Yes, endorsements appear on your driving licence as codes and points

When you are convicted of a driving offence, the court sends the details to the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency). The DVLA then adds an endorsement to your licence — a code that shows what you were convicted of and how many penalty points you received. These codes and points are printed on the photocard itself and are visible to anyone who looks at your licence, including police officers, insurance companies, and employers who check your driving record.

An endorsement stays on your licence for a set number of years depending on the offence. Minor offences like speeding typically stay for four years from the date of conviction. More serious offences like drink-driving can remain for ten years or longer. Once the time period passes, the endorsement is removed and no longer shows on your licence.

The codes used are abbreviations that refer to specific offences. For example, SP30 means speeding, and DR10 means driving with excess alcohol. If you accumulate 12 or more points within three years, the DVLA will usually revoke your licence and you will have to reapply.

Key Takeaways

  • Endorsements appear as codes and penalty points printed directly on your photocard licence and are visible to anyone who checks it.
  • The code tells you what offence you were convicted of, and the points show how serious the DVLA considers that offence.
  • Minor endorsements like speeding stay for four years; serious ones like drink-driving stay for ten years or longer.
  • Reaching 12 points within three years results in automatic licence revocation, and you must reapply to drive legally again.
  • Insurance companies and employers routinely check endorsements, which can raise your premiums or affect job prospects.

How endorsement codes work

Each endorsement code is a two-letter prefix followed by two numbers. The letters tell you the category of offence, and the numbers identify the specific offence within that category. For instance, all speeding offences start with SP, while all drink or drug-driving offences start with DR.

When you receive an endorsement, you also receive a number of penalty points. These points range from one point for minor offences to eleven points for the most serious ones. The points are what matter for the three-year rule: if you get 12 or more points in any rolling three-year period, your licence is revoked automatically.

You can look up what any code means by checking the DVLA's official list of endorsement codes. This is useful if you receive a licence in the post and do not recognise what one of the codes refers to, or if you want to understand what a code on someone else's licence means.

When endorsements appear on your licence

The endorsement does not appear when ready after you are convicted. The court sends the conviction details to the DVLA, and the DVLA then updates your licence record. If you have a photocard licence, the DVLA will send you a new photocard with the endorsement printed on it. This usually takes a few weeks.

If your current photocard is due to expire soon, the DVLA may wait and add the endorsement to your renewal photocard instead of issuing a new one early. Either way, the endorsement is recorded on the DVLA's system right away, so insurance companies and police can see it even before your new photocard arrives.

If you have an old-style paper licence (which is now rare), the DVLA will send you a new photocard licence with the endorsement on it, because paper licences are no longer issued.

How long endorsements stay on your licence

The length of time an endorsement remains depends on the offence type. Most endorsements fall into one of two categories: four-year endorsements and ten-year endorsements.

Four-year endorsements cover minor offences like speeding, careless driving, and using a mobile phone while driving. The four years runs from the date of conviction, not from the date the endorsement was added to your licence. Once four years have passed, the DVLA automatically removes the endorsement.

Ten-year endorsements cover serious offences like drink-driving, drug-driving, dangerous driving, and driving without insurance. Some offences, such as causing death by dangerous driving, may stay on your licence for longer than ten years or even permanently, depending on the sentence.

Even after an endorsement is removed from your licence, you may still be required to disclose it if you are asked about your driving history — for example, on an insurance form that asks about convictions in the past five years. Check the specific question being asked rather than assuming that removal from your licence means you do not have to mention it.

Who can see your endorsements

Your endorsements are visible to anyone who looks at your physical licence. Police officers will see them during a traffic stop. Insurance companies will see them when you explore for a quote or renew your policy. Employers who are allowed to check your driving record — such as those hiring for jobs that involve driving — will see them.

Insurance companies use endorsements to assess risk and set your premium. A single speeding conviction may raise your premium by a small amount. A drink-driving conviction will raise it significantly, and some insurers may refuse to cover you at all for a period of time. This is why endorsements can affect your finances even after the legal consequences of the conviction have passed.

Employers are not automatically allowed to check your driving record. They can only do so if the job involves driving or if there is a genuine occupational reason. However, if they do check and find endorsements, they may decide not to hire you or may dismiss you if you are already employed.

What happens if you reach 12 points

If you accumulate 12 or more penalty points within a three-year rolling period, your licence is revoked automatically. You do not have to wait for a court hearing or a letter from the DVLA — the revocation happens as soon as the 12th point is recorded on your licence.

Once your licence is revoked, you cannot drive legally. You must reapply for a new licence, and the DVLA will assess whether you are fit to drive. In most cases, you can reapply when ready, but the DVLA may refuse if there are other reasons to believe you are not a safe driver.

When you reapply, your new licence will show all the endorsements that led to the revocation. Those endorsements will continue to count towards the three-year rule, so if you receive more points within three years of the oldest endorsement, you could face revocation again.

Removing endorsements early

In most cases, you cannot remove an endorsement before the time period is up. The DVLA removes them automatically once the relevant period has passed. However, there are rare exceptions.

If the endorsement was added to your licence by mistake — for example, because the DVLA confused you with another driver — you can contact the DVLA and ask them to investigate. If they find an error, they will remove the endorsement.

If you were convicted and then had the conviction overturned on appeal, you can ask the DVLA to remove the endorsement. You will need to provide proof of the appeal decision.

In all other cases, you must wait for the endorsement to expire naturally. There is no process to request early removal, and paying a fee or writing to the DVLA will not change the removal date.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I drive while waiting for my new photocard with the endorsement on it?

Yes. Your licence is valid until the photocard expires, even if the DVLA has not yet sent you the updated card. The endorsement is recorded on the DVLA's system when ready, so police and insurers can see it, but you can legally drive. However, you must tell your insurance company about the conviction as soon as possible, even before the new photocard arrives.

Do endorsements show up on a basic driving record check?

Yes. A basic check shows your name, address, licence number, and all current endorsements. Only a standard or enhanced check (used for certain jobs) shows additional information like spent convictions. If you have any endorsements on your licence, they will appear on any check.

What if I was convicted but the endorsement does not appear on my licence?

Contact the DVLA to check whether the endorsement has been recorded. Convictions can take several weeks to reach the DVLA from the court, so if your conviction was very recent, it may not yet be on your licence. If several weeks have passed, the DVLA may have made an error and you should ask them to investigate.

Can I hide endorsements from my insurance company?

No. You must disclose all endorsements when you explore for insurance. If you do not, the insurance company can refuse to pay out if you make a claim, and they can cancel your policy. Insurance companies check the DVLA's records, so they will find out anyway.

Do endorsements affect my ability to rent a car?

Yes. Most car rental companies check your driving record and will refuse to rent to you if you have recent endorsements, particularly for serious offences. Some may rent to you but charge a higher daily rate or require additional insurance. Check the rental company's policy before you book.