Forgot to Tell Car Insurance About Points? Important To Know

Are you one of the convicted drivers who forgot to tell car insurance about points? If so, I explain what could happen and how an insurer could react to the omission in my post!

How to find the cheapest insurance with a conviction

If you’ve got a conviction or points, getting insurance through a standard provider could be more expensive. 

You might find cheaper deals through specialist insurers.

I’ve partnered with Quotezone who can help you find the best insurance specifically for convicted drivers with points.

Fill out the simple form below to find great quotes for convicted drivers today. 

What are penalty points?

Like other countries, the UK has adopted a penalty point system which governs whether drivers should keep their licences or not.

In short, motorists are given points on their licences every time they commit a driving offence.

How does the penalty points system work in the UK?

The penalty points system was set in place to penalise motorists who commit driving offences. For example, when you’re caught speeding, you’d get a fine and penalty points on your driving record.

These points can stay on your licence for anything from 4 to 11 years. The result? Having an unspent conviction on your record makes car insurance premiums go up according to the seriousness of an offence.

For instance, if you get 12 or more points on your licence within 3 years, you’ll be disqualified from driving! 

It’s worth noting that for new drivers who just got their licences the rules are different. Their licences are revoked!

How do points affect insurance premiums?

It depends on how many penalty points you get as to how much it’ll negatively impact your insurance.

That said, all convictions will impact the premium you pay whether you got 3 points or 11 points which you’d get for drink-driving.

Plus, it would depend on how old the conviction is as to how much you pay for your car insurance!

Don’t get ripped off by insurance companies

Getting affordable car insurance with a conviction or points can feel impossible, especially if you’re using standard comparison websites. 

Luckily, there are some specialist insurers out there… you just need to know where to find them!

I’ve partnered with Quotezone to provide access to some of the best specialist convicted drivers’ insurance deals available.

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In partnership with QuoteZone

Do insurers check if you have points?

Your driving record is held by the DVLA which includes any penalty points you have on your licence.

Most leading motor insurance companies can access the information under the MyLicence Scheme. That said, comparison sites do not have access to this data.

It’s worth noting the MyLicence Scheme does not reveal spent convictions.

Can insurers find out if you have points?

Yes. If you don’t disclose penalty points to an insurer, they will likely find out about them.

In short, you may take out an insurance policy but this could be invalid as soon as an insurer discovers you have points.

Will my insurance company check if I have points?

Yes. Most leading motor insurance companies will ask you about any convictions you have. They typically ask about convictions you had in the last 5 years and whether they are unspent or spent.

Check out the question one motorist posted on a popular forum:

Source: Moneysavingexpert

Is declaring penalty points automatic?

You’ll be asked to disclose any penalty points you have when you renew a policy or you take out new insurance.

That said, many motor insurance companies add a clause in a policy that stipulates you have to tell them about convictions straight away. So it is always worth checking your policy to see if it includes this clause.

How long do you have to tell insurance about points?

As mentioned, you must tell your insurer about penalty points when you renew a policy or take out a new one.

However, you may want to check your policy because many insurers stipulate that you disclose convictions straight away.

Is it illegal to not tell your insurance about points?

Yes. You’d be breaking the law if you omit to tell an insurer about points on your licence.

In short, under the Road Traffic Act, withholding information when applying for motor insurance is an offence!

What are the consequences of not declaring points?

The consequences of not declaring points on your licence are far-reaching. Not only could an insurer invalidate your policy, but they could also deem you tried to defraud them!

If you’re stopped by the police, you could be prosecuted for driving an uninsured car. You could be prosecuted and given as many as 8 penalty points on your licence!

Moreover, if you are in an accident, the insurer will likely not agree to pay out!

Do I need to declare points for temporary car insurance?

Yes. You have a legal obligation to disclose penalty points when you take out temporary insurance.

The rules are the same as taking out annual insurance as it allows insurers to determine the risk factors involved!

What do I need to tell my car insurance company?

