Driving offence codes explained: UK licence endorsements for speeding and other offences
What are driving offence endorsement codes and what do they mean on your driving licence?
If you are convicted of a motoring offence in the UK, the courts have a number of penalties that they can impose depending on the severity of your offence. You could be fined, disqualified from driving, imprisoned or some combination of all three. Even for less serious offences, it’s also likely that your driving licence will be ‘endorsed’ with penalty points and an endorsement code.
Endorsements like this stay on your driving licence record for either four or 11 years, depending on the offence, and you can view them online to see how many points you have, as well as when they will be removed. If you accumulate 12 or more points on your licence over a period of three years you risk being disqualified from driving under the ‘totting-up’ process.
If that happens, you’ll see the endorsement code TT99 on your driving licence record, but there are also endorsement codes relating to the other driving offences for which you can be given penalty points. Below you’ll find all these driving offence codes with explanations of which offences they refer to and how long the penalty points will remain on your licence.
How long do endorsement codes stay on your licence?
The driving offence endorsement codes stay on your licence for 4 or 11 years as we’ve said, but they are only ‘valid’ for three and 10 years respectively. While the endorsement is valid it can be taken into account if you commit a further driving offence, unless it has been removed from your driving record by the time your case gets to court.
Driving endorsement codes may be visible to third parties such as insurers and employers for the entire time that they appear on your driving record in the case of 4-year endorsements. In the case of 11-year endorsements, the code is only visible for the first 5 years, or 30 months if you are under 18.
The rules are slightly different for new drivers who can have their licence revoked completely if they get six or more points within the first two years of passing their test. They will then have to retake their practical and theory tests to get a new licence.
UK driving offence endorsement codes
Below you'll find the licence endorsement codes for driving offences in the UK...
Accident offences | |||
Code | Offence | Penalty points | Time points remain on licence (years) |
AC10 | Failing to stop after an accident | 5 to 10 | 4 |
AC20 | Failing to give particulars or report an accident within 24 hours | 5 to 10 | 4 |
AC30 | Undefined accident offences | 4 to 9 | 4 |
Disqualified driver | |||
Code | Offence | Penalty points | Time points remain on licence (years) |
BA10 | Driving while disqualified by order of court | 6 | 4 |
BA30 | Attempting to drive while disqualified by order of court | 6 | 4 |
BA40 | Causing death by driving while disqualified | 3 to 11 | 4 |
BA60 | Causing serious injury by driving while disqualified | 3 to 11 | 4 |
Careless driving | |||
Code | Offence | Penalty points | Time points remain on licence (years) |
CD10 | Driving without due care and attention | 3 to 9 | 4 |
CD20 | Driving without reasonable consideration for other road users | 3 to 9 | 4 |
CD30 | Driving without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration for other road users | 3 to 9 | 4 |
CD33 | Causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving | 3 to 9 | 4 |
CD40 | Causing death through careless driving when unfit through drink | 3 to 11 | 11 |
CD50 | Causing death by careless driving when unfit through drugs | 3 to 11 | 11 |
CD60 | Causing death by careless driving with alcohol level above the limit | 3 to 11 | 11 |
CD70 | Causing death by careless driving then failing to supply a specimen for alcohol analysis | 3 to 11 | 11 |
CD80 | Causing death by careless, or inconsiderate, driving | 3 to 11 | 4 |
CD90 | Causing death by driving: unlicensed, disqualified or uninsured drivers | 3 to 11 | 4 |
Construction and use offences | |||
Code | Offence | Penalty points | Time points remain on licence (years) |
CU10 | Using a vehicle with defective brakes | 3 | 4 |
CU20 | Causing or likely to cause danger by reason of use of unsuitable vehicle or using a vehicle with parts or accessories (excluding brakes, steering or tyres) in a dangerous condition | 3 | 4 |
CU30 | Using a vehicle with defective tyre(s) | 3 | 4 |
CU40 | Using a vehicle with defective steering | 3 | 4 |
CU50 | Causing or likely to cause danger by reason of load or passengers | 3 | 4 |
CU80 | Breach of requirements as to control of the vehicle, such as using a mobile phone | 3 to 6 | 4 |
Reckless/dangerous driving | |||
Code | Offence | Penalty points | Time points remain on licence (years) |
DD10 | Causing serious injury by dangerous driving | 3 to 11 | 4 |
