CD10 Careless Driving Car Insurance
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Specialist cover for drivers with a careless driving conviction.
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What Is A CD10 Conviction?
CD10 is the DVLA endorsement code for driving without due care and attention, commonly known as careless driving. It falls under section 3 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and carries 3 to 9 penalty points.
The offence applies when a driver's standard falls below what a competent and careful driver would manage. Common examples include momentary distraction, misjudging a gap when overtaking, running a red light, or failing to check mirrors before changing lanes. It does not require intent or recklessness, just a lapse in the expected standard.
Since August 2013, police can issue a fixed penalty notice for minor careless driving cases. This carries 3 points and a £100 fine without a court hearing. More serious cases are prosecuted in the magistrates' court and can attract up to 9 points, an unlimited fine, and a discretionary driving ban.
How To Compare CD10 Car Insurance With SimplyQuote
Three steps, around 10 minutes. You will need your licence number, vehicle registration, and the date and details of your CD10 conviction.
Enter your details
Fill in one form with your driver and vehicle details, including the CD10 code, date of offence, number of points, and any other endorsements. The form is built for convicted driver applications, so the questions match what specialist insurers need.
Compare specialist quotes
Your details go to our panel of specialist car insurance companies. Each insurer returns a price based on their own underwriting rules. You will typically see quotes from multiple providers within minutes.
Choose the right cover
Compare prices, excess levels, payment options, and policy extras side by side. Buy online or speak to the broker for help. No obligation to take any quote.
How Much Does CD10 Car Insurance Cost?
The cost depends heavily on how many points you received. A CD10 with 3 points from a fixed penalty typically adds 10 to 25% to your premium. A court conviction with 7 to 9 points can push the increase to 40 to 70%. On an average UK premium of around £900, that means an extra £90 to £630 per year.
Insurers price CD10 somewhere between a speeding conviction (SP30) and driving without insurance (IN10). A 3-point fixed penalty is treated similarly to a minor speeding offence. A high-point court conviction with a discretionary ban is treated more seriously and may push you into specialist convicted driver territory.
How does the premium change as the conviction ages?
| Years since offence | Typical premium loading | Declaration required? |
| Year 1 | 10 to 70% above standard rate | Yes |
| Year 2 | 10 to 40% above standard | Yes |
| Year 3 | 5 to 20% above standard | Yes |
| Year 4 (points removed) | Near-standard rate | Yes (until spent) |
| Year 5+ (spent) | Standard rate | No |
The endorsement stays on your licence for 4 years from the offence date. Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, the conviction becomes spent after 5 years if no driving ban was imposed. If you received a discretionary ban, the rehabilitation period depends on the length of the disqualification.
How To Reduce CD10 Car Insurance Costs
Six practical steps can reduce the impact of a CD10 on your premium. The key is that careless driving loadings reduce each year, so the earlier you start comparing, the sooner you find a fair price.
Compare at every renewal
Your CD10 loading should reduce each year, but your insurer may not pass that saving on automatically. Do not auto-renew without checking the market. The difference between the cheapest and most expensive quote for a CD10 driver can be several hundred pounds.
Fit a telematics device
A black box insurance policy gives your insurer evidence that the careless driving was a one-off. Telematics typically cuts 15 to 30% off the price for drivers who can prove consistently safe driving habits.
Choose a lower insurance group car
A lower group car costs less to insure, and the saving is amplified when a conviction is loading your premium. Check which insurance groups are cheapest before choosing your next vehicle.
Increase your voluntary excess
Raising your voluntary excess from £100 to £500 can reduce the premium by 10 to 20%. Make sure you can afford the total excess (compulsory plus voluntary) if you need to claim.
Protect your no-claims discount
A CD10 does not reset your no-claims discount. Only a fault claim does. A long claims-free record offsets much of the careless driving loading, so protecting it is worth the small extra cost.
Pay annually if you can
Monthly payments include interest charges that can add 15 to 30% to the total cost. On a conviction-loaded premium, paying upfront saves more in absolute terms than on a standard policy.
What Are The Penalties For Careless Driving?
The penalty depends on the severity of the offence. The Sentencing Council guidelines use a three-category system based on culpability and harm.
| Route | Points | Fine | Ban |
| Fixed penalty notice (since Aug 2013) | 3 | £100 | No |
| Court: lower culpability | 3 to 5 | Band A (25-75% weekly income) | Unlikely |
| Court: moderate culpability | 5 to 7 | Band B (75-125% weekly income) | Possible |
| Court: higher culpability | 7 to 9 | Band C (125-175% weekly income) | Likely |
The maximum fine became unlimited in March 2015. A driver improvement course may be offered for very minor incidents as an alternative to prosecution. This avoids points on your licence and typically costs around £100.
What Is The Difference Between Careless And Dangerous Driving?
Careless driving (CD10) means your standard fell below what is expected of a competent driver. Dangerous driving (DD40) means your standard fell far below what is expected, and the danger would be obvious to a competent and careful driver.
The distinction matters for insurance. CD10 is a summary offence dealt with in the magistrates' court, carrying 3 to 9 points. DD40 is an either-way offence that can be tried in the Crown Court, carrying an obligatory 12-month disqualification, 3 to 11 points, and a maximum of 2 years' imprisonment. A DD40 conviction will have a far greater impact on your insurance than a CD10.
