How driving convictions impact car insurance

If you get a motoring conviction you have to tell your insurer about it, and they will take it into account when working out what to charge you for your insurance. Insurance companies see you as being at greater risk of having an accident and will charge you more for your policy.

How big an impact a conviction will have on the cost of your insurance depends on a number of things including insurance companies' conviction policies, the type of conviction, the car you drive, your age and possibly gender.

You are more likely to pay a hefty premium if you have a drink driving conviction, compared to a solitary speeding conviction which may only increase your premium a little in comparison.

Most insurance companies will ask you about any driving convictions you have received in the past 5 years. It is really important that you disclose any convictions to them, in fact you have to by law under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

If you don't disclose a conviction and you make a claim on your policy, your insurance company can refuse to pay the claim. Alternatively they can make an additional charge for the conviction and won't authorise the claim until the charge is paid. You'll find some of the most common conviction codes below.

Most common offences

Code	Offence	Penalty Points
SP10	Exceeding goods vehicle speed limits	3-6
SP30	Exceeding statutory speed limit on a public road	3-6
SP50	Exceeding speed limit on a motorway	3-6
TS10	Failing to comply with traffic light signals	3
IN10	Using a vehicle uninsured against third party risks	6-8
CU80	Using a mobile phone while driving a motor vehicle	3
DR10	Driving or attempting to drive with alcohol level above limit	3-11
LC20	Driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence	3-6
CD10	Driving without due care or attention	3-9

Accident offences

Offence codes AC10 to AC30 must stay on a driving licence for four years from the date of offence.

Code	Offence	Penalty Points
AC10	Failing to stop after an accident	5-10
AC20	Failing to give particulars or to report an accident within 24 hours	5-10
AC30	Undefined accident offences	4-9

Careless driving

Offence codes CD10 to CD30 must stay on a driving licence for four years from the date of offence.

Code	Offence	Penalty Points
CD10	Driving without due care and attention	3-9
CD20	Driving without reasonable consideration for other road users	3-9
CD30	Driving without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration for other road users	3-9

Offence codes CD40 to CD70 must stay on a licence for eleven years from the date of conviction.

Code	Offence	Penalty Points
CD40	Causing death through careless driving when unfit through drink	3-11
CD50	Causing death by careless driving when unfit through drugs	3-11
CD60	Causing death by careless driving with alcohol level above the limit	3-11
CD70	Causing death by careless driving then failing to supply a specimen for analysis	3-11

Offence codes CD80 and CD90 must stay on a driving licence for four years from the date of conviction.

Code	Offence	Penalty Points
CD80	Causing death by careless, or inconsiderate, driving	3-11
CD90	Causing death by driving: unlicensed, disqualified or uninsured drivers	3-11

Construction and use offences

Offence codes CU10 to CU80 must stay on a driving licence for four years from the date of offence.

Code	Offence	Penalty Points
CU10	Using a vehicle with defective brakes	3
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
CU30	Using a vehicle with defective tyre(s)	3
CU40	Using a vehicle with defective steering	3
CU50	Causing or likely to cause a danger by reason of load or passengers	3
CU80	Using a mobile phone while driving a motor vehicle	3

Disqualified driver

Offence codes BA10 and BA30 must stay on a driving licence for four years from the date of offence.

Code	Offence	Penalty Points
BA10	Driving while disqualified by order of court	6
BA30	Attempting to drive while disqualified by order of court	6

Drink or drugs

Offence codes DR10 to DR30 must stay on a driving licence for eleven years from the date of conviction.

Code	Offence	Penalty Points
DR10	Driving or attempting to drive with alcohol level above limit	3-11
DR20	Driving or attempting to drive while unfit through drink	3-11
DR30	Driving or attempting to drive then failing to supply a specimen for analysis	3-11

Offence codes DR40 to DR70 must stay on a driving licence for four years from the date of offence.

Code	Offence	Penalty Points
DR40	In charge of a vehicle while alcohol level above the limit	10
DR50	In charge of a vehicle while unfit through drink	10
DR60	Failure to provide a specimen for analysis in circumstances other than driving or attempting to drive	10
DR70	Failing to provide specimen for breath test	4

Offence code DR80 must stay on a driving licence for eleven years from the date of conviction.

