The guidance on this site is based on our own analysis and is meant to help you identify options and narrow down your choices. We do not advise or tell you which product to buy; undertake your own due diligence before entering into any agreement. Read our full disclosure here.

Car Insurance for Convicted Drivers

Getting a motoring conviction is expensive. Our NimbleFins car insurance experts found that car insurance rates with a conviction cost up to 20% more with a SP30 speeding conviction. And according to a report by the Ministry of Justice, a fine is paid in 95% of motoring offences with an average fine of £326 in 2022. Because of these added costs, it is very important for motorists with a conviction to compare quotes before buying, as recommended by consumer financial experts across the board.

Best Car Insurance for Convicted Drivers

Below, our NimbleFins car insurance experts report on how some of the larger car insurance providers like Admiral, Hastings and Allianz stood out for pricing policies for drivers with a conviction. For our sample driver, some insurance providers wouldn't offer cover, and the amount they raise their premiums by varies considerably.

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The cheapest and best policy for you will vary depending on all of the factors of your application, so it's critical to compare quotes yourself. Other providers not mentioned may give you the best rates. Please use this information for general informational purposes only as you will certainly differ from our sample driver. It's critical to compare deals yourself to find a cheap car insurance company—especially if you have a conviction.

Car insurance for drivers with a speeding conviction

The big insurers typically raise premiums under 20% for a SP30 speeding conviction. Of the main insurers, we found that Allianz (previously 'Flow') was the cheapest for drivers with a speeding conviction, raising rates 16% for our sample driver. Drivers with speeding convictions are deemed to be more dangerous and a higher insurance risk, so rates typically rise after a conviction. But some insurers raise rates more than others.

Comparison of car insurance rates before and after a speeding conviction UK

Car insurance for drivers with a drink and drug driving conviction (DUI)

For those with a drink and drug driving conviction, our research showed that the majority of the big insurers will not even offer cover, even at a high premium. But Hastings offered the most competitive quotes via their youdrive telematics offering. And Admiral was the large insurance company likely to provide the best quotes for non-telematics cover post DUI conviction (the cheapest being Admiral Essential but higher tiers of cover were also available). Expect rates to go up 50% or more in most cases after DUI.

In general, fewer insurers are willing to insure motorists after these types of under-the-influence convictions. Those with a DUI will have a more limited selection of options and other than Admiral, may need to look at niche providers. For example, our sample driver could not get quotes from Allianz, Direct Line (including their Churchill and Privilege brands), Aviva (including QuoteMeHappy) or AXA (including Swiftcover). Other large companies may underwrite cover to convicted motorists who use a specialist broker who can work on their behalf.

Comparison of car insurance rates before and after DUI UK

Car insurance for drivers after an at-fault accident

At-fault accidents can increase car insurance rates by 20% or more, but our research showed that Admiral tends to raise rates the least after a claim (on a percentage basis), but Allianz (previously 'Flow') had the cheapest for our sample driver (due to a lower rate pre-accident).

Comparison of car insurance rates before and after accident UK

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!).

CodeOffencePenalty PointsYears on driving record from date of offence
SP30Exceeding statutory speed limit3 to 64 years
DR10Driving with alcohol level above limit3 to 1111 years
IN10Driving uninsured6 to 84 years
CU80Driving whilst using a mobile phone3 to 64 years
TS10Traffic lights offence34 years
SP50Exceeding motorway limit3 to 64 years
LC20Driving not in accordance with a licence3 to 64 years
CD10Driving without due care and attention3 to 94 years
SP60Undefined speeding offence3 to 64 years
SP10Speeding, goods vehicle3 to 64 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 driversPercent of Convicted Drivers
1 point40.0%
2 points100.0%
3 points1,936,89873.3%
4 points30,4361.2%
5 points20,6040.8%
6 points517,00919.6%
7 points11,0850.4%
8 points19,6760.7%
9 points84,0333.2%
10 points8,0060.3%
11 points4,4770.2%
12 points5,8060.2%
More than 12 points3,0750.1%

Comments

The guidance on this site is based on our own analysis and is meant to help you identify options and narrow down your choices. We do not advise or tell you which product to buy; undertake your own due diligence before entering into any agreement. Read our full disclosure here.

Car Insurance

  • You could save up to £530*
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars**
  • Quotes from 100+ providers



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