No Licence Driving Offences

Driving Without License

Driving without a valid licence is a slightly bizarre motoring offence. It would be reasonably to assume that it’s a quite serious offence and would naturally lead to a driving ban. However, that isn’t always the case.

Have you Been Stopped Driving Without a Licence?

Driving while you are disqualified is a different offence to driving without a valid licence.

If you drive while disqualified you run the serious risk of imprisonment.

This is because, by driving while you have been disqualified by the court, you are deemed as having ignored an order of the court.

Driving without a licence is however a lesser offence.

You can commit it in several different ways. Some are endorsable with 3 penalty points while some versions of the offence carry no points. Often referred to as “driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence“.

Endorsable Driving Licence Offences.

Driving without a licence is an endorsable offence if you have no entitlement to drive the type of vehicle.

A good example of this would be a person driving a manual car having only ever passed an automatic car driving test. This would carry 3 penalty points.

Riding a motorcycle without ever passing a full motorcycle test and without a motorbike entitlement is also endorsable with three points.

Without ever passing a full driving test you only have a provisional entitlement. So, driving without ‘L’ plates or without a qualified supervisor would also be an endorsable offence. This will also earn you 3 points.

If you’ve been caught driving a vehicle for which you don’t have the correct entitlement, UK courts will take a dim view of your offence.