UK driver's have racked-up a whopping 11 MILLION points on their licences - with 2.9 million motorists currently sitting on licence endorsements.
That's an eye-catching 7% of the 50 million driving licence holders in the UK (both full and provisional), according to the latest stats from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).
Penalty points are applied when someone breaks the law while driving in the UK. These points are logged on your licence —along with an 'endorsement' which is a reason that you’ve received points — and can lead to the suspension of your licence if you accumulate too many in a short space of time.
At Select Car Leasing, we wanted to find out who are the naughtiest drivers - ie, the ones most likely to end up with points - while explore precisely what the whole points system entails in the first place.
We used publicly available data from DVLA released at the end of February 2024.
Nations Naughtiest Drivers by Gender
Looking at the DVLA stats in closer detail, it becomes obvious that drivers who identify as male are MUCH more likely to have points on their licence - with 70% of the licences which have points belonging to this group of people.
In every age group, men far outweigh women in terms of the number of licence holders with points. This is a surprise, given there are only 3 million fewer female licence holders in the UK.
If we look at the age breakdown by gender, we can see that the biggest difference lies with men and women aged between 50-59 years old. With men of this age group collectively amassing nearly 430,000 points and women accumulating just under 185,000 points.
It's also worth pointing out that certain professions which require driving are male-dominated. In the HGV logistics industry, for example, it's thought that just 3% of drivers are female.
Nation's Naughtiest Drivers by Age
The drivers that are most likely to have points on their licence are 30–39-year-olds. In 2024 there were 609,000 licence holders in this age bracket that amassed a total of 2.5 million points. This includes a 30-year-old who has managed to accrue a staggering 126 points.
Despite younger drivers being viewed as more reckless, older drivers have a higher number of points, with 40–49-year-olds having just over 2.4 million points and 50–59-year-olds having just under 2.4 million points. This surprisingly puts the 20–29-year-old group — most widely considered one of the most reckless age groups — in fourth, with the highest total number of points with 1.7 million points.
What are endorsement codes and penalty points?
When a driving offence is committed, this is logged on your licence. Each offence has a code — known as an 'endorsement code' — and each code has a set number of penalty points attached to it depending on the severity of the offence.
For example, if you’re caught exceeding the speed limit on the motorway, you’ll be 'endorsed' — meaning the code has been logged on your licence. In this particular case, you’ll receive code SP50 (which relates specifically to motorway speeding) and which means you’ll likely receive between three and six penalty points for the offence.
Some endorsement codes and offences range from set penalty points to licence suspensions and criminal convictions depending on the severity. For minor offences, three points are usually awarded.
How long do points stay on your licence?
Typically, penalty points remain on your licence for three years. After three years, they are removed and are no longer factored into things like car insurance quotes and licence checks.
Although the points disappear in this time, the endorsement or offence doesn’t. These remain on your licence for anywhere between 4 and 11 years depending on the severity of the offense.
Where do points show on driving licence?
Although points won’t be marked on the physical copy of your licence, your online records will show any endorsements or offences that have been logged and haven’t been removed.
These can be found on the government website.
How many points can you have on your licence?
You can have up to 11 points on your driving licence — If you have 12 or more penalty points on your licence, you will be banned from driving.
If you’re a newly qualified driver, from the day you pass your test, you’re not allowed to accrue more than six penalty points before having your licence revoked in the first two years.
Bans typically last six months but can be longer depending on the severity of the offences or how quickly you’ve accumulated points. If you receive 12 or more penalty points and are disqualified again following your first six-month ban, you’ll receive a 12-month ban.
How long does it take for points to show up on your licence?
From the day you receive your formal notice — outlining how many penalty points you’ll receive, your endorsement code and reason why — your penalty points will be added to your licence after 28 days.
How to check driving licence points?
If you’re curious about how many penalty points you have on your driving licence — or need to share these details with an employer or institution for any reason — getting this information is quick and easy.
To check the number of penalty points on your licence, follow these easy steps.
• Go to the government website and head over to 'view or share your driving licence information' page.
• Click 'Start Now' and provide your licence details on the online view.
• Submit them and you’ll be able to see your entire licence history including a list of endorsement codes and any penalty points still on the system — if you have any!
Do I need to tell my insurance provider if I get points?
Yes, you must inform your insurance provider of any points or endorsements on your licence — it’s illegal not to do this under the Road Traffic Act.
If you don’t inform your insurance provider of any penalty points, not only might you find your insurance invalidated upon claiming, but you could face further insurance fraud charges and even prosecution.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What does 6 points on licence mean?
Some more serious offences and endorsements result in more penalty points.
Offences like “driving while disqualified by order of court” and “attempting to drive while disqualified by order of court” can land you with six points as opposed to the three points commonly received for minor offences.
Can I remove points from my licence?
No, you cannot remove points from your licence.
Your points will automatically be removed after three years and can no longer be counted against you after they’ve gone.
What happens if I’m a new driver?
If you’re a new driver, the points rules apply differently.
If you’re a new driver, accumulating more than six points in your first two years of driving means you’ll lose your licence.
If you’re looking for additional information on all things driving — as well as news on the hottest deals new cars to buy or lease — why not check out our news page?
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