 6 | 4 years |
Number of Motoring Convictions UK
According to the Home Office, in 2019 there were 2.7 million motoring convictions that lead to a fixed penalty notice (excluding another 372,294 that were cancelled). This figure represents a 7.2% increase from 2018.
Of these, 2.3 million (85%) were for speed offences. That makes speeding the most common motoring conviction by a mile.
The typical driver with one or more convictions has 3 points on their driving record—in fact, our analysis of DVLA driver licence data shows that 1,936,898 drivers representing 73% of convicted drivers have 3 points on their record. Another 20% of convicted drivers have 6 points on their record. And 3% of convicted drivers have 9 points.
Considering there are are 40,482,843 full and provisional licences held in Great Britain, we calculate that 6.5% of drivers have a conviction on their record.
In the table below is a snapshot of DVLA driver licence data from March 2021.
| Number of drivers | Percent of Convicted Drivers | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 point | 4 | 0.0% |
| 2 points | 10 | 0.0% |
| 3 points | 1,936,898 | 73.3% |
| 4 points | 30,436 | 1.2% |
| 5 points | 20,604 | 0.8% |
| 6 points | 517,009 | 19.6% |
| 7 points | 11,085 | 0.4% |
| 8 points | 19,676 | 0.7% |
| 9 points | 84,033 | 3.2% |
| 10 points | 8,006 | 0.3% |
| 11 points | 4,477 | 0.2% |
| 12 points | 5,806 | 0.2% |
| More than 12 points | 3,075 | 0.1% |