Penalty points: 12 in three years and the court can ban you for six months

Penalty points, formally endorsements, are not printed on the plastic card — they sit in your DVLA driving record. They stay there for 4 or 11 years depending on the offence, and it is that record a court uses when it decides whether to disqualify you.

How long do penalty points stay on your record?

GOV.UK gives two periods: 4 years or 11 years. Most road offences — speeding, using a phone at the wheel, running a red light, careless driving — stay on the record for 4 years, counted from the date of the offence rather than the date of the court hearing or the fine.

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Eleven years applies to drink-driving, and there the clock runs from the date of conviction. The difference matters: a drink-driving endorsement outlives several licence renewals.

How many points does each offence carry?

The codes and point ranges are published on GOV.UK. Speeding on a public road (code SP30) and on a motorway (SP50) carry 3 to 6 points and stay 4 years. Breach of requirements as to control of the vehicle, which covers holding a mobile phone (CU80), carries 3 to 6 points for 4 years. Driving uninsured against third party risks (IN10) carries 6 to 8 points for 4 years. Failing to give information as to the identity of the driver (MS90) carries exactly 6 points for 4 years. Failing to comply with traffic light signals (TS10) carries 3 points for 4 years. Driving without due care and attention (CD10) carries 3 to 9 points for 4 years. Driving or attempting to drive with alcohol above the limit (DR10) carries 3 to 11 points and stays 11 years.

What happens at 12 points in three years?

Twelve or more points built up within three years can get you disqualified. GOV.UK sets out this scale: 6 months for 12 or more points within three years, 12 months if it is a second disqualification within three years, and 2 years if it is a third. The court sets the actual length according to how serious it considers the offence.

Why do new drivers only get six points?

The rule is tighter for recent test passes: your licence is cancelled, or revoked, if you get 6 or more points within two years of passing your test. Points still live on your provisional licence carry over to the full one and count towards that total.

The consequences are heavier than they look. You have to apply and pay for a new provisional licence, then pass both the theory and the practical test again. If you have not yet sent off for your full licence, you still have to retake both parts, and you can book them on your current provisional.

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How do you get your licence back after a ban?

If the disqualification was 56 days or more, you must apply for a new licence before driving again. The court may also require you to retake the driving test or sit an extended test, and it will tell you at the hearing. If the ban was shorter than 56 days, you do not need a new licence: you simply wait it out, and the disqualification shows on your online driving record.

One more detail for drivers banned without any points: with a disqualification of 56 days or more you still have to pay to renew your licence, and only once the ban has ended.

Where can you check your own points?

In the GOV.UK service "View your driving licence record". It shows your live points, the offence codes and the date each endorsement will be removed. It is worth checking before you hire a car, switch insurer or take a job that involves driving — insurers and employers look at that record, not at the card.

One caveat: the 4 or 11 years is how long the endorsement stays on the driving record. An insurer may still ask you to declare offences over a longer period, and that is governed by the wording of the individual policy.