You must tell them about any and all endorsements you receive when you renew your insurance. The same is true if you take out new insurance.

That said, you should always check your policy because it could contain a clause that stipulates telling insurers about convictions straight away if the policy is still running.

Things you need to tell your insurer immediately

There are certain things you must tell your insurer straight away which I’ve listed below:

• When you are involved in an accident
• When you sell your vehicle
• When you change addresses
• If you change where you park your vehicle at night
• If you change the annual mileage you do
• When you or a named driver’s circumstances change
• Any changes in your driving licence status
• If the registered keeper changes

Things you need to tell your insurer at renewal

There are things you should tell your insurer when you renew a policy with them which I’ve listed in the table below:

You should also check your policy when you renew it to establish all the details are correct.

What happens if you forgot to tell insurance about points?

If you forgot to declare penalty points to an insurer, they’ll cancel your policy. This will leave you driving an uninsured vehicle which could get you prosecuted!

Moreover, you risk getting more penalty points on your licence which could be anything from 6 to 8 points!

What happens if you don’t declare speeding points on insurance?

You must declare speeding points to insurers when you take out a new policy or renew an existing one. That said, many motor insurance companies now ask you to disclose all convictions immediately by including a clause in their policies!

If you fail to disclose speeding points, your insurance could be invalid!

How will penalty points affect my insurance quote?

Any and all points on driving licences will impact the amount you pay for car insurance. That said, the more points you have, the higher an insurance quote will be.

Plus, serious driving convictions will get you banned from driving. In this case, finding insurance could be challenging because you are high-risk.

What counts as a driving conviction?

Driving convictions are given for motoring offences. They are a type of criminal conviction that could earn you a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) or you could face going to court for a serious offence that puts you in the high-risk category.

Court hearings are held in Magistrates Courts or Sheriff Courts in Scotland.

What would happen if someone didn’t declare points to their insurance?

If you didn’t declare points to an insurer, your policy could be cancelled. Moreover, having a policy cancelled will make it harder for you to find car insurance!

In short, having a policy cancelled is a red flag to other motor insurance companies.

What happens if you are not sure about how many points you have?

There are ways you can find out how many points you have on your licence by visiting the Government’s dedicated page.

You’ll need to provide the following information:

• Your driving licence number which found on the front of your licence
• Your National Insurance Number
• The postcode found on your driving licence

How long do points stay on your licence?

Endorsements could stay on your licence for anything from 4 to 11 years depending on a driving offence. This can start from the time of the offence or when you were convicted of it.

How many penalty points to suspend a licence?

You can be disqualified from driving if you build up 12 or more penalty points within 3 years.

There are different rules for new drivers. Endorsement codes and processes in Northern Ireland are different.

Do you have to declare a speed awareness course to insurance?

You’re not legally obliged to tell an insurance company about a speed awareness course you went on. Unless they ask you, that is.

If an insurer asks you if you went on a course, you must tell them or they could cancel your car insurance policy.

Do I need to inform my insurance company of a speeding ticket?

You don’t have to tell an insurance company about a speeding offence straight away unless there’s a clause in the policy stipulating that you do.

That said, when a policy is due for renewal, you’re legally obliged to disclose a speeding conviction.

Affordable Convicted Driver Insurance

To help you avoid some of the ludicrously expensive packages out there and actually find something reasonable I’ve partnered with Quotezone.

They bring together some of the best specialist deals for convicted drivers to make your search easier. 

Try it below.

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In partnership with QuoteZone

Do I have to declare expired points to insurance?

No. You don’t have to declare expired (spent) points to insurers. However, it’s worth noting that points may expire in 4 years but insurers could ask you to declare all convictions you had within 5 years!

Why do insurance companies ask for 5 years convictions?

Under the terms of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, motor insurance companies can ask you about convictions that go back 5 years because they remain on record for that amount of time.

Need some more information about unspent convictions?

If you need more information about unspent convictions, why not check out our recent post on the subject?