Car Insurance for Disqualified Drivers
Don’t despair if you’ve been convicted of a motoring offence that carries a ban. Unlike many of our competitors, Insure Your Motor can help find insurance cover for drivers who have previously been disqualified.
Click for an online quote or speak to our expert team on 0344 557 1329.
If you want to know more about driving disqualifications in the UK, the following information is a useful guide.
Disqualification offences
A variety of motoring offences might cause the Courts to impose a driving disqualification.
Mandatory bans:
These are automatically incurred by serious motoring offences, such as
- drink/drug driving
- driving at very high speed
- causing death by dangerous driving
- failing to provide a specimen
- A mandatory ban also occurs under the “totting up” process, if you reach 12 penalty points within a three-year period.
- 6 or more penalty points within the first 2 years of passing your driving test.
Discretionary bans:
Many driving offences are punished by points on your licence and a fine; however, the Courts can use discretionary powers to punish some motoring offences with a driving ban if they feel it’s appropriate due to the seriousness of the offence. The offender’s past record and any mitigating circumstances will be taken into consideration in these situations.
Some types of motoring offences which carry a discretionary driving ban are:
- Driving while disqualified or after your licence has been revoked on medical grounds
- Failing to stop/report after an accident
- Driving without insurance
- Some speeding offences
- Traffic light offences
- Careless driving
How long do disqualifications last?
Some offences carry a compulsory period of disqualification, such as a minimum of 2 years for causing death by dangerous driving or careless driving under the influence of drink/drugs; a minimum 1-year ban for dangerous driving.
The length of other bans is at the discretion of the court, taking into account the seriousness of the offence, the person’s previous history and any other mitigating circumstances. As a guide, you might get a 6 month ban for 12 penalty points or more within a 3-year period, a 12-month ban if you get a second disqualification within 3 years, and a 2-year ban for a third disqualification.
What happens at the end of a driving ban?
For driving bans fewer than 56 days, the DVLA will automatically return your driving licence at the end of the disqualification period. For longer bans, you need to formally apply to the DVLA for your driving licence to be reinstated. The licence will be endorsed with details of the disqualification.
Most of the time, once a ban has come to an end and their licence returned, a driver is free to start driving again. In some cases, however, an offender is ordered to retake their driving test at the end of their ban.
If this happens, you must apply formally for a provisional licence and then take your driving and theory tests again.
What effect will a ban have on my insurance?
It’s important to tell your insurance company of any driving ban (until the conviction is “spent”). Your policy is partly based on an assessment of all the facts known about your driving history. You could invalidate your insurance if you don’t mention such a relevant fact as a driving disqualification.
Unfortunately, in many cases, a driving disqualification will mean an increase in your premium, but less serious offences with fewer penalty points may have less impact. Insure Your Motor is an expert at finding the best rates for drivers in this situation, so be sure to call us for a quote.
Don’t forget, even though you can’t drive your car, it must still have a minimum of third party cover. You might also want to insure it against theft. Ask your insurance company to arrange the correct level of cover for your car during your driving ban.
