Endorsements and disqualifications

These pages include extracts from the DVLA's D100 leaflet called "What you need to know about driving licences". You can download the original document by following this link.
This leaflet and these pages gives general information. It is not a statement of law.
Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the information reproduced is correct, Select All cannot not be held responsible for any inaccuracies.

If you are convicted of a motoring offence, the court can:

• endorse your licence with penalty points; or

• disqualify (ban) you from driving for a set period.

How do I get my licence back after being disqualified?

If you are disqualified for 56 days or more you must apply for a new licence.

If you are disqualified for one or more of the alcohol-related offences listed below, we will need to make medical enquiries before we issue a new licence.

• Disqualified with an alcohol level of over:

– 200mg in 100ml of blood;

– 87.5mg in 100ml of breath; or

– 267.5mg in 100ml of urine.

• Disqualified twice in 10 years for certain alcohol-related offences.

• Disqualified for failing or refusing to give a specimen (breath, blood or urine) for testing.

If you are not sure when your disqualification ends, contact the court which disqualified you.

If you get 12 or more penalty points in a period of three years you could be disqualified.

For more details on endorsement offence codes visit the website at www.direct.gov.uk/motoring or see DVLA leaflet INS57P.

How can I get a disqualification removed?

If you were disqualified for more than two years, you can ask the court that disqualified you to consider removing the disqualification after:

• two years, if you were disqualified for more than two but less than four years;

• half the disqualification period has passed, if you were disqualified for more than four but less than 10 years;

or

• five years, if you were disqualified for 10 years or more.

How can I get endorsements removed?

Use form D1 to apply for an exchange licence. Endorsements stay on a licence for the following periods.

• 11 years from the date of conviction for the following offences.

– Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

– Causing death by careless driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

– Causing death by careless driving then failing or refusing to provide a specimen for testing.

• Four years from the date of conviction for reckless or dangerous driving and offences resulting in disqualification.

• Four years from the date of offence in all other cases.

We will automatically remove endorsements that no longer apply if you change your licence for any reason.

How to apply

To apply to renew your licence after being disqualified, or to have endorsements removed from your licence, at the appropriate time you must fill in form D1 for an ordinary driving licence, or D2 for an LGV or PCV licence. See booklet INF1D or INF2D (whichever is appropriate) on how to fill in the relevant form. You can order the forms and booklets on-line at www.direct.gov.uk/motoring. Form D1 and booklet INF1D are also available from us, Post Office® branches, Traffic Area Offices, or any DVLA local office. (Form D2 is available from us, Traffic Area Offices and DVLA local offices.)Note: if you already have a photocard licence, you do not need to send a new photograph unless you want to change the current one. You do not need to send proof of identity unless you have changed your name. However, your application and photograph still need to be signed by your authenticator. This is the person who can confirm the details you supply are correct. They must be a resident in Britain and must have known you personally for at least two years within the UK.

Short-period disqualifications (SPD)

If you are disqualified for less than 56 days, the court will stamp your paper licence or photocard counterpart document and give it back to you. The stamp will show how long you are disqualified for. You do not need to renew your licence when the disqualification ends. Your licence becomes valid again the day after the disqualification period ends.

The Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act 1995

This act affects you if you first passed a driving test on or after 1 June 1997. If you get six or more penalty points within two years of passing your first driving test, we will automatically withdraw your licence when a court or fixed penalty office tells us about your points.

To get your full licence back you must:

• get a provisional licence and drive as a learner; and

• pass the theory and practical tests again.

Penalty points counting towards the total of six include any you got before passing the test (as long as the offence took place in the three years before the latest penalty point offence). Points you get after the two-year period will also count if the offence was committed during that period.

Passing the retest does not remove the penalty points from your licence, and if the total reaches 12 you may be disqualified by a court.