The court can ban you for almost any road traffic offence, but usually where there are minor offences committed you will be given penalty points instead.
If you get 12 or more penalty points over a three year period you will be disqualified (a process known as ‘totting’) for a minimum period. This is usually six months but will be longer if you have been banned before.
If I have got 12 points will I always be banned?
No, but you will need to show that you have exceptional mitigating circumstances for the court to exercise its discretion and you cannot use the same mitigation twice. However where you were already over 12 points before the current offence it is almost inevitable that the courts will ban you for a minimum of six but up to 12 months.
What if I am being prosecuted for multiple offences?
Where a number of offences were committed at the same time (boy, it was a bad day!) the court may only endorse your licence for the most serious offence. However, you may find that distinct offences can be committed at or about the same time (e.g. going through a number of cameras on the same road) and the court can accumulate points for offences committed on the same occasion.
New drivers
If you are within the first two years of passing your driving test and you accumulate six or more penalty points the DVLA will automatically take your driving licence away. It is not a matter that the court has any discretion on. You will have to retake your test to get your licence back.
