Convicted Driver Insurance: Costs, Cover and How to Save

Convicted driver insurance is standard car insurance for people who have penalty points, a previous ban or an unspent motoring conviction on their record. You can still get fully comprehensive cover after a conviction, but insurers price you as a higher risk, so premiums are usually higher than the clean-licence average. How much higher depends on the offence code, how recent it is and how many points you carry.

Most drivers do not need a separate “convicted driver” product to get covered. The same insurer panels handle convictions, and Free Price Compare checks quotes across a panel of 130+ insurers, including several that specialise in higher-risk drivers. The key is declaring everything accurately, then comparing widely rather than accepting your renewal.

Last updated: August 2026

Written by the Free Price Compare editorial team | Reviewed August 2026

Can you still get insurance with a driving conviction?

Yes, you can still get car insurance with a driving conviction, and most people with points or a spent ban are covered through mainstream insurers rather than niche providers. Insurers assess risk on the offence type, how recent it is and how many points you hold, then load the premium accordingly. Cover levels are identical to a clean-licence policy, so you can still buy comprehensive, third party fire and theft, or third party only.

Acceptance narrows for the most serious offences. Some insurers decline drink-driving codes or multiple convictions, which is why comparing widely matters more once you have points. Free Price Compare draws on a panel of 130+ insurers, including several that price higher-risk drivers competitively, so a decline from one company rarely means no cover is available. Around 88-89% of car insurance quotes run through our site are for comprehensive cover, and comprehensive stays available to most convicted drivers (Free Price Compare data, Jan-Jun 2026).

If your conviction followed a disqualification, read our guide to car insurance after a driving ban before you quote, as post-ban cover has its own quirks.

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How much does car insurance for convicted drivers cost?

Car insurance for convicted drivers usually costs a multiple of the clean-licence average, with the size of the loading tied to the offence code. For context, the UK average comprehensive premium was £560 in Q1 2026 according to the ABI Motor Insurance Premium Tracker (published 30/04/2026), broadly flat on the previous quarter. A conviction sits on top of that base and every other rating factor.

Industry pricing summaries for 2026 give a useful sense of scale. A single minor speeding endorsement (SP30) tends to add around 15-25%, while serious offences such as DR10 (drink driving), DR30 or DD40 (dangerous driving) can roughly double a premium or more. These are broad ranges, not quotes: your own figure depends on your car, address, mileage, age and no-claims history as well as the conviction.

Figures are indicative and may change; they reflect 2026 market commentary rather than a specific insurer quote. For a full breakdown of what shapes any quote, see our explainer on how a car insurance quote is worked out.

How much do 3 points increase car insurance?

Three penalty points, usually from a single SP30 speeding offence, typically increase a premium by around 15-25% rather than a fixed pound amount. The exact rise depends on your base price, so the same three points cost a low-risk 52-year-old far less in cash terms than a new driver. The position is different once you reach 6 points or more, where loadings climb sharply and some insurers stop quoting altogether.

How do penalty points affect car insurance?

Penalty points affect car insurance by flagging you as a statistically higher claims risk, which insurers convert into a premium loading. More points, more recent points, and more serious offence codes all push the price up, and each insurer weighs them differently. That variation is exactly why comparing pays: one company may load an IN10 heavily while another treats it as moderate.

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Cheap car insurance for convicted drivers: how to lower the price

The cheapest car insurance for convicted drivers usually comes from comparing widely and controlling the rating factors you can still influence, not from a special “convicted” product. Because insurers score the same conviction very differently, the price gap between the highest and lowest quote for the same driver is often several hundred pounds. Shopping at renewal rather than auto-renewing is the single biggest lever.

• Compare the whole market. A decline or a high loading from one insurer does not reflect the rest of the panel, so quote across many providers before deciding.
• Consider a higher voluntary excess. Raising the amount you pay towards a claim can reduce the premium, provided you could afford the excess if you claimed.
• Keep your mileage accurate and low. Lower annual mileage generally means a lower price, but never under-state it, as that can void the policy.
• Protect and build no-claims. Convictions and no-claims bonus are separate: you can still earn no-claims years while carrying points, and more years usually help.
• Pay annually if you can. Paying monthly adds interest, so a lump sum avoids that extra cost of credit.

