DR10 is the DVLA code for driving or trying to drive over the legal alcohol limit. It can affect your licence and insurance.
A DR10 conviction is a drink-driving conviction. It means you were convicted of driving, or trying to drive, while over the legal alcohol limit.
GOV.UK lists DR10 as “driving or attempting to drive with alcohol level above limit”. It can add 3 to 11 penalty points to your licence.
Drink-drive limits are not the same across the whole UK. England, Wales and Northern Ireland have one set of limits. Scotland has lower limits. GOV.UK also says there is no safe number of drinks that will keep every person under the drink-drive limit, as alcohol affects people in different ways.
A DR10 is a serious motoring offence. If you are convicted of driving or trying to drive while over the limit, the court can give you a fine, a prison sentence, and a driving ban.
GOV.UK says the penalties can include up to 6 months in prison, an unlimited fine, and a ban from driving for at least 1 year. If you are convicted twice in 10 years, the minimum ban is usually 3 years. You can read more on GOV.UK’s page about drink-driving penalties.
The sentence depends on the facts of the case. The Sentencing Council drink-driving guide says the alcohol reading and other factors can affect the sentence. These may include whether there was an accident, passengers, poor driving, or risk to other road users.
A DR10 stays on your driving record for 11 years from the date of conviction. GOV.UK explains that 11-year endorsements are valid for the first 10 years. It also says insurers and employers may be able to find out about some endorsements during the first 5 years. You can check the full guidance on how long endorsements stay on your driving record.
This is different from when a conviction becomes spent. GOV.UK’s rehabilitation period guidance lists driving endorsements as spent after 5 years for adults. A driving disqualification is spent when the disqualification period has passed.
Where a DR10 includes both an endorsement and a ban, the periods can overlap. For many adult drivers, the endorsement period may still matter for disclosure even after a 12-month ban has ended.
This can be confusing. A DR10 may still appear on your driving record after it is spent for some purposes. You should answer insurance questions carefully and only give the information asked for.
The court may offer a drink-drive rehabilitation course if you are banned for 12 months or more. GOV.UK says the course can cost up to £250. If you finish it in time, your ban is usually reduced by a quarter. You can read more about drink-drive rehabilitation courses.
Some drivers are classed as high risk offenders. GOV.UK says this can happen after 2 drink-driving offences within 10 years, after a high alcohol reading, or after refusing to provide or allow a sample. High risk offenders must prove they are fit to drive again and pass a DVLA medical before getting a new licence. GOV.UK explains this in its guide to disqualification for drink-driving.
A DR10 can make car or van insurance harder to arrange. It may also affect the price, excess, policy terms, or the number of insurers willing to quote. This depends on the insurer, the vehicle, the driver, claims history, and how long ago the conviction happened.
MoneyHelper says insurance can be more expensive if you have an unspent conviction. It also says some mainstream insurers may refuse cover for people with unspent convictions. You can read more in its guide to getting insurance with a criminal conviction.
You only need to tell an insurer about a conviction if you are asked. If you get a conviction during a policy, you do not usually need to tell the insurer until renewal unless your policy says you must. If you do not disclose something when asked, it could affect your cover.
The Financial Ombudsman Service says customers must take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation when buying or renewing insurance. If an insurer finds that important information was given wrongly or left out, it may affect the policy or a claim.
Some insurers may ask about unspent convictions only. Others may ask about motoring convictions within a set number of years. You should answer the question as it is asked and check the policy wording.
Read the exact question carefully. For standard consumer insurance, you do not normally have to disclose a spent conviction, even if it falls within a period mentioned in the question.
At Got You Covered, we arrange insurance through insurers. We do not underwrite every policy ourselves. Acceptance, price, excesses, and terms depend on the insurer and the full details.
We may be able to help drivers with a DR10 once they are legally allowed to drive again. Our convicted driver insurance service is for drivers with motoring convictions, including drink-driving offences.
