Often when a motorist is convicted of an offence they as part of their sentencing they receive penalty points, or endorsements.
In the event of points being given, the lowest amount that can be received is two points for lesser offences and for serious offences the maximum given is eleven, with the majority of offences warranting three points or more penalty points. In certain cases points are given for multiple occurrences of the same crime(for example if more than one tyre is defective) and penalty points are usually obligatory but the actual number of points is discretionary.
Each type of endorsement has a unique offence code and the points are recorded on the counterpart to the photo license and upon conviction you will need to produce this to either the fixed penalty office (FPO), the police, or at your court appearance, so the points can be added.
Depending on the offence the penalty points must stay on your license for a duration of either four or eleven years. They stay on for four years if you have committed reckless/dangerous driving, offences resulting in disqualification or have been disqualified from driving until a driving test has been passed, and for eleven if the conviction is related to drugs or drinking and driving, causing death by careless driving while under the influence, or causing death by careless driving, then failing to provide a specimen for analysis.
If you are a repeat offender you may be given points for each motoring offence and if you manage to amount twelve or more points in a period of three years then you will have you license revoked under the totting up system. In the first two years of driving you will lose your license if you tot up six or more points in a two year period.
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