Examples that cross the line from careless to dangerous include aggressive overtaking on a blind bend, driving at grossly excessive speed in a residential area, or racing another vehicle on a public road. If you have been charged with dangerous driving rather than careless driving, the insurance and legal consequences are significantly more serious.
Do You Have To Declare A CD10 To Your Insurer?
Yes, while the conviction is unspent. The endorsement stays on your licence for 4 years from the offence date, but most insurers ask about convictions for the last 5 years. After 5 years the conviction is spent and no longer needs to be disclosed.
Failing to declare an unspent CD10 is treated as non-disclosure. Your insurer can void your policy, refuse any claims, and record a cancellation against your name. A voided policy makes future insurance far harder to find and more expensive than the original loading.
How do you check your driving record?
You can view your driving record online at gov.uk. You will need your driving licence number, National Insurance number, and postcode. Your record shows the offence date, the number of points, and when the CD10 will be removed.
What Happens If You Have Multiple Convictions?
A CD10 alongside other endorsements compounds the premium loading and moves you closer to the 12-point totting-up threshold. If you accumulate 12 or more points within 3 years, you face an automatic 6-month driving ban.
A CD10 with 9 points combined with even a minor speeding conviction can push you over the 12-point threshold and into a totting-up disqualification. Once you reach totting-up territory, finding affordable insurance becomes significantly harder.
New drivers who have held a full licence for less than 2 years face automatic licence revocation at just 6 points under the Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act 1995. If you are a young driver with a CD10 carrying 6 or more points, you will lose your licence and need to retake your test.
What Are The Other Careless Driving Codes?
CD10 is the most common code in the CD family. Other codes cover different circumstances of careless driving, including causing death or serious injury. The full list of all driving offence codes is available in our guide.
| Code | Offence | Points |
| CD10 | Driving without due care and attention | 3 to 9 |
| CD20 | Driving without reasonable consideration for others | 3 to 9 |
| CD30 | CD10 and CD20 combined (old code) | 3 to 9 |
| CD40 | Causing death through careless driving when unfit through drink | 3 to 11 |
| CD50 | Causing death by careless driving when unfit through drugs | 3 to 11 |
| CD60 | Causing death by careless driving with alcohol above limit | 3 to 11 |
| CD70 | Causing death by careless driving then failing to provide specimen | 3 to 11 |
| CD80 | Causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving | 3 to 11 |
| CD90 | Causing death by driving: unlicensed, disqualified, or uninsured | 3 to 11 |
Codes CD40 to CD90 are far more serious than CD10 and carry obligatory disqualification. If you have any careless driving conviction, see our main convicted driver insurance page for guidance.
What Does CD10 Car Insurance Cover?
CD10 policies offer the same three levels of cover as standard car insurance: third-party only, third-party fire and theft, and fully comprehensive. A CD10 changes how much you pay, not what cover is available.
Comprehensive cover can sometimes cost less than third-party only for convicted drivers. This happens because third-party-only policies attract higher-risk applicants, and insurers price that risk in. Always compare all three levels before choosing.
How Does A CD10 Compare To Other Convictions?
A CD10 sits in the mid-range of motoring convictions for insurance pricing. It is more expensive than speeding but typically less than drink driving or driving without insurance.
| Factor | CD10 (careless driving) | SP30 (speeding) | DR10 (drink driving) |
| Penalty points | 3 to 9 | 3 to 6 | 3 to 11 |
| Driving ban | Discretionary | Rare (discretionary) | Minimum 12 months |
| Criminal record | Yes (motoring offence) | No | Yes |
| Time on licence | 4 years | 4 years | 11 years |
| Declaration period | 5 years | 5 years | 5 years |
| Typical year 1 loading | 10 to 70% | 5 to 30% | 100 to 200% |
If you have a DR10 drink driving conviction or an IN10 no-insurance conviction alongside a CD10, the more serious conviction will be the dominant factor in your premium.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. CD10 is a criminal motoring offence prosecuted in the magistrates' court. However, it is treated differently from non-traffic criminal offences in background checks. A CD10 with a fine only may not appear on a basic DBS check, though it may show on an enhanced check for driving-related roles.
Four years from the date of the offence. Most insurers ask about convictions for the last 5 years, so you will need to declare it for up to a year after the endorsement is removed from your licence.
In some cases, yes. For very minor incidents, police may offer a driver improvement course as an alternative to prosecution. This avoids points on your licence and costs around £100. You must still declare it if your insurer asks about courses or fixed penalties.
A CD10 is a criminal motoring offence, but whether it appears on a DBS check depends on the check level and the sentence received. A fine-only CD10 may be filtered from a basic check. An enhanced check for a role involving driving may include it.
It is possible if the court imposes a discretionary ban for a serious offence. A CD10 with 9 points can also put new drivers over the 6-point threshold for automatic licence revocation.
A fixed penalty CD10 carries 3 points and a £100 fine. This is the lightest version of the offence and is priced more favourably by most insurers. Some treat it similarly to a minor speeding conviction.
No. A conviction alone does not reset your no-claims discount. Only a fault claim does. You keep your full bonus even with a CD10 on your licence.
CD10 covers driving without due care and attention. CD20 covers driving without reasonable consideration for other road users. Both carry 3 to 9 points. In practice, insurers treat them similarly. See our full guide to driving offence codes for all conviction code definitions.
