Best Temporary Car Insurance for Convicted Drivers
For a driver with points, a conviction or a past ban, the best temporary car insurance is the one that will actually quote the code on your licence. Most short-term providers cap points at 6 to 9 and turn away drink driving codes altogether. The five below are ranked on how wide that door is, using each provider's own published criteria, checked on 10 November 2026.
The Five at a Glance
| Rank | Provider | Points accepted | Drink and drug driving codes | Past bans | Length of cover |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Temp Insurance UK | Every DVLA code quoted | Quoted where an insurer accepts the code | Quoted once the ban has ended | 1 hour to 28 days |
| 2 | GoShorty | Every DVLA code quoted | Quoted where an insurer accepts the code | Quoted once the ban has ended | 1 hour to 28 days |
| 3 | Dayinsure | Up to 9 | Not within 3 years | None in the last 18 months | Short term |
| 4 | Tempcover | Up to 7 | Varies by insurer on its panel | Possible, varies by insurer | 1 hour to 28 days |
| 5 | Veygo | Up to 6 | Not accepted | Not stated | 1 hour to 60 days |
Criteria change, so check the provider's site before you buy.
1. Temp Insurance UK
Best for: any conviction code, with the rules explained before you get a price.
Every DVLA endorsement code is quoted through tempinsuranceuk.com, from an SP30 for speeding to a DR10 for drink driving, an IN10 for driving uninsured or a TT99 totting-up ban. Most short-term providers publish a list of codes they will not touch. At Temp Insurance UK, the code is declared on the form and priced where an insurer accepts it, so a serious or recent conviction narrows the choice of insurer rather than ending the search on the first page.
The cover itself is the same as for any other driver: fully comprehensive, from one hour to 28 days, on a policy of its own. If the car is borrowed, the owner's no claims discount is untouched and their annual insurer never sees your record.
What sets it apart from going direct is the guidance around the quote. The convicted driver insurance page on tempinsuranceuk.com sets out every common code with its points and how long the DVLA keeps it, and explains the "two clocks" that catch people out: a DR10 stays on the driving record for 11 years but is spent, and no longer has to be declared, 5 years after conviction. Knowing which convictions you must declare, and which you must not, is the difference between a policy that pays out and one that is voided.
- Accepts: every DVLA endorsement code, priced on the code and how recent it is
- Bans: quoted once the ban has ended; not while it is running
- Drivers: aged 21 to 75, full UK licence, or an EU or EEA licence with 12 months of UK residence
- Learners: not for a learner with points; the provisional licence must be clean
- Price: one day from £21.87, the lowest sold price between December 2025 and May 2026. Expect a quote above that floor with a conviction declared.
2. GoShorty
Best for: buying direct from the broker behind the quote.
GoShorty is the FCA-authorised broker that arranges the policies quoted on tempinsuranceuk.com, so the acceptance rules and the price are the same in both places. It quotes every DVLA conviction code, which puts it level with the top of this list on breadth, and it has sold more than two million policies.
It ranks second only because it publishes less for a convicted driver to go on. Its own criteria page still says it does not cover unspent criminal convictions, which reads as a blanket exclusion even though motoring codes are quoted. A driver with a DR10 reading that page could reasonably assume they are turned away, when they are not. Non-motoring criminal convictions are a separate matter and should be checked before buying.
- Accepts: every DVLA endorsement code
- Cover: fully comprehensive, 1 hour to 28 days, business class 1 included
- Drivers: aged 21 to 75 for cars, car value up to £65,000
- Rated: 4.7 out of 5 on Trustpilot from over 21,000 reviews
3. Dayinsure
Best for: up to 9 points, with clear written rules.
Dayinsure publishes its insurers' acceptance criteria in full, which is more than most do, and its points ceiling is the highest of the providers that set one. Its criteria for both its Aviva and Mulsanne schemes allow up to 9 penalty points and no disqualification in the last 18 months.
The limits are firm on serious codes. Drink and drug driving (DR and DG), careless driving (CD), dangerous driving (DD) and theft or unauthorised taking (UT) codes are all declined within 3 years. An IN code for driving uninsured, or a CU80 for using a phone, is declined within 6 months. Unspent non-motoring criminal convictions are not accepted.
