DG10 Drug Driving Car Insurance
Compare DG10 Car Insurance Quotes
Specialist cover for drivers with a drug driving conviction.
Partnered with Quotezone
We’re partnered with Quotezone. As an Introducer Appointed Representative of Seopa Ltd (FCA FRN: 313860), we receive a commission if you purchase insurance products via SimplyQuote.co.uk.
We do not provide advice or make recommendations. Your choice of provider is entirely your own.
Compare convicted driver insurance quotes from trusted UK insurers, including;
What Is A DG10 Conviction?
DG10 is the DVLA endorsement code for driving or attempting to drive with a specified drug above the legal limit. The offence was created by section 5A of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and carries 3 to 11 penalty points, an obligatory 12-month driving ban, and up to 6 months in prison.
The offence covers 17 specified controlled drugs, split into two groups. Eight drugs most associated with illegal use (including cannabis, cocaine, MDMA, heroin, ketamine, and LSD) have near-zero tolerance limits. Eight drugs commonly used for medical purposes (including morphine, diazepam, and temazepam) have higher limits based on road safety risk. Amphetamine sits between the two groups with its own threshold.
Unlike the older offence of driving while unfit through drugs, DG10 is a strict liability offence. The prosecution only needs to prove that the drug level in your blood exceeded the specified limit. There is no need to prove impairment. A medical defence exists if the drug was prescribed to you and taken in line with medical advice.
How To Compare DG10 Car Insurance With SimplyQuote
Three steps, around 10 minutes. You will need your licence number, vehicle registration, and the details of your DG10 conviction including the ban length and number of points.
Enter your details
Fill in one form with your driver and vehicle details, including the DG10 code, date of conviction, number of points, and whether your ban has ended. The form is designed for convicted driver applications, so the questions cover exactly what specialist insurers need.
Compare specialist quotes
Your details go to our panel of specialist car insurance companies. Each insurer assesses drug driving convictions using their own underwriting criteria. 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 DG10 Car Insurance Cost?
DG10 is one of the most expensive convictions to insure, similar in cost to a DR10 drink driving conviction. In the first year after your ban ends, expect a premium loading of 100 to 200% above the standard rate. On an average UK premium of around £900, that means paying between £1,800 and £2,700 per year.
The high cost reflects three factors: the obligatory driving ban means you have been off the road, the criminal conviction itself flags the application to underwriters, and many mainstream insurers will not quote at all. This limited market pushes prices up, which is why comparing through a specialist convicted driver panel matters.
How does the premium change as the conviction ages?
| Years since ban ended | Typical premium loading | Declaration required? |
| Year 1 | 100 to 200% above standard rate | Yes |
| Year 2 | 60 to 120% above standard | Yes |
| Year 3 | 30 to 70% above standard | Yes |
| Year 4 | 15 to 40% above standard | Yes |
| Year 5+ (conviction spent) | Near-standard rate | No |
The endorsement stays on your licence for 11 years from the date of conviction, much longer than most motoring offences. However, under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, the conviction becomes spent after 5 years (assuming a fine or community order). After that, you are no longer required to declare it to insurers.
How To Reduce DG10 Car Insurance Costs
Six practical steps can bring the cost down after a drug driving ban. The loading reduces each year, so taking action early makes the biggest difference.
Compare at every renewal
Your DG10 loading should fall each year, but your insurer may not pass that reduction on at renewal. The difference between the cheapest and most expensive quote for a DG10 driver can be over a thousand pounds. Always compare before renewing.
Fit a telematics device
A black box insurance policy gives your insurer live evidence that you are driving safely after your ban. Telematics can cut 15 to 30% off the premium for drivers who prove consistent safe driving habits.
Choose a lower insurance group car
A lower group car costs less to insure, and the saving is amplified when a serious 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 DG10 does not reset your no-claims discount. Only a fault claim does. If you built up a long claims-free record before the ban, protecting it helps offset the drug driving loading.
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 that may already exceed £2,000, paying upfront saves significantly more than on a standard policy.
What Are The Penalties For Drug Driving?
Drug driving is a summary offence tried in the magistrates' court. The Sentencing Council guidelines set out the penalty range based on the level of the drug detected and any aggravating factors.
| Severity | Fine | Community order | Custody | Ban |
| Lower (just above limit, no aggravating factors) | Band C (125-175% weekly income) | Possible | No | 12 to 22 months |
| Medium (significantly above limit or aggravating factors) | Band C | Likely | Possible | 22 to 32 months |
| Higher (very high level, accident, or passengers at risk) | N/A | N/A | Up to 26 weeks | 29 to 36 months |
Every DG10 conviction carries an obligatory minimum 12-month disqualification and an unlimited fine. If you have been convicted of any drink or drug driving offence in the previous 10 years, the minimum ban rises to 3 years. The court may also require you to complete a drink-drug rehabilitation course, which can reduce the ban by up to 25%.
What Is The Difference Between Drug Driving And Drink Driving?
Both are strict liability offences with obligatory 12-month bans, but they fall under different sections of the Road Traffic Act 1988. Drink driving (DR10) is charged under section 5, while drug driving (DG10) is charged under section 5A.
For insurance purposes, DG10 and DR10 are treated very similarly. Both carry 3 to 11 points, both stay on your licence for 11 years, and both attract premium loadings of 100% or more in the first year after the ban. The main practical difference is the testing method. Drink driving uses a breathalyser at the roadside. Drug driving uses a saliva swab at the roadside, followed by a blood test at the police station if the initial screen is positive.
