The UK’s legal information website

Talk to a road traffic solicitor

  • Free solicitor matching service
  • Lines open 24/7
  • Drink driving, speeding and insurance offences

Call us on 0800 4334 843

Or enter your details

Driving Licence Laws

The necessity of a licence

It is an offence for anyone to drive a motor vehicle on a road without a licence, and you must have the correct licence for the class of vehicle you are driving. Therefore it is essential to ensure that at all times you are carrying the right type of licence and that your licence is valid and up to date.

For information on what type of licence you need, see Driving Licence Categories. Alternatively, for circumstances which may affect the status of your driving licence, see Changes to your Driving Licence.

Getting car insurance with points on your licence

I'm a dodgy driver but I still got insurance!Car Insurance premiums are typically calculated based on risk, and any drivers who violate road traffic laws will typically be subjected to points on their license, which will then unavoidably result in more expensive insurance premiums.

Driving with no insurance

Blunder busDriving with no insurance is a criminal offence in the UK. Anyone driving a vehicle in a public place in the UK must have an insurance policy in place which at least covers third party damages should you be involved in a traffic accident.

The basic principles of road traffic law

Red car, blue car, white carConsidering the number of cars that are on the roads today, it is essential that road traffic law and its array of areas in which law is required to regulate the drivers actions is in place. Without such regulation drivers would be in somewhat of a free for all.