DD40 | Dangerous driving | 3 to 11 | 4 |
DD60 | Manslaughter or culpable homicide while driving a vehicle | 3 to 11 | 4 |
DD80 | Causing death by dangerous driving | 3 to 11 | 4 |
DD90 | Furious driving | 3 to 9 | 4 |
Drink | |||
Code | Offence | Penalty points | Time points remain on licence (years) |
DR10 | Driving or attempting to drive with alcohol level above limit | 3 to 11 | 11 |
DR20 | Driving or attempting to drive while unfit through drink | 3 to 11 | 11 |
DR30 | Driving or attempting to drive then failing to supply a specimen for analysis | 3 to 11 | 11 |
DR31 | Driving or attempting to drive then refusing to give permission for analysis of a blood sample that was taken without consent due to incapacity | 3 to 11 | 11 |
DR61 | Refusing to give permission for analysis of a blood sample that was taken without consent due to incapacity in circumstances other than driving or attempting to drive | 10 | 11 |
DR40 | In charge of a vehicle while alcohol level above limit | 10 | 4 |
DR50 | In charge of a vehicle while unfit through drink | 10 | 4 |
DR60 | Failure to provide a specimen for analysis in circumstances other than driving or attempting to drive | 10 | 4 |
DR70 | Failing to co-operate with a preliminary test | 4 | 4 |
Drugs | |||
Code | Offence | Penalty points | Time points remain on licence (years) |
DG10 | Driving or attempting to drive with drug level above the specified limit | 3 to 11 | 11 |
DG60 | Causing death by careless driving with drug level above the limit | 3 to 11 | 11 |
DR80 | Driving or attempting to drive when unfit through drugs | 3 to 11 | 11 |
DG40 | In charge of a vehicle while drug level above specified limit | 10 | 4 |
DR70 | Failing to co-operate with a preliminary test | 4 | 4 |
DR90 | In charge of a vehicle when unfit through drugs | 10 | 4 |
Insurance offences | |||
Code | Offence | Penalty points | Time points remain on licence (years) |
IN10 | Using a vehicle uninsured against third party risks | 6 to 8 | 4 |
Licence offences | |||
Code | Offence | Penalty points | Time points remain on licence (years) |
LC20 | Driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence | 3 to 6 | 4 |
LC30 | Driving after making a false declaration about fitness when applying for a licence | 3 to 6 | 4 |
LC40 | Driving a vehicle having failed to notify a disability | 3 to 6 | 4 |
LC50 | Driving after a licence has been cancelled (revoked) or refused on medical grounds | 3 to 6 | 4 |
Miscellaneous offences | |||
Code | Offence | Penalty points | Time points remain on licence (years) |
MS10 | Leaving a vehicle in a dangerous position | 3 | 4 |
MS20 | Unlawful pillion riding | 3 | 4 |
MS30 | Play street offences | 2 | 4 |
MS50 | Motor racing on the highway | 3 to 11 | 4 |
MS60 | Offences not covered by other codes (including offences relating to breach of requirements as to control of vehicle) | 3 | 4 |
MS70 | Driving with uncorrected defective eyesight | 3 | 4 |
MS80 | Refusing to submit to an eyesight test | 3 | 4 |
MS90 | Failure to give information as to identity of driver etc | 6 | 4 |
Motorway offences | |||
Code | Offence | Penalty points | Time points remain on licence (years) |
MW10 | Contravention of special roads regulations (excluding speed limits) | 3 | 4 |
Pedestrian crossings | |||
Code | Offence | Penalty points | Time points remain on licence (years) |
PC10 | Undefined contravention of pedestrian crossing regulations | 3 | 4 |
PC20 | Contravention of pedestrian crossing regulations with moving vehicle | 3 | 4 |
PC30 | Contravention of pedestrian crossing regulations with stationary vehicle | 3 | 4 |
Speed limits | |||
Code | Offence | Penalty points | Time points remain on licence (years) |
SP10 | Exceeding goods vehicle speed limits | 3 to 6 | 4 |
SP20 | Exceeding speed limit for type of vehicle (excluding goods or passenger vehicles) | 3 to 6 | 4 |
SP30 | Exceeding statutory speed limit on a public road | 3 to 6 | 4 |
SP40 | Exceeding passenger vehicle speed limit | 3 to 6 | 4 |
SP50 | Exceeding speed limit on a motorway | 3 to 6 | 4 |
Traffic direction and signs | |||
Code | Offence | Penalty points | Time points remain on licence (years) |
TS10 | Failing to comply with traffic light signals | 3 | 4 |
TS20 | Failing to comply with double white lines | 3 | 4 |
TS30 | Failing to comply with ‘stop’ sign | 3 | 4 |
TS40 | Failing to comply with direction of a constable/warden | 3 | 4 |
TS50 | Failing to comply with traffic sign (excluding ‘stop’ signs, traffic lights or double white lines) | 3 | 4 |
TS60 | Failing to comply with a school crossing patrol sign | 3 | 4 |
TS70 | Undefined failure to comply with a traffic direction sign | 3 | 4 |
Theft or unauthorised taking | |||
Code | Offence | Penalty points | Time points remain on licence (years) |
UT50 | Aggravated taking of a vehicle | 3 to 11 | 4 |
Now take a look at our guide to speeding fines and how to appeal them...
