What an endorsement on your driving licence is

An endorsement is a record of a motoring conviction added to your driving licence by the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency). It shows that you were convicted of a driving offence — not that you were accused or charged, but actually convicted in court or by paying a fixed penalty. The endorsement stays on your licence for a set period depending on the offence, typically between four and eleven years.

You can check whether you have endorsements by looking at the photocard section of your licence. The back of the card lists any endorsements under the offence code and the date they will be removed. If you have no endorsements, that section will be blank or show no entries.

Endorsements are separate from penalty points. You can receive points without an endorsement (for example, some minor speeding offences), and you can receive an endorsement without points (for example, driving without insurance). However, many offences carry both.

Key Takeaways

  • An endorsement is a court conviction record on your licence, not just a fine or warning, and appears on the back of your photocard.
  • Different offences carry different endorsement codes and removal periods — from four years for minor offences to eleven years for serious ones like dangerous driving.
  • Endorsements affect your insurance premiums, your ability to rent a vehicle, and your employment prospects if your job involves driving.
  • You can request a new photocard to replace one with endorsements, but the endorsement record itself remains with the DVLA until the removal date.
  • Some endorsements trigger a mandatory driving ban; others do not, but accumulating twelve or more points within three years will disqualify you automatically.

Common endorsement codes and what they mean

Each offence has a two-letter code printed on your licence. SP30 means speeding; MS90 means driving without insurance; DD40 means dangerous driving; CD40 means careless driving. The code tells insurers and employers at a glance what you were convicted of, without them needing to ask.

Some codes carry mandatory disqualification — you lose your licence when ready for a set period. Dangerous driving (DD40) typically results in a ban of at least twelve months. Driving under the influence (DR10 for drink-driving, DG10 for drug-driving) carries a minimum one-year ban. Others, like speeding or careless driving, do not automatically ban you, but they add points to your licence.

The DVLA publishes a full list of offence codes on its website. If you are unsure what your code means, you can search by the two-letter combination to find the exact offence and the removal period.

How long endorsements stay on your licence

The removal date depends on the offence. Minor offences like speeding typically stay for four years from the conviction date. More serious offences like careless driving stay for five years. Dangerous driving, drink-driving, and drug-driving stay for eleven years. A few offences, such as causing death by dangerous driving, are never removed.

The clock starts from the date of conviction, not the date you paid the fine or the date you received the licence. If you were convicted on 15 March 2020, the endorsement will be removed on 15 March 2024 (for a four-year offence) or 15 March 2031 (for an eleven-year offence), regardless of when you received your photocard.

Once the removal date passes, the endorsement is deleted from the DVLA's system. You do not need to request removal or explore for a new card — it happens automatically. However, you can request a new photocard at any time if you want to replace one that shows endorsements, though the endorsement record itself will remain in the DVLA database until the removal date.

How endorsements affect your insurance and employment

Insurance companies check your driving record before offering a quote. An endorsement will increase your premium, sometimes significantly. The increase depends on the offence — a speeding conviction might add 10 to 20 percent to your premium, while a drink-driving conviction can double or triple it. Some insurers will not cover you at all if you have certain endorsements, particularly recent ones.

You must disclose all endorsements to your insurer, even if they are old. Failing to do so is fraud and will void your policy, leaving you uninsured. Some endorsements fall off your record after the removal period, but you should still declare them if the insurer asks about your driving history in the past ten years.

Employers who hire drivers — taxi firms, delivery companies, bus operators — will check your licence as part of the hiring process. An endorsement can disqualify you from the role, particularly if it is recent or serious. Even employers in non-driving roles may check your record if the job involves occasional driving or represents the company's reputation.

Endorsements and penalty points: how they work together

Most endorsements come with penalty points. You start with zero points on a new licence. Each offence adds a certain number of points — speeding adds three to six points depending on how far over the limit you were, dangerous driving adds three to eleven points, and driving without insurance adds six to eight points.

If you accumulate twelve or more points within any three-year period, you are automatically disqualified from driving. The DVLA will send you a notice of disqualification, and you must stop driving when ready. You can explore to the court to reduce the ban, but this is rare and requires evidence of exceptional hardship.

Points are separate from the endorsement removal period. A speeding offence might carry three points that stay on your licence for four years, but the endorsement code itself also stays for four years. Once the four-year period ends, both the points and the endorsement are removed together.

Checking your own driving record

The easiest way to check your endorsements is to look at your photocard. The back lists all current endorsements with their codes and removal dates. If you have lost your card or want a detailed record, you can order a driving licence check code from the DVLA website. This code lets you share your full driving record with third parties — insurers, employers, or rental companies — without giving them your physical card.

You can also contact the DVLA directly by phone or post if you believe there is an error on your record. If you were convicted of an offence you did not commit, or if an endorsement was not removed on the correct date, the DVLA can investigate and correct it.

Some endorsements are added to your record automatically after a court conviction. Others are added after you pay a fixed penalty for a minor offence. In either case, you should receive written notification from the DVLA explaining what has been added and when it will be removed.

What to do if you have endorsements

If you have recent endorsements, your priority is to shop around for insurance. Different insurers treat endorsements differently — some specialise in covering drivers with records and may offer better rates than mainstream providers. Always declare your endorsements honestly; the cost of a higher premium is far less than the cost of driving uninsured.

If you are explore for a job that involves driving, disclose your endorsements upfront rather than hoping the employer will not check. Some employers are willing to hire drivers with older endorsements, particularly if you can show a clean record since. Hiding an endorsement and then having it discovered during a background check will cost you the job and damage your credibility.

If you believe an endorsement was added in error, or if the removal date has passed and it has not been deleted, contact the DVLA with your licence number and the details of the offence. Errors are rare but do happen, and the DVLA can correct them once you provide evidence.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I drive if I have endorsements on my licence?

Yes, unless you have been disqualified. An endorsement is a record of a past conviction, not a ban. However, if you have twelve or more points within three years, you will be automatically disqualified and must stop driving when ready. Some serious offences like dangerous driving carry a mandatory ban period, during which you cannot drive at all.

Will an endorsement show up on a background check for a job?

Not automatically. Employers see only what they ask for. If the job involves driving or the employer specifically requests a driving record check, they will see your endorsements. If they do not ask, they will not know unless you tell them. However, you must answer honestly if asked directly about your driving history.

Can I get an endorsement removed early?

No. Endorsements are removed automatically on the date set by the DVLA based on the offence type. You cannot request early removal, and there is no appeal process. The only exception is if the endorsement was added in error, in which case the DVLA will delete it once the error is proven.

Do I need to tell my insurance company about old endorsements that have been removed?

Check your policy documents. Most insurers ask about your driving history in the past five to ten years, so you should disclose endorsements even if they are no longer on your licence. If an endorsement has been removed and your insurer does not ask about it, you do not need to mention it, but lying about your history is fraud.

What happens if I get another endorsement while I already have one?

Each endorsement is recorded separately on your licence with its own removal date. If you get a second offence, both will appear on your card. The points from both offences count toward the twelve-point disqualification threshold. Your insurance premium will increase further because you now have multiple convictions.