Common Questions - Motoring and Penalty Points
What are penalty points?
Certain motoring offences can result in endorsement of your driving licence with penalty points.
Penalty points last 3 years from the date of the offence, but remain on the licence for 4 years (11 years for drinking or drug offences) and they must be daclared, for up to 5 years, to insurance companies.
If 12 or more points are accumulated within 3 years the driver will be disqualified, however the courts are given limited powers not to disqualify in exceptional circumstances. If a newly-qualified driver receives 6 or more points within 2 years of passing their test they are required to retake the driving test.
The 3-year term is measured from the date that the latest offence was committed.