Code	Offence	Penalty Points
DR80	Driving or attempting to drive when unfit through drugs	3-11

Offence code DR90 must stay on a driving licence for four years from date of offence.

Code	Offence	Penalty Points
DR90	In charge of a vehicle when unfit through drugs	10

Insurance offences

Offence code IN10 must stay on a driving licence for four years from the date of offence.

Code	Offence	Penalty Points
IN10	Using a vehicle uninsured against third party risks	6-8

Licence offences

Offence codes LC20 to LC50 must stay on a driving licence for four years from the date of offence.

Code	Offence	Penalty Points
LC20	Driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence	3-6
LC30	Driving after making a false declaration about fitness when applying for a licence	3-6
LC40	Driving a vehicle having failed to notify a disability	3-6
LC50	Driving after a licence has been revoked or refused on medical grounds	3-6

Miscellaneous offences

Offence codes MS10 to MS90 must stay on a driving licence for four years from the date of offence.

Code	Offence	Penalty Points
MS10	Leaving a vehicle in a dangerous position	3
MS20	Unlawful pillion riding	3
MS30	Play street offences	2
MS50	Motor racing on the highway	3-11
MS60	Offences not covered by other codes	As appropriate
MS70	Driving with uncorrected defective eyesight	3
MS80	Refusing to submit to an eyesight test	3
MS90	Failure to give information as to identity of driver etc	6

Motorway offences

Offence code MW10 must stay on a driving licence for four years from the date of offence.

Code	Offence	Penalty Points
MW10	Contravention of special roads regulations (excluding speed limits)	3

Pedestrian crossings

Offence codes PC10 to PC30 must stay on a driving licence for four years from the date of offence.

Code	Offence	Penalty Points
PC10	Undefined contravention of pedestrian crossing regulations	3
PC20	Contravention of pedestrian crossing regulations with moving vehicle	3
PC30	Contravention of pedestrian crossing regulations with stationary vehicle	3

Reckless/dangerous driving

Offence codes DD40 to DD80 must stay on a driving licence for four years from date of conviction.

Code	Offence	Penalty Points
DD40	Dangerous driving	3-11
DD60	Manslaughter or culpable homicide while driving a vehicle	3-11
DD80	Causing death by dangerous driving	3-11
DD90	Furious driving	3-9

Special code

Offence code TT99 must stay on a driving licence for four years from the date of conviction.

Code	Offence
TT99	To signify a disqualification under ‘totting-up’ procedure. If the total of penalty points reaches 12 or more within three years the driver is liable to be disqualified

Speed limits

Offence codes SP10 to SP50 must stay on a driving licence for four years from the date of offence.

Code	Offence	Penalty Points
SP10	Exceeding goods vehicle speed limits	3-6
SP20	Exceeding speed limit for type of vehicle (excluding goods or passenger vehicles)	3-6
SP30	Exceeding statutory speed limit on a public road	3-6
SP40	Exceeding passenger vehicle speed limit	3-6
SP50	Exceeding speed limit on a motorway	3-6

Traffic direction and signs

Offence codes TS10 to TS70 must stay on a driving licence for four years from the date of offence.

Code	Offence	Penalty Points
TS10	Failing to comply with traffic light signals	3
TS20	Failing to comply with double white lines	3
TS30	Failing to comply with ‘Stop’ sign	3
TS40	Failing to comply with direction of a constable/warden	3
TS50	Failing to comply with traffic sign (excluding ‘stop’ signs, traffic lights or double white lines)	3
TS60	Failing to comply with a school crossing patrol sign	3
TS70	Undefined failure to comply with a traffic direction sign	3

Theft or unauthorised taking

Offence code UT50 must stay on a driving licence for four years from the date of offence.

Code	Offence	Penalty Points
UT50	Aggravated taking of a vehicle	3-11

Aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring

Offences as coded, but with 0 changed to 2 e.g. LC10 becomes LC12

Causing or permitting

Offences as coded, but with 0 changed to 4 e.g. LC10 becomes LC14

Inciting

Offences as coded, but with 0 changed to 6 e.g. DD40 becomes DD46

Non-endorsable offences

A non-endorsable offence is an offence which courts do not endorse on to your paper counterpart driving licence. No penalty points are attributed to these offences but they carry a period of disqualification.