How much do 3 points on your licence affect your car insurance?

You can earn three penalty points on your licence for offences ranging from speeding to running a red light to driving a car with a flat tyre.

You’ll have to inform your car insurance provider of these penalty points, but usually only at renewal unless your policy documents say otherwise. You’ll also have to disclose these points to future insurers for as long as they remain on your licence: anywhere from four to 11 years, depending on the severity of the offence.

But how much does 3 points on your licence affect your car insurance premiums?

For as long as they remain on your driving record, penalty points will increase your insurance premiums as they signal to insurers that you’re driving in a way that makes you more likely to cause accidents. But the magnitude of the increase will depend on several factors, including the severity of the offence, whether you already had points on your licence or previous motoring convictions, how long you’ve been driving, and the insurer you choose. 

Typically, the more serious the offence and your punishment - for instance, if you received a motoring conviction in addition to the penalty points - the bigger the impact on your car insurance costs. Additionally, your first three penalty points will have less effect than an additional three penalty points when you already have six points on your licence. Insurers will also take a dimmer view of penalty points on the licence of young or new drivers.

The penalty points on your licence are also only one factor that insurers consider when calculating premiums. They will also factor in your age, car make and model, address, occupation, and mileage, among other things. Different insurers will weight penalty points more when quoting premiums. So if you have penalty points it’s more important than ever to gather quotes from across the market.

It’s impossible to predict exactly how much three penalty points will impact your insurance premiums. But you should be prepared to pay at least 5 to 10% more with three points on your licence than before.