6 Points in Your First 2 Years: The New Driver Rule Explained

Last checked: 25 September 2026

For most drivers, the line for a ban is 12 points. For the first 2 years after you pass, it’s half that, and the consequence is different: you don’t just lose your licence for a while, you go back to being a learner. One hand-held phone offence is enough.

This guide explains how the new driver rule works, what counts towards the 6, and what to do if it happens to you. It covers licences in England, Scotland and Wales.

How the new driver rule works

The rule comes from the Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act 1995. Your licence is revoked when all of these apply:

• you’re convicted of an offence that carries penalty points, or you accept a fixed penalty for one
• the offence was committed during your probationary period, the 2 years after you passed your test
• the penalty points taken into account come to 6 or more

It’s not a court ban. The points are endorsed on your record in the usual way, and the licence is then revoked automatically by the Secretary of State under the Act. GOV.UK simply puts it this way: your licence will be cancelled if you get 6 or more points within 2 years of passing your test.

How quickly you can reach 6 points

Six points isn’t many. Some single offences get you there straight away:

Offence	Penalty points	Enough on its own?
Holding and using a phone or other device while driving	6, plus a £200 fine	Yes
Driving without insurance (IN10)	6 to 8	Yes
Exceeding the speed limit (SP30)	3 to 6	Two offences at 3 points each reach 6
Failing to comply with traffic light signals (TS10)	3	Two offences reach 6

GOV.UK’s mobile phone guidance spells it out: you’ll also lose your licence if you passed your driving test in the last 2 years. The law applies even if you’re stopped at traffic lights or queuing in traffic.

Points from when you were a learner count too

Any penalty points on your provisional licence that haven’t expired are carried over to your full licence when you pass. If further points then take you to 6 or more within 2 years of passing, your licence is cancelled.

Learners can pick up points more easily than they might think. GOV.UK says you can get up to 6 points on your provisional licence for driving without the right supervision, and up to 6 points for not displaying L plates, or for plates that aren’t the right size. Either one could leave you starting your driving life with no margin at all.

Who the rule applies to

The rules apply to all new drivers who passed their first driving test in Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, Gibraltar or an EC or EEA country. They also apply if you exchange a foreign licence for a British one and then pass a further driving test in Great Britain.

Passing a test for another category later, such as a lorry licence, doesn’t start another 2-year period. The probationary period runs from your first test.

Do you have to display P plates?

No. You can display green P plates to show you’ve just passed, but you don’t have to, and you can leave them on for as long as you like. Northern Ireland is different: new drivers there must display R plates for one year after passing.

What happens if your licence is cancelled

• You must apply and pay for a new provisional licence. You can apply at any time, using form D1 from the Post Office.
• You must pass both the theory test and the practical driving test again to get a full licence.
• If you’ve passed but hadn’t yet sent off for your full licence, you must retake both tests, but you can use your current provisional licence to take them.

GOV.UK lists a £50 fee for getting your licence back after it was revoked under the New Drivers Act. On top of that come the test fees: £23 for the theory test and £62 for a weekday driving test. Our driving lesson cost calculator can help you budget for any refresher lessons.

The endorsements themselves don’t disappear when you pass again. Most stay on your driving record for 4 years, as our guide to how long penalty points stay on your licence explains.

Can you ask for a ban instead?

Some new drivers ask the court to disqualify them for a short period instead of adding points, to avoid the retest. The Sentencing Council’s guideline for courts in England and Wales says this would generally be inappropriate: the court should impose penalty points so that the requirement to take a further test applies.

How to check your points

Use GOV.UK’s view or share your driving licence information service to see your points and when they’ll be removed. You’ll need your driving licence number, National Insurance number and the postcode on your licence. Our penalty points calculator has a new driver option that shows how close you are to 6 and when your 2-year period ends.

Sources: GOV.UK Penalty points: new drivers, Using mobile phones when driving, Reapply for your driving licence, Driving licence fees and Driving lessons and learning to drive; Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act 1995, section 2 (legislation.gov.uk); Sentencing Council Driving disqualification guideline.