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Guide · Driver History · Penalty Points

Car insurance with points on your licence (UK 2026)

Three penalty points raise the average UK car insurance premium by around 15% in 2026 — roughly £90 a year on the £607 average — while six points add about 26% (£158). The exact rise depends on the offence code, not just the number of points: an SP30 speeding conviction can add 30%+, but a CU80 mobile-phone offence with 7+ points can push premiums up by as much as 174%. Points stay on your licence for 4 or 11 years, and insurers ask about them for 5. Full breakdown, by code and points, below.

Increase by points → Other convictions
Direct Answer

How much do penalty points add to car insurance in 2026?

Penalty points tell insurers you are statistically more likely to claim, so they load your premium. In 2026 the typical loading is around 5–15% for 3 points and roughly 25–30% for 6 points, measured against the UK average premium of about £607. On that average, 3 points cost an extra £30–£90 a year and 6 points an extra £150–£180. But the headline percentage hides huge variation: the type of offence behind the points matters more than the count. A careless-driving (CD) or mobile-phone (CU80) conviction is priced far more harshly than a low-level speeding (SP30) endorsement carrying the same points, because insurers see deliberate or distracted driving as a stronger predictor of future claims.

You must declare points to your insurer for 5 years from the date of conviction, even though most endorsements only stay legally “active” on your licence for 3 years (4-year codes) and serious codes for 10 (11-year codes). Failing to declare them voids your policy. If your renewal looks steep, it is worth understanding what is pushing UK premiums up generally before you assume points are the whole story.

Points on licenceTypical premium increaseExtra cost on £607 averageNotes
3 points (one minor offence)+5% to +15%£30 – £91SP30, minor speeding — lower end
4–5 points+15% to +25%£91 – £152Single mid-level offence
6 points (two offences or one serious)+25% to +30%£152 – £182Many insurers re-band the risk here
7–8 points+30% to +60%£182 – £364Choice of insurers starts to narrow
9–11 points+60% to +100%+£364 – £607+Specialist convicted-driver brokers needed
12+ pointsBan likelyRe-test / SR22-style cover“Totting up” disqualification under s.35 RTOA

Sources: Quotezone penalty-points analysis (3 points ~+15%, 6 points ~+26%), Admiral conviction data (3 points ~+10%), Confused.com Price Index 2026 (£607 UK average), MoneySuperMarket and Compare the Market conviction guides, and Car Insurance Expert composite quote sampling across 12 UK insurers for points-bearing profiles. Ranges, not single quotes — your figure depends on age, postcode and offence code. Refresh: 2026-09-23.

By Offence Code

Why the offence code matters more than the points

Two drivers can both carry 3 points and pay wildly different premiums, because insurers rate the DVLA conviction code. The most common codes and their typical 2026 impact:

  1. SP30 — exceeding the limit on a public road (3–6 points) — the mildest common code, typically +10% to +30%. The default speeding endorsement.
  2. SP50 — exceeding the limit on a motorway (3–6 points) — rated slightly higher than SP30 by some insurers, around +15% to +35%.
  3. CU80 — using a mobile phone / breach of in-vehicle equipment rules (6 points since 2017) — treated severely; with 7+ points combined it can add up to +174%.
  4. CD10–CD30 — careless / inconsiderate driving (3–9 points) — a strong claims predictor, often +30% to +80%.
  5. DR10 — drink-driving (3–11 points, usually with a ban) — an 11-year code; premiums commonly double or more and need a specialist insurer.
  6. IN10 — using a vehicle uninsured (6–8 points) — among the most heavily loaded codes, frequently +90% or more.
  7. TS10 — failing to comply with traffic signals (3 points) — usually modest, around +10% to +20%.
  8. MS90 — failure to give driver information (6 points) — rated harshly because it often masks another offence, commonly +40%+.

If you were offered a speed awareness course instead of points (available once every 3 years for low-level speeding), take it — a completed course carries no points and most major insurers do not load your premium for it, though a minority now ask about courses, so always answer the question honestly.

How to Lower It

Six legitimate ways to cut insurance when you have points

  1. Always declare — but shop the whole market. Loadings vary enormously between insurers; the cheapest provider for a clean driver is rarely the cheapest for a driver with points. Re-quote across mainstream and convicted-driver specialists (Adrian Flux, Sky, A-Plan).
  2. Take the speed awareness course if offered. No points, no licence endorsement, and most insurers ignore it — the single biggest saving versus accepting 3 points.
  3. Raise your voluntary excess. Moving from £150 to £500 voluntary excess typically trims 8–15% — useful for offsetting a points loading if you can cover the excess.
  4. Add an experienced, low-risk named driver. A clean-licence spouse or parent as a genuine additional driver can lower the premium 10–20%. Never list them as main driver if you are — that is “fronting” and is fraud.
  5. Consider telematics / black-box cover. A points-bearing driver who proves careful driving via a black box can claw back much of the loading at renewal; several insurers now offer this specifically to convicted drivers.
  6. Wait out the 5-year window. The loading falls as the conviction ages — many insurers reduce it after 3 years and remove it entirely after 5. Re-quote each renewal; do not auto-renew, as the loyalty penalty stacks on top.

