Drug Driving Insurance Specialists

Drug Driving Insurance

Compare Cover for Drug Convictions

Convicted of drug driving? Cover with a DG10, DG40 or DR80 endorsement is harder to find on the high street. The specialist insurers we work with quote these convictions every day and compete to offer you a competitive price.

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How to Compare Drug Driving Insurance

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Tell us about your DG10, DR80 or other drug endorsement and your vehicle
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Drug driving conviction codes

If you have an unspent drug driving conviction, insurance will be more expensive, but you should still compare all the available options to reduce costs and save money.

Drug Driving Conviction Codes and Penalty Points
Conviction Code Offence Points
These codes must stay on a driving record for 11 years from the date of conviction.
DG10 Driving or attempting to drive with drug level above the specified limit 3 to 11
DG60 Causing death by careless driving with drug level above the limit 3 to 11
DR80 Driving or attempting to drive when unfit through drugs 3 to 11
These codes must stay on a driving record for 4 years from the date of the offence, or 4 years from the date of conviction if disqualified.
DG40 In charge of a vehicle while drug level above specified limit 10
DR70 Failing to co-operate with a preliminary test 4
DR90 In charge of a vehicle when unfit through drugs 10

Do I Need to Declare My Drug Driving Conviction?

There are two separate dates to keep track of, and mixing them up is one of the most common mistakes drivers make with a drug driving conviction on their record.

The first is how long your conviction stays on your DVLA driving record. Most drug driving codes fall into two groups: DG10, DG60 and DR80 stay on your record for 11 years from the date of conviction, while DG40, DR70 and DR90 stay for 4 years.

The second, separate date is how long you need to declare it to your insurer. Most insurers ask about convictions from the last 5 years on their application forms, regardless of which DVLA period applies to your specific code. This means a DG10 conviction can drop below your insurer’s 5-year question well before it comes off your DVLA record entirely.

Always check the exact wording of the question on your specific form rather than assuming, since insurers vary in how they phrase this. If you want to check both dates for your own conviction, use our declaration calculator, select your code and offence date, and it works out both timelines for you.

Eamonn Turley

Eamonn’s Take

Eamonn Turley · Commercial Insurance Editor, MultiQuoteTime

Most conviction codes stay on your licence for 4 years, so drivers with a DG10 often assume the same applies and stop worrying about it too early. It doesn’t. DG10, DG60 and DR80 carry an 11-year duration, nearly triple the standard period, because drug driving is treated as seriously as drink driving under DVLA rules. If you’re checking when a conviction drops off, don’t go by what applied to a previous speeding or licence endorsement, check the specific code every time.

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Did You Know?

You can access your driving licence record online to see all disqualifications, endorsements and penalty points.

Check Licence Online
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Did You Know?

If you’re on a budget, most insurance brokers allow you to spread the cost by paying monthly.

How Much Does Insurance Go Up After a Drug Driving Conviction?

A drug driving conviction is treated as one of the most serious motoring offences by insurers, and premiums typically rise substantially at your next renewal. Reported increases vary widely across the market, from roughly doubling to several times the original premium, depending on the specific code, your age, vehicle, and individual insurer.

Because the range is so wide and depends heavily on your personal circumstances, the only reliable way to know what you’ll actually pay is to compare quotes directly. Some mainstream insurers will decline to quote at all once a drug driving conviction is disclosed, which is why comparing across a panel of specialist brokers we have access to matters more here than for most other conviction types.

Your premium isn’t fixed for the full duration of the conviction either. Insurers typically load the price hardest in the first year or two, then ease it slightly at each renewal as the conviction ages, provided your record stays clean. Re-comparing quotes annually rather than auto-renewing can help claw back some of that cost well before the conviction is fully spent.

How Can I Reduce the Cost of My Drug Driving Car Insurance?

Use a Specialist DG10 Broker

Search for specialist DG10 car insurance policies rather than a general quote form. Insurers who recognise the conviction are better prepared to offer a competitive price, and understand the legal detail well enough to guide you through the process during or after a ban.

Fit a Black Box

A telematics policy gives your insurer real evidence of safe driving over time. If you drive carefully, this can bring your premium down at renewal rather than relying on the conviction ageing alone.

Choose a Lower Insurance Group Vehicle

Cars in a lower insurance group, for example group 7, cost less to cover regardless of your conviction history. If you’re changing vehicles, checking the group first can help offset some of the loading.

Add an Experienced Named Driver

Adding a second driver with a strong, clean insurance track record can lower the overall risk profile of the policy. Only ever add someone as a named driver if they’re genuinely a secondary driver, adding someone as the main driver when they aren’t is fronting, and it’s illegal.

