These are the points nobody wants to get: penalty points. They can affect your car insurance cost and may even see you banned from driving.
The most important thing to remember however is that penalty points help to prevent accidents and dangerous driving, so they serve a very valuable purpose.
Anyone convicted of a driving offence in the UK gets penalty points – how many depends on the offence. Each offence also has a unique conviction code which is recorded on the paper part of your licence.
A popular question people want to know the answer to is
“how many points to lose your licence in the UK?”.
In Northern Ireland, you can lose your licence if you get 12 penalty points or more within a three-year period.
The most common motoring offences include:
- Disqualified driver
- Careless driving
- Reckless and dangerous driving
- Drink/drug driving
- Insurance offences
- Licence offences
- Miscellaneous offences, including MS90 conviction code
- Speeding
Our complete guide below will give you an idea of the common types of offences, driving offence codes, the penalty points they incur and how many years these points will stay on your licence.
Always remember that following the rules of the road will help you stay safe.
Disqualified Driver Offences
Valid on your licence: 4 years
Court Code | Offence | Penalty Points |
50 08 312 | Driving while disqualified | 6 |
Conviction Code | Offence | Penalty Points |
BA10 | Driving while disqualified by order of court | 6 |
BA30 | Attempting to drive while disqualified by order of court | 6 |
Careless Driving Offences
Valid on your licence: 4 – 11 years
Court Code | Offence | Penalty Points |
50 08 202 | Driving without due care and attention | 3-9 |
50 08 203 | Driving without reasonable consideration for other road users | 3-9 |
50 08 204 | Causing death through driving carelessly when unfit | 3-11 |
50 08 208 | Causing death through driving carelessly with excess alcohol | 3-11 |
50 08 212 | Causing death by careless driving then failing to supply a specimen | 3-11 |
41 04 001 | Causing death by reckless driving | 3-11 |
41 04 002 | Causing death by dangerous driving | 3-11 |
Conviction 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 |
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 |
CD80 | Causing death by careless, or inconsiderate, driving | 3-11 |
CD90 | Causing death by driving: unlicensed, disqualified or uninsured drivers | 3-11 |
Reckless/Dangerous Driving Offences
Valid on your licence: 4 years
Code | Offence | Penalty Points |
50 08 201 | Dangerous driving | 3-11 |
41 04 002 | Causing death by dangerous driving | 3-11 |
50 08 018 | Furious driving | 3-9 |
Conviction Code | Offence | Penalty Points |
DD10 | Causing serious injury by dangerous driving | 3-11 |
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 |
DD10 | Causing serious injury by dangerous driving | 3-11 |
Drink or Drugs-Related Offences
Valid on your licence: 4 – 11 years
Code | Offence | Penalty Points |
50 08 126 | Driving with excess alcohol in breath | 3-11 |
50 08 127 | Attempting to drive with excess alcohol in breath | 3-11 |
50 08 129 | Driving with excess alcohol in blood | 3-11 |
50 08 130 | Attempting to drive with excess alcohol in blood | 3-11 |
50 08 132 | Driving with excess alcohol in urine | 3-11 |
50 08 133 | Attempting to drive with excess alcohol in urine | 3-11 |
50 08 123 | Driving while unfit through drink/ drugs | 3-11 |
50 08 124 | Attempting to drive while unfit through drink/ drugs | 3-11 |
50 08 142 | Failing to provide a specimen when attempting to drive with excess alcohol | 3-11 |
50 08 125 | In charge of a vehicle while unfit through drink/ drugs | 10 |
50 08 139 | Failure to provide a specimen when attempting to drive unfit | 3-11 |
50 08 136 | Failing to provide a specimen of breath for analysis | 3-11 |
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 |
DR31 | Driving or attempting to drive then refusing to give permission for analysis of a blood sample that was taken without consent due to incapacity | 3-11 |
DR61 | Refusing to give permission for analysis of a blood sample that was taken without consent due to incapacity in circumstances other than driving or attempting to drive | 10 |
DR10 | Driving or attempting to drive with alcohol level above limit | 3-11 |
DR40 | In charge of a vehicle while alcohol level above limit | 3-11 |
DR50 | In charge of a vehicle while unfit through drink | 3-11 |
DR60 | Failure to provide a specimen for analysis in circumstances other than driving or attempting to drive | 3-11 |
DR70 | Failing ailing to provide specimen for breath test | 10 |
DG40 | In In charge of a vehicle while drug level above specified limit | 10 |
DR90 | In charge of a vehicle when unfit through drugs | 10 |
DG10 | Driving or attempting to drive with drug level above the specified limit | 3-11 |
DG60 | Causing death by careless driving with drug level above the limit | 3-11 |
DR80 | Driving or attempting to drive when unfit through drugs | 3-11 |
Insurance Offences
Valid on your licence: 4 years
Code | Offence | Penalty Points |
50 08 019 | No insurance | 6-8 |
Code | Offence | Penalty Points |
IN10 | Using a vehicle uninsured against third party risks | 6-8 |
Licence Offences
Valid on your licence: 4 years
Code | Offence | Penalty Points |
50 10 003 | Driving a vehicle having failed to notify a disability | 3-6 |
Conviction 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
Valid on your licence: 4 years
Code | Offence | Penalty Points |
50 08 231 | Leaving a vehicle in a dangerous position | 3 |
50 08 237 | Carrying unauthorised passenger on a motorcycle | 3 |
50 08 121 | Refusing to submit to an eyesight test | 3 |
50 08 040 | Failure to give information regarding driver | 3 |
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 code | 3 |
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 |
Speed Offences
Valid on your licence: 4 years
Code | Offence | Penalty Points |
50 08 013 | Excess speed | 3-6 |
50 08 291 | Excess speed for vehicle classification | 3-6 |
C 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 |
*Source: NI Direct
