How long do points on your licence last?

Q: How long do speeding points remain on your licence? I was fined for an SP30 infringement recently, and I thought the points remained for three years - is it longer?
Heather Skermer

A: The DVLA rule is that speeding offences, including the SP30, must stay on your licence for four years from the date of the offence.

There are exceptions, though. Causing death by dangerous driving and driving under the influence of drink or drugs are both offences that must stay on your licence for 11 years.

A 'totting-up' ban is where a driver accrues 12 penalty points in three years. If a driver builds up nine points in three years and then receives another three in the fourth, he or she will not be awarded an automatic ban.

This concept is sometimes misunderstood, creating the wrong idea that after three years points are removed from the licence.

In this case you'll have to wait for one more year before the endorsement can be removed, at which point you'll need to pay for a new licence.