9 Points On Your Licence: How To Avoid A Driving Ban

Reaching nine points on a driving licence places a motorist at risk of an automatic driving ban. Committing even a minor offence usually comes with three points on your licence, and under the ‘totting up’ system, accumulating 12 or more penalty points within a three-year period typically results in a minimum six-month ban. Most fixed penalty notices, such as those for speeding or using a mobile phone, carry at least three penalty points. Consequently, any subsequent offence usually triggers a court hearing rather than a fixed penalty offer, as the additional points reach the 12-point threshold.

More serious offences can come with more than three penalty points, which means that you may also be at risk of a ban even if you have fewer than nine points at the time an offence occurs. In either case, the police or the court will issue a Single Justice Procedure Notice to mark the start of a formal prosecution. At this stage, it is important to seek legal advice urgently.