Convicted Driver Insurance

What is convicted driver insurance?

Convicted driver insurance is a motor insurance product designed specifically for drivers with motoring or non-motoring convictions. It is sold by specialist providers who focus on higher-risk drivers and have experience assessing people with multiple points or convictions.

Mainstream insurers often have strict underwriting criteria and may decline drivers with serious convictions or quote very high premiums. Specialist insurers typically offer more competitive rates for drivers with convictions, flexible payment plans and better service for complex cases. If a standard car insurance comparison is not producing an affordable quote, a specialist panel is the next place to look.

Which convictions can I get insurance for?

You can compare quotes for car, van or motorbike insurance with any conviction, including drink driving, driving without insurance, speeding, mobile phone offences, totting-up disqualification, a driving ban and non-motoring offences.

The type of offence matters to insurers. Minor speeding offences such as SP30 typically cause a smaller increase than serious convictions such as drink driving (DR10) or driving without insurance (IN10). Even where an offence is not related to driving, some insurers will still not offer cover, which is why a specialist panel is useful for non-motoring convictions.

How much does a conviction add to car insurance?

Convictions usually increase the cost of a policy, and the size of the increase depends on the type of offence, the number of points, how recent the conviction is, your age and the rest of your driving history.

Age makes a difference as well. A 21-year-old with 6 points may pay double what they would with a clean licence, whilst a 40-year-old might see a 30-40% increase. A clean claims record and an otherwise clean driving history help offset the impact, and premiums should gradually fall as the conviction ages. If you are a young driver with a conviction, expect the steepest increases. For more detail on points specifically, see our guides to car insurance with points and car insurance with 6 points.

Do I have to declare convictions when buying car insurance?

Yes. You must declare all convictions, both motoring and non-motoring, when you take out or renew a policy, however tempting it is to leave them out to lower the price.

Failing to detail any conviction can invalidate your insurance if you need to make a claim. Insurers cross-reference your information with the DVLA, so discrepancies will be identified, and an undeclared conviction can lead to a cancelled policy, refused claims and a report to the Insurance Fraud Bureau. Non-disclosure is treated as fraud.

Insurers will typically ask for:

• The offence code (such as SP30, DR10 or CU80)
• The date of conviction
• The number of points received
• Any disqualification period
• Details of any other convictions or claims

If you receive further points after your policy starts, you must inform your insurer immediately. They may increase your premium for the rest of the term, adjust your terms or excess, or in less common cases cancel the policy. Not telling them can leave you uninsured.

How long does a conviction affect car insurance?

Penalty points remain on your DVLA record for either four or 11 years depending on the offence, but insurers typically ask about convictions from the past five years when you apply or renew.

You must declare points accurately if they fall within the insurer's disclosure period, even if they no longer carry active penalty points. Most convictions become spent at a set time in the future under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. Once a conviction is spent you no longer have to declare it when purchasing insurance, though it is worth checking with individual insurers as their questions vary. Recent convictions affect premiums more than older ones, so the cost should ease over time if you keep a clean record.

How can I lower the cost of convicted driver insurance?

The most effective step is to compare quotes from as many providers as possible, because insurers assess convictions differently and prices vary dramatically between them.

• Compare before you renew: loyalty is often not rewarded, so compare quotes each year rather than letting a policy roll over.
• Consider a black box policy: telematics cover monitors your driving and can reward safe behaviour with lower premiums. Some people prefer not to share that data with an insurer, so weigh it up.
• Reduce your mileage: lower mileage means lower risk. At the very least, give an accurate mileage estimate.
• Increase your voluntary excess: agreeing to pay more towards a claim lowers the premium, but make sure the total excess is affordable.
• Choose a lower-risk vehicle: smaller, lower-powered cars in lower insurance groups are cheaper to insure. Avoid heavily modified or high-performance cars.
• Protect or build a no claims discount: claim-free years help offset the effect of a conviction. If you have none yet, see our guide to car insurance without a no claims bonus.
• Add an experienced named driver: someone with a clean licence can sometimes reduce the cost, but only if they genuinely drive the car.
• Pay annually: monthly instalments include interest, so paying upfront costs less.
• Improve security: an approved alarm or immobiliser can lower costs.

Can I be refused car insurance because of a conviction?

Some insurers will refuse, including for non-driving convictions, but you cannot be shut out of insurance altogether because specialist insurers exist specifically to cover drivers with convictions.

Mainstream insurers may decline or quote inflated prices, which is why comparing a specialist panel matters. If insuring your car is proving expensive, do not be tempted to drive without cover: a minimum of third party insurance is a legal requirement in the UK, and driving uninsured risks another conviction (IN10) that will make cover harder and more expensive still.

If you also have adverse credit, such as a County Court Judgement, some mainstream insurers refuse cover for an unsatisfied CCJ while specialist providers are more willing to accept it. Our guide to car insurance with a CCJ covers that situation in detail.

How do I compare convicted driver insurance quotes?

Complete the form with details about you, your vehicle and your driving history, compare quotes from up to 5 specialist insurance providers, then purchase cover from the provider you prefer.

Comparison lets you see which insurers will actually cover you and at what price, rather than approaching providers one at a time. Have your offence codes, conviction dates, points and any disqualification period to hand so the information you give is complete and accurate. Quote Goat provides access to a comparison service and is rated 4.8/5 on Reviews.io, with 97% of customers recommending it.