A black box or telematics policy can also help some convicted drivers rebuild a lower price by evidencing careful driving, though it suits lower-mileage motorists best. If cost is the main barrier, our roundup of ways to find affordable cover on a tight budget covers tactics that apply here too.

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How long do you have to declare a conviction?

You must declare a motoring conviction to an insurer for as long as it remains unspent, and you must also declare current endorsements on your licence when asked. Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, a conviction becomes “spent” after a set rehabilitation period, and once spent it does not have to be disclosed for insurance and cannot be used to avoid a policy. Until then, honesty is a condition of valid cover.

Endorsement codes also carry set periods on your driving record. Most minor codes such as SP30 stay on the licence for around 4 years from the offence date, while drink-driving codes like DR10 remain for 11 years. Insurers commonly ask about convictions from the past 5 years, but always answer the exact question the insurer asks rather than assuming a timeframe.

Do you need to declare a speed awareness course?

A speed awareness course is not a conviction and usually does not need declaring, because you accepted the course instead of points and a fine. Most insurers do not ask about it, and where they do not ask, you do not have to volunteer it. If an insurer specifically asks whether you have attended a course, answer truthfully, as declining to answer a direct question can affect the contract.

What happens if you don’t declare a conviction?

Failing to declare an unspent conviction can void your policy, meaning the insurer can cancel cover and refuse claims, and you may be treated as driving uninsured under the Road Traffic Act 1988. Non-disclosure counts as a misrepresentation, and a serious one can leave you personally liable for third-party costs even after an accident that was not your fault. A voided policy also has to be declared on future applications, which pushes prices up further. If you are unsure what to declare, checking our list of information you need to compare car insurance helps you gather the right details first.

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Common conviction codes and what they mean

Motoring conviction codes are standard DVLA endorsement codes that describe the offence, and insurers use them to price risk consistently. Knowing your code helps you quote accurately and understand why a premium moved. The most common codes fall into speeding, careless driving, insurance and drink or drug offences.

• SP30 – exceeding a speed limit on a public road, the most common endorsement.
• CD10 – driving without due care and attention (careless driving).
• IN10 – using a vehicle uninsured against third-party risks.
• DR10 – driving or attempting to drive with alcohol above the limit.
• DG10 – driving or attempting to drive with drugs above the specified limit.
• DD40 – dangerous driving.
• TT99 – disqualification for accumulating 12 or more penalty points (totting up).

Some codes carry a compulsory disqualification, and a few also require medical or eyesight checks with the DVLA before you can drive again. Non-standard situations, such as a foreign licence, an unusual vehicle or a health condition that affects driving, can further narrow which insurers will quote, so comparing across a wide panel matters even more.

Would my premium go up if I add a convicted driver to my policy?

Adding a driver with a conviction to your policy can increase your premium, because insurers rate the risk of everyone named on the cover. A named driver with a drink-driving code or multiple points is treated as a higher risk, and that feeds into the shared price even if you personally have a clean licence. Never add someone as a named driver to disguise who mainly uses the car, as that is “fronting” and can void the policy. Our guide on being added to another driver’s policy explains where the line sits.

Do convictions ever stop affecting your price?

Convictions stop affecting your price once they become spent and once the endorsement drops off your licence, though the two dates are not always the same. As an offence ages, insurers weight it less, so a five-year-old SP30 usually costs far less in loading than a fresh one. Rebuilding no-claims years and quoting each renewal both help the price recover over time.

The average buyer through Free Price Compare is aged around 47-50 and has held a licence for roughly 21-27 years (Free Price Compare data, Jan-Jun 2026), and experienced drivers with an older, minor conviction often find the loading modest once they compare properly. Do not assume your renewal quote reflects that improvement automatically: insurers rarely re-price a maturing conviction in your favour unless you shop around. If you want to see how insurers really treat convictions, our roundup that busts common car insurance myths separates the genuine rules from the folklore.

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Information correct as of 25 August 2026. Prices, tariffs, policy details and providers change frequently, so please check the latest details before making a decision. This article is for general information only and does not constitute financial advice. Free Price Compare is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).