- Accepts: up to 9 points
- Declines: DR, DG, CD, DD and UT codes within 3 years; IN codes and CU80 within 6 months; any ban in the last 18 months
- Drivers: aged 18 to 75 on the Aviva scheme, 19 to 75 on Mulsanne; full licence held at least 6 months (3 months if over 25)
4. Tempcover
Best for: speeding points and a wide insurer panel.
Tempcover is one of the biggest names in temporary cover and works as a broker with a panel of insurers, each with its own criteria. That helps a driver with a few speeding points, because more than one insurer gets a look at the record.
The published limits are less clear for a convicted driver. Its help pages give two versions of the same rule, no more than 7 points in the last three years and 7 points or fewer in the last two years, and it does not publish which codes each insurer declines. It does say past bans can be covered. Its eligibility page also asks for no criminal convictions.
- Accepts: up to 7 points, with the exact window depending on the insurer
- Bans: past bans can be considered
- Drivers: aged 17 to 77 depending on the product; UK, EU or UK provisional licence
- Cover: fully comprehensive, 1 hour to 28 days
5. Veygo
Best for: minor speeding or phone points and cover longer than 28 days.
Veygo, owned by Admiral, accepts up to 6 points, but only from a short list of code families: speeding (SP), construction and use including phone offences (CU), traffic signs (TS), IN10, LC20 and MS90. Any code outside that list, including every drink driving, careless driving and dangerous driving code, is not accepted. Learners must have no convictions at all.
Where it stands out is length. A full licence holder can take cover for up to 60 days, more than double the 28 day ceiling elsewhere on this list.
- Accepts: up to 6 points from SP, CU, TS, IN10, LC20 and MS90 codes only
- Declines: DR, DD, CD and every other code family
- Drivers: aged 17 to 75, full UK licence only
- Cover: 1 hour to 60 days
How We Ranked Them
Breadth of acceptance comes first, because for a convicted driver the cheapest policy is worthless if the code on the licence is declined. Each provider was scored on four things, in this order:
- Which conviction codes it quotes, and whether drink and drug driving codes are considered
- How many points it accepts, and over what period
- How it treats a ban that has ended
- How clearly its criteria are published, so a driver knows before starting a quote
Criteria were read from each provider's own website on 10 November 2026. GoShorty's acceptance of every DVLA code was confirmed by GoShorty directly. Prices for the other providers are not compared, because each quotes on the individual record and no published price applies to a convicted driver.
Also considered
Cuvva pulls the licence record from the DVLA, so points do not have to be typed in, and says it often covers drivers with points, without publishing a limit. It does not cover unspent non-motoring convictions. Zixty accepts up to 6 points and one ban in the last 5 years. Briefly considers drivers with points but sets its minimum age for car cover at 26. Insure Daily caps points at between 0 and 6 depending on the scheme and declines any driver who has ever had a criminal conviction.
What to Check Before You Buy
Declare every unspent conviction exactly as the form asks, and nothing that is spent. An endorsement is spent 5 years after conviction under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, and a spent conviction does not have to be disclosed. An unspent one left off the form can void the policy, which means you were never insured, and driving on it is an IN10 offence.
A ban that is still running means no cover anywhere. There is no licence to insure until the disqualification ends.
Points on a provisional licence rule out learner cover on every list above. Learner policies ask for a clean licence.
A pending prosecution must be declared. Most providers will not quote until the case is decided.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get temporary car insurance with a DR10?
Yes, but not from most providers. Veygo does not accept DR codes at all and Dayinsure declines them within 3 years. A DR10 is quoted on tempinsuranceuk.com, and by GoShorty direct, where an insurer accepts the code, and the price reflects it.
How many points can I have for temporary car insurance?
It depends on the provider: up to 6 with Veygo and Zixty, up to 7 with Tempcover and up to 9 with Dayinsure. Temp Insurance UK and GoShorty do not set a points ceiling; every code is declared and priced where an insurer accepts it.
Does a conviction affect the car owner's insurance if I borrow their car?
No. A temporary policy is a policy of its own. The owner's annual insurer does not see your record and their no claims discount is untouched.
Is temporary insurance more expensive with a conviction?
Yes. Published starting prices are the lowest sold to anyone, so a driver with a conviction should treat them as a floor. A single SP30 is priced lightly; a DR10 or TT99 is priced heavily.
Do I need to declare a spent conviction?
No. Once a conviction is spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act it does not have to be declared and cannot be held against you. Check the date carefully: for points, that is 5 years from the date of conviction.