All six stay within the rules. Fronting and non-disclosure are the two cardinal mistakes — both void the policy and can leave you uninsured at the moment of a claim.

Common Questions

Penalty points and car insurance FAQs

In 2026, 3 penalty points typically add around 5–15% to a UK car insurance premium — roughly £30 to £91 a year on the £607 average. Quotezone puts the average at about 15%, while Admiral's data suggests nearer 10% for a single low-level offence. The exact figure depends heavily on the offence code: 3 points from an SP30 speeding endorsement is loaded far less than 3 points from a careless-driving (CD) conviction. Age and postcode also amplify the effect — the same 3 points cost a young driver more in absolute pounds.
Yes — you must declare any points, convictions, endorsements or driving bans from the last 5 years when you take out or renew a policy, and you must tell your current insurer about new points mid-term if your policy requires it. Non-disclosure is the most common reason a motor claim is refused: if you fail to declare points, the insurer can void the policy from the start, refuse the claim, and you may be treated as having been uninsured. Always answer the conviction question fully and honestly, even if you think the offence was minor.
Most points (4-year codes such as SP30) stay on your licence for 4 years from the offence date but are only legally “active” for the first 3 years. Serious codes (11-year codes such as DR10 drink-driving) stay for 11 years and are active for 10. Separately from the DVLA record, insurers ask about convictions for the last 5 years — so points can affect your premium for up to 5 years even after they stop counting towards a totting-up ban. The loading usually shrinks as the conviction ages, with many insurers removing it once it passes the 5-year mark.
Among common codes, drink/drug-driving (DR10), driving while uninsured (IN10) and mobile-phone use (CU80) attract the heaviest loadings. A CU80 with 7+ points combined can add up to around 174% according to Quotezone analysis, while DR10 often doubles the premium and forces you onto a specialist convicted-driver insurer. By contrast, an SP30 low-level speeding endorsement is the mildest common code, typically adding 10–30%. The pattern is consistent: insurers load deliberate or distraction offences far harder than momentary speeding lapses.
A completed speed awareness course carries no penalty points and no licence endorsement, and most major UK insurers do not load your premium for it. You can normally be offered a course only once every 3 years for low-level speeding. A growing minority of insurers now ask whether you have taken a course in the last few years, so if the application asks, answer honestly — but for the majority that do not ask, a course is the cheapest way to deal with a minor speeding offence, far better than accepting 3 points.
Fronting is naming an experienced, clean-licence driver (often a parent or partner) as the main driver to hide a higher-risk driver — including one with points — who is really the main user of the car. It is insurance fraud under the Fraud Act 2006. Insurers check telematics, mileage and accident-location data, and if caught the policy is voided, the claim refused, and you can face prosecution and a criminal record. Adding a low-risk driver as a genuine additional driver is legitimate and can save money; misrepresenting who mainly drives the car is not.
It depends on your policy wording. Many insurers only re-rate at renewal, so points received mid-term will not change your premium until you renew — but you must still notify them if the policy requires disclosure of changes, and failing to do so can affect a claim. Some insurers do apply an additional premium mid-term. Either way, do not cancel and re-shop impulsively: you will lose any unused premium and the new quote will also reflect the points. Compare at your natural renewal date instead.
It gets harder but is far from impossible. At 6 points the average loading is around 25–30%, and the mainstream market still competes for you. From 7–9 points the field narrows and convicted-driver specialists (Adrian Flux, Sky Insurance, A-Plan, Quotezone's panel) often beat the big names. Keep mileage realistic, consider a higher voluntary excess and a black-box policy, and always compare rather than auto-renew. At 12+ points you face a totting-up ban, after which you may need to re-sit your test and will rebuild from a high base.

Our sources

  • Quotezone penalty-points analysis — 3 points ~+15%, 6 points ~+26%, CU80 up to +174%
  • Admiral conviction data — 3 points around +10% on average
  • Confused.com Price Index 2026 — £607 UK average premium baseline
  • gov.uk — endorsement codes and penalty points — DVLA codes and how long points stay on a licence
  • MoneySuperMarket & Compare the Market conviction guides — 4-year vs 11-year endorsements and 5-year insurer disclosure
  • Car Insurance Expert composite quote sample — 2026 sampling across 12 UK insurers for points-bearing profiles

Reviewed by the Car Insurance Expert editorial team

Figures are compiled from Quotezone, Admiral, Confused.com and gov.uk published data plus our own multi-insurer quote sampling, presented as ranges rather than single quotes, refreshed quarterly and reviewed by the Car Insurance Expert editorial team. Methodology: composite quote sampling across 12 major UK insurers for matched driver profiles differing only by conviction code and points. Questions: editorial@carinsuranceexpert.co.uk.

Last updated: 2026-06-23 · Next scheduled review: 2026-09-23

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