A common misunderstanