FAQs:
I have got a fixed penalty notice, do I have to surrender both parts of my licence?
Yes. If you have a new licence, then you must surrender both the paper part and the photo-card. It is only a full licence when both parts are present.
How many points can I have on my licence before I face a ban?
Newer drivers are allowed six points, if you tott up up to six points within 2 years of passing, the licence is reverted back to a provisional one and you will also have to take a retest. After two years, this six point regime extends up to 12 points. Twelve penalty points on your licence within 3 years will mean that you face disqualification under the 'totting up' procedure. If you have 9 or more penalty points on your licence, then you cannot accept any further fixed penalty tickets and must go to court.
How long will the penalty points stay on my licence?
It depends on the type of offence. For more serious offences, the endorsement starts on the date of conviction, and for others on the date of the offence. Endorsements will be shown on your licence for the following period of time for committing the following offences:
11 years for:
- Drinking/Drugs & Driving
- Causing death by careless driving whilst under the influence of drink/drugs
- Causing death by dangerous driving, then failing to provide a specimen for analysis
4 years for:
- Dangerous driving
- Offences resulting in disqualification
- Disqualified from holding a full licence until a driving test has been passed
- Other less serious endorsable offences (speeding, vehicle defects etc.)
Totting up:
If you get 12 or more points within a period of 3 years, you'll be disqualified under the 'totting up' system and at the end of the disqualification, the points accured in those 3 years are normally cleared from your licence.
After the relevant period, if you wish, you may apply for a new counterpart licence that will not have any record of the points on it
