Endorsements and penalty points :Cross Stitch – Motoring

If you’re convicted of a motoring offence, the courts can fine you and endorse your driving licence with penalty points. Endorsements must stay on your driving licence for four or eleven years depending on the offence.

Each endorsement has a unique offence code and is allocated ‘penalty points’ on a scale from one to eleven, depending on the severity of the offence. The endorsement (and penalty points) is updated on your driver record and written on your paper driving licence or the counterpart document of your photocard driving licence.

An endorsement must stay on your driving licence for the following periods of time:

Eleven years from date of conviction

If the offence is:

  • drinking or drugs and driving – shown on the licence as DR10, DR20, DR30 and DR80
  • causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs – shown on the licence as CD40, CD50 and CD60
  • causing death by careless driving, then failing to provide a specimen for analysis – shown on the licence as CD70

Example: Date of conviction is 3 December 2023 – the endorsement must stay on the licence until 3 December 2013.

Four years from the date of conviction

If the offence is for:

  • reckless/dangerous driving – shown on the licence as DD40, DD60 and DD80
  • offences resulting in disqualification
  • disqualified from holding a full driving licence until a driving test has been passed

Example: Date of conviction is 28 May 2023 – the endorsement must stay on the licence until 28 May 2008.

Four years from the date of offence

In all other cases.

Example: Date of offence 10 June 2023 – the endorsement must stay on the licence until 10 June 2009.

If you build up 12 or more penalty points within a period of three years, you’ll be liable to be disqualified under the ‘totting-up’ system. This is shown on your licence as TT99.

Information on your driving entitlement and endorsements are sent to the courts and police on request.

You’ll need to produce your driving licence to the police, fixed penalty office (FPO) or when you appear at court.

If your driving licence is lost, you can get a duplicate online, by phone or by post.

If your driving licence is not returned after being endorsed, you’ll need to contact the FPO or court responsible for endorsing your driving licence. If you’ve changed address, or your licence is damaged or the endorsement area is full, the FPO or court will send your driving licence to DVLA to be updated. It will be returned to you within three weeks.

Contact the convicting court for advice.