8 Points on Provisional Licence: Can Full Licence Be Issued?

Q.

I am a driving instructor and have a new pupil who has 8 points on his licence for driving without insurance. Can he still gain his full licence by passing the test or will his licence be revoked? I am some what confused with different information.

A.

Many learner drivers are worried that they will not be issued with their full driving licence after passing their practical driving test if they have already clocked up at least six penalty points beforehand. Is this really the case?

The New Drivers Act

Under the New Drivers Act, you can only receive six penalty points on your driving licence in the first two years after you pass your practical driving. If you exceed this amount, your driving licence will be revoked, and you will be treated as a learner driver again. This means that you have to re-apply for your provisional driving licence, and pass the theory and practical driving tests again.

Points Received Before Passing the Practical Driving Test

Any penalty points that you clock up before passing your first practical driving test will have an effect on your driving licence. However, this does not automatically mean that you will not receive your full driving licence if you have already got six or more penalty points on your driving licence at this point.

If you go on to receive an additional six or more penalty points in the two years after passing your practical driving test, your driving licence will then be taken away from you. Be aware that the penalty points will remain on your driving licence, even though they may not affect the amount of points that you are still 'allowed' to receive before losing your practical driving test.

Sitting Your Practical Driving Test Again

If you are re-taking your practical driving test because you have accumulated too many penalty points in the first two years as a new driver, the penalty points that you have already notched up do not carry over as such as you are once again subject to the New Drivers Act rules. They do remain on your driving licence though until they have expired. Although it varies depending on the motoring offence for which you received the penalty points, this will usually take a minimum of four years. For serious motoring offences, it can take as long as eleven years for the penalty points to expire.