Reduce Your Estimated Mileage

Lower annual mileage generally means lower risk in an insurer’s eyes. Planning alternative means of travel where possible can help bring your declared mileage down, only ever declare what you genuinely expect to drive.

Drug driving and prescription medication

Whilst drug driving is mostly associated with driving whilst under the influence of illegal drugs, it is not always the case. Over the counter or prescription drugs s can also land you with a drug driving conviction, and it is more common than you might think.

Before taking any medication, check the label and also check with your doctor to confirm they will not impact your ability to drive or operate machinery. 

Medicinal Drug Limits in Blood
Drug Limit in Blood (µg/L)
Amphetamine 250
Clonazepam 50
Diazepam 550
Flunitrazepam 100
Lorazepam 100
Methadone 500
Morphine 80
Oxazepam 300
Temazepam 1000

Find Your Drug Driving Code

Each drug driving conviction carries a specific code. Choose yours below for detailed insurance guidance.

DG10

Driving with drug level above the specified limit. The most common drug driving code, 3 to 11 points, 11 years on your licence.

DG10 car insurance guide
DG40

In charge of a vehicle while drug level above specified limit, not actually driving. 10 points, 4 years on your licence, ban is discretionary rather than mandatory.

Compare DG40 quotes
DG60

Causing death by careless driving with drug level above the limit. The most serious code in this family, 3 to 11 points, 11 years on your licence.

Compare DG60 quotes
DR80

Driving or attempting to drive when unfit through drugs, impairment-based rather than a measured limit. 3 to 11 points, 11 years on your licence.

Compare DR80 quotes
DR90

In charge of a vehicle when unfit through drugs, not actually driving. 10 points, 4 years on your licence, ban is discretionary.

Compare DR90 quotes

Drug Driving Convictions With Illegal Drugs

In 2012 the government announced zero tolerance for 8 illegal drugs: benzoylecgonine, cocaine, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (cannabis), ketamine, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), methylamphetamine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and 6-monoacetylmorphine (heroin).

More details can be found at the official gov.uk table of drugs and limits and the gov.uk drug driving law page.

Drug Driving Consequences

If a driver fails a roadside test, they can be arrested, spend a night in custody, and have to take a follow-up blood test. Drug driving always results in a minimum 1-year driving ban, an unlimited fine, 3 to 11 points on your licence, and up to 6 months in prison.

A criminal conviction will leave a mark on your criminal record and driving licence, and typically leads to increased car insurance premiums, reduced employment prospects, and in some cases travel restrictions.

Useful Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Drug driving has been a criminal offence since 2 March 2015. If you’re convicted, it will appear on your criminal record.

A minimum 12-month driving ban, a criminal record, an unlimited fine, and up to 6 months in prison. Your licence will also be endorsed, and the endorsement stays on your record for 11 years.

Unlike drinking and driving, there’s no reliable way to know exactly when a drug has left your system or dropped below the legal limit. Some drugs can also build up in your system over time, including certain prescription medications.

Not always. Insurance still covers third party vehicles in all instances, but even comprehensive policyholders may find their own vehicle isn’t covered if they were driving under the influence of drink or drugs at the time of an incident, since many policies exclude this specifically.

Whilst the cost of standard car insurance will be more expensive, you could look at black box insurance or temporary car insurance as alternatives, or look at bespoke convicted driver insurance options that are geared for those with excessive points on licence or prior convictions.

Possibly. Most drug driving codes stay on your DVLA record for 11 years, but you’re typically only required to declare them to insurers for 5 years from the date of conviction. Check both dates for your specific code using our declaration calculator.

Yes. Some mainstream insurers may decline to quote or charge significantly more, but a panel of specialist brokers we have access to deal with drug driving convictions regularly and can offer competitive cover.

DG codes cover driving with a drug level above the legal specified limit, similar to how drink driving limits work. DR codes cover being unfit to drive through drugs, which is based on impairment rather than a measured threshold. Use our code selector above to find which one applies to you.

It depends on the specific code. DG10, DG60 and DR80 stay on your licence for 11 years from the date of conviction. DG40, DR70 and DR90 stay for 4 years. See the conviction codes table above for the full breakdown.

A 1-2 day DVSA-approved programme covering the law, the effects of drugs on driving, and how to avoid reoffending. If offered by the court at sentencing, completing it can reduce your ban by up to 25%. See our full guide to the drug-drive rehabilitation course for eligibility and how it affects your insurance.

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Eamonn Turley
Last Updated: 20 July 2026
Reviewed by: Eamonn Turley, Insurance Specialist
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