Do I Have To Serve My Whole Driving Ban?
To lose your driving licence you need to either have reached the maximum number of penalty points allowed or have committed an offence that was deemed by the courts to have put the lives of others at risk.
Depending on the severity of the offence, the length of a driving ban can range from one year to ten years. In extreme cases, a judge will give an offender a lifetime disqualification, with the safety of the public at mind.
When offences are less severe, offenders may be required to serve a Short Period Disqualification (SPD) which is less than fifty six days. The court will keep your driving licence for the duration of the period but it will not be revoked, you will not need to retake a test and you can start driving once the SPD has expired.
If you have served a full driving ban you can apply for your licence once it has expired which can be done by filling in the correct forms available online or at a post office. At this stage you will only receive a provisional driving licence so you can apply to re-take the theory, hazard perception and practical test.
The endorsements of a disqualification will remain on a licence unless otherwise instructed by a magistrate for which you will need to appear and present your case for removal.
If someone has been disqualified they may apply for their licence earlier than the expiry of the disqualification. However, this depends on the individual circumstances of the driver and the length of the ban.
A court may allow a driver to only serve half their disqualification if they have undertaken drink driving rehabilitation courses or other steps to ensure safer driving once qualified. The court may also consider the effect of the ban on an individual’s family life or career.
Disqualifications longer than 2 years may be overturned after half the proposed disqualification period, for example for a ban of 6 years you can apply after 3. If you re-offended, driving or otherwise, since your disqualification the court will instantly dismiss your application. If you drive whilst banned you may face a custodial sentence and a hefty fine.
If you need advice on speeding, then visit Nick Freeman’s site if you believe you may experience exceptional hardship as a result of losing your licence.