If you are convicted of both drink and drug driving at the same time, the convictions are treated separately on your licence. The combined effect on your insurance will be severe, and you will likely need a specialist convicted driver broker to find any cover at all.
Do You Have To Declare A DG10 To Your Insurer?
Yes, while the conviction is unspent. The endorsement stays on your licence for 11 years from the date of conviction, but the conviction becomes spent after 5 years under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. After 5 years, you no longer need to declare it when asked about unspent convictions.
Failing to declare an unspent DG10 is treated as non-disclosure. Your insurer can void your policy, refuse all claims, and record a cancellation against your name. A voided policy makes future insurance far harder to obtain and more expensive than the original conviction 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 conviction date, points, and when the DG10 will be removed from your licence.
What Happens After Your Drug Driving Ban Ends?
Once your disqualification period ends, you can apply for your licence back and start looking for insurance. Unlike a dangerous driving ban, there is no compulsory extended retest for a DG10. Your existing licence is returned at the end of the ban period.
Some courts offer a drink-drug rehabilitation course as part of the sentence. Completing this course can reduce your ban by up to 25%. For example, a 12-month ban could be reduced to 9 months. The course does not remove the endorsement or points from your licence, but it gets you back on the road sooner.
If you also accumulated 12 or more points from other offences before the ban, you may have faced a separate totting-up disqualification. After a disqualification of 56 days or more, previous penalty points are wiped, but the DG10 endorsement itself remains on your licence for the full 11 years.
What Are The Other Drug Driving Codes?
DG10 is the most common drug driving code. Other codes in the DG and DR families cover different circumstances of drug-related driving offences. The full list of all driving offence codes is available in our guide.
| Code | Offence | Points | Time on licence |
| DG10 | Driving or attempting to drive with drug level above the specified limit | 3 to 11 | 11 years |
| DG40 | In charge of a vehicle with drug level above the specified limit | 10 | 4 years |
| DG60 | Causing death by careless driving with drug level above the specified limit | 3 to 11 | 11 years |
| DR80 | Driving or attempting to drive when unfit through drugs | 3 to 11 | 11 years |
| DR90 | In charge of a vehicle when unfit through drugs | 10 | 4 years |
DG60 is far more serious than DG10, carrying a mandatory 24-month ban and a maximum of 14 years in prison. DR80 is the older offence of driving while unfit through drugs, which requires proof of impairment rather than exceeding a specified limit. If you hold any drug driving endorsement, see our main convicted driver insurance page for guidance on finding specialist cover.
What Does DG10 Car Insurance Cover?
DG10 policies offer the same three levels of cover as standard car insurance: third-party only, third-party fire and theft, and fully comprehensive. A DG10 changes how much you pay and which insurers will quote, but 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 DG10 Compare To Other Convictions?
DG10 sits alongside DR10 (drink driving) as one of the most serious common motoring convictions for insurance purposes. Both carry similar premium loadings and declaration periods.
| Factor | DG10 (drug driving) | DR10 (drink driving) | DD40 (dangerous driving) |
| Penalty points | 3 to 11 | 3 to 11 | 3 to 11 |
| Driving ban | Obligatory: min 12 months | Obligatory: min 12 months | Obligatory: min 12 months |
| Extended retest | No | No | Compulsory |
| Maximum custody | 6 months | 6 months | 2 years |
| Criminal record | Yes (DBS) | Yes (DBS) | Yes (DBS) |
| Time on licence | 11 years | 11 years | 4 years |
| Typical year 1 loading | 100 to 200% | 100 to 200% | 100 to 250% |
If you have a DR10 drink driving conviction alongside a DG10, or a dangerous driving conviction, the combined effect on your premium will be severe. Even a minor speeding conviction adds to the overall risk profile and pushes the price higher.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Drug driving under section 5A of the Road Traffic Act 1988 is a criminal offence. A conviction creates a criminal record that appears on standard and enhanced DBS checks. This can affect employment, particularly in roles that involve driving, healthcare, or positions of trust.
Eleven years from the date of conviction. This is the same duration as a DR10 drink driving conviction. However, the conviction becomes spent after 5 years under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, so you only need to declare it to insurers for 5 years.
Yes, if the prescribed drug is one of the 17 specified substances and you exceed the legal limit. However, there is a statutory defence if the drug was prescribed to you personally and taken in accordance with medical advice. If you take more than the prescribed dose or combine it with alcohol, the defence does not apply.
Police use a saliva swab device that can screen for cannabis and cocaine at the roadside. If the initial screen is positive or an officer suspects other drugs, you will be taken to a police station for a blood test. It is the blood test result that determines whether you are above the specified limit.
Yes. Drug driving is a criminal offence and will appear on both standard and enhanced DBS checks while the conviction is unspent. After the 5-year rehabilitation period, it may be filtered from basic checks, but can still appear on enhanced checks depending on the role.
You may be able to reduce it by up to 25% by completing a drink-drug rehabilitation course. The court decides whether to offer this as part of your sentence. For example, a 12-month ban can be reduced to 9 months. The course does not remove the endorsement or points from your licence.
No. A conviction alone does not reset your no-claims discount. Only a fault claim does. You keep your full bonus even with a DG10 on your licence.
DG10 is the newer offence of exceeding a specified drug limit, introduced in 2015. It is a strict liability offence with no need to prove impairment. DR80 is the older offence of driving while unfit through drugs, which requires evidence that your driving was actually impaired. Both carry the same penalty range. See our full guide to driving offence codes for all conviction code definitions.
