How Long Does Drink Driving Stay On Your Criminal Record (UK)?

A drink driving conviction remains on your criminal record unless it is eligible for filtering. It may also stay on your driving licence for four to 11 years and appear on basic, standard or enhanced DBS checks, depending on the offence and time passed.

This guide from the expert drink driving offence solicitors at JMW explains how long drink driving convictions are recorded, when they must be disclosed and how they are shown on official records.

How Long Will a Drink Driving Offence Remain on Your Licence?

When you are sentenced with a drink driving conviction, the codes relating to the offence or offences will be displayed on your licence and will be accessible to employers, police officers, car insurance brokers and car dealers. You will also hold a criminal record, which will be flagged by DBS checks and may affect your ability to access some job roles.

The length of time your offence will remain on your driving licence and the length of time you will be required to declare it are two separate factors. Once the declaration deadline has passed, you may not be required to disclose the offences to other parties, such as an employer during a job interview.

Driving offences that will remain on your licence for four years include:

• DR40 - driving or in charge of a vehicle while above the alcohol limit
• DR50 - in charge of a vehicle while unfit due to alcohol
• DR60 - failure to take an alcohol test
• DR70 - failure to provide a specimen for a breath test
• DR90 - intoxicated while in charge of a motor vehicle

Driving offences that will remain on your licence for 11 years include:

• DR10 - driving or attempting to drive while above the alcohol limit
• DR20 - driving or attempting to drive while unfit due to alcohol
• DR30 - failing to take an alcohol test following a drink driving accusation
• DR31 - refusing to give permission for the analysis of a blood sample in relation to drink driving
• DR61 - refusing to give permission for analysis of a blood sample that was taken without consent due to incapacity
• CD40 - causing death through careless driving when unfit due to alcohol
• CD60 - causing death by careless driving while above the alcohol limit
• CD70 - causing death by careless driving and failing to take an alcohol test

Depending on the offence and its severity, you may receive a driving disqualification or, in some cases, penalty points on your licence. The number of points can range from three to 11, and they will remain on your licence for the duration set by the offence code. Disqualifications are more likely for serious or repeat offences, while lower-level offences may result in points alone.

What if You Already Have a Driving Conviction on Your Licence?

If you already have a motoring conviction on your licence, or if you are committing a repeat offence, your penalties will likely be more severe. You may face more points being added, higher fines, extensions of your offences on your licence, or outright disqualification. The penalty that you will incur will vary on a case-by-case basis, so you should speak to a solicitor to find out your options.

How Long Does a Drink Driving Conviction Stay on a DBS Check?

Drink driving convictions can appear on Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, depending on the type of check and whether the conviction is considered spent.

• On a basic DBS check, a drink driving conviction may show only if it is unspent. This typically means it will appear within five years of the conviction date (or longer if a prison sentence was imposed). Once the conviction becomes spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, it will no longer be disclosed on a basic check.
• On a standard or enhanced DBS check, spent convictions may still appear depending on whether they are eligible for filtering. Most drink driving offences are not automatically filtered because they are considered road traffic offences involving alcohol. As such, even once spent, they may still be disclosed if the check is for a role that justifies that level of scrutiny.
• An enhanced DBS check also includes any relevant information held by the local police force if deemed pertinent to the role applied for. This means that even if your conviction is spent, the police may disclose it if they believe it has bearing on your suitability - particularly in roles involving vulnerable groups.

If you are applying for work in healthcare, teaching or any regulated profession, a drink driving conviction - especially one that involves aggravating factors or repeated offences - may appear and be considered during the hiring process, even many years after the conviction occurred.

How Long Does Drink Driving Stay on Your Criminal Record?

A drink driving conviction will remain on your criminal record indefinitely unless it is eligible for filtering under specific legal rules. In most cases, drink driving offences are classed as recordable offences, meaning they are stored on the Police National Computer (PNC) and may be disclosed in certain circumstances for the rest of your life.

However, under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, a drink driving conviction becomes ‘spent’ after a specific period, provided there are no further offences. For most first-time drink driving offences, the rehabilitation period is five years from the date of conviction if no prison sentence was imposed, or longer if a custodial sentence was given. Once spent, you generally do not need to disclose the conviction for most jobs, insurance applications or civil matters.

It’s important to note that while a conviction may be spent, it still remains on your criminal record and may be visible to certain authorities, including during enhanced checks. For example, if you're applying for a role involving work with children, vulnerable adults or in law enforcement, your criminal record may still affect your application depending on the role’s requirements and safeguarding policies.