Other Road traffic offence information
Points on your licence/Endorsements
Points on your licence are also known as endorsements and remain on a licence for:
11 Years from date of conviction for offences relating to drink/drugs and driving, causing death by careless driving whilst under the influence of drink/drugs and causing death by careless driving and failing to provide a specimen for analysis.
DR10, DR20, DR30, DR80, CD40, CD50, CD60 and CD70
4 Years from date of conviction for reckless/dangerous driving and offences resulting in disqualification
DD40, DD60 and DD80
4 Years from the date of the offence in all other cases
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Removing points from your licence
If you wish to have expired endorsements removed from your driving licence, you must:
Paper licence holders - submit driving licence application form D1, your current driving licence, a passport size photograph and the appropriate fee to DVLA at Swansea SA99 1AB.
Photocard licence holders - submit driving licence application form D1, your photocard licence and paper counterpart and the appropriate fee to DVLA at Swansea SA99 1AB.
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Disqualification
Disqualification can arise under any of five provisions:
s34(1) Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 - obligatory disqualification >
s34(2) Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 - discretionary disqualification
s35 Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 - penalty points or totting up disqualification
s36 Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 - until a test of competence is passed
s147 Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 - where driving is involved in a serious crime Back to top
How to get your license back after disqualification
You must apply for a new licence, even if your old licence has not run out.
Paper license holders - You will automatically be sent application forms D27 and D750, by DVLA ,56 days before the period of disqualification ends. You must complete both forms and enclose the appropriate fee. You must also enclose original documentation confirming your identity and a passport sized colour photograph. Send your completed application and fee to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AB.
Photocard license holders - You will automatically be sent application form D27,by DVLA, 56 days before the period of disqualification ends. You must complete the D27 form and enclose the appropriate fee. Send your completed application and fee to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AB.
DVLA will make enquiries if you have:
Been disqualified for driving or been in charge of a vehicle when the level of alcohol in the body equalled or exceeded:
8.75 microgrammes per 100 millilitres of breath
200 milligrammes per 100 millilitres of blood, or
267.5 milligrammes per 100 millilitres of urine
two disqualifications within the space of 10 years for drinking and driving, or being in charge of a vehicle whilst unfit through drink
one disqualification for refusing/failing to supply a specimen for analysis
If you are not sure when your disqualification ends, contact the court that disqualified you.
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Can a disqualification period be reduced?
The law permits those who have been disqualified for two years or more to apply to the convicting court for a reduction in the period of disqualification in the following circumstances:
After serving 2 years of the disqualification period if you were disqualified for more than 2 but less than 4 years
After half the period of disqualification has been served if you were disqualified for less than 10 years but not less than 4 years
After serving 5 years of the disqualification period if you were disqualified for 10 years or more
If the court agrees to reduce the period of disqualification, an application must be made to DVLA for the early restoration of your driving licence. Please note that although courts may approve a reduction in the period of disqualification, this does not affect the period (4 or 11 years depending on the offence) for which the endorsement must legally remain on the driving licence.
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Short Period Disqualifications (SPD)
If you were disqualified for less than 56 days, the court will stamp your licence and give it back to you. The stamp will tell you how long you are disqualified for. You do not need to renew your licence when the short period disqualification ends. Your licence becomes valid again the day after the expiry of the disqualification.
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Drivers who exchange their foreign licence for a GB licence
Drivers who have exchanged a licence from another country for a GB licence and acquire 6 or more valid penalty points are subject to the New Drivers Act, if during the previous 2 years they passed their first driving test in the Isle of Man, Channel Islands, Gibraltar or another EEA state.
A revoked driver may reclaim his previous entitlement by passing an appropriate test in the Isle of Man, Channel Islands, Gibraltar or another EEA state.
No other test passes are acceptable including those from 'designated' countries.
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Tyres
Tyres should be checked regularly for overall condition, tread depth and pressure.
The legal minimum tread depth for car tyres in the United Kingdom and the European Community is 1.6 millimetres throughout a continuous band, threequarters of the width of tread wide and round of the entire central circumference of the tyre.
Many car tyres today have tread wear indicators, six small ribs across the bottom of the main tread grooves and when the surface of these ribs becomes the surface of the tyre the tyre is at the legal limit and must be replaced.
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Tyre pressure
Tire pressures should be checked at least once a fortnight and only when the tyres are cold (as pressure will increase as the tyres get hot). You should check the correct tyre pressure for your car with the manufacturers.
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Mixing of tyre types
It is illegal in the UK to mix radial and Cross ply tyres on the same axle or to have crossply tyres on the rear and radial tyres on the front of your vehicle. The mixing of tyres can be extremely dangerous and if you are in doubt you should consult a tyre centre.
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Clampers
There must be a warning sign telling motorists that cars parked on the land may be clamped. If there is a sign and you saw it your be bound by what the sign says even if he did not read it. As long as the fee can be deemed as reasonable, and £40 would probably be regarded as reasonable - you are obliged to pay the fee.
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Number plates
A new format was introduced in September 2001 and these changes may affect you.
The new plates are fitted to any new vehicle registered new from the 1 September 2001 and contain regional and age identifiers and three random letters.
As from the 1 March 2001 a new number plate font was introduced. It is now illegal for any vehicle being used on the public highway to have a number plate which does not conform to the new font style (unless it is legal under the current law). The font is called "Charles Wright".
If you have a number plate which is properly represented there is no need to change it. If it needs to be replaced because it is damaged or the registration is being displayed using unusual lettering, it needs to be replaced to reflect the new start font.
If you have a plate which has been customized or personalized using spacing, italics or a special font or has been fixed placing the bolts in not standard positions, you must replace your number plates or risk prosecution.
You can also now incorporate the GB euro symbol onto your number plate. The display of other emblems on number plates is illegal.
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The Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act 1995
This Act will affect you if you passed your first GB driving test after 1 June 1997 when it came into force. If the number of valid penalty points shown on your driving licence total 6 or more during the two year probationary period immediately following your first driving test, your full driving licence will be revoked by DVLA until such time as you pass a further driving test.
Such drivers should apply for a provisional driving licence if they wish to continue driving and are subject to "learner" conditions until they pass both theory and practical parts of the driving test.
Valid penalty points incurred prior to passing the first test are taken into account if the driver commits a penalty point offence during the probationary period. Points incurred after the probationary period has expired will also count if the offence was committed during the probationary period.
Full entitlement to all categories of vehicle previously held will only be reinstated upon passing a test in any one of the driver's previously held entitlements. A successful test for entitlement to a category of vehicle not previously held will result in a full licence for that category only.
There is no right of appeal against revocation under the provisions of the Act. A driver may only appeal against the conviction, which led to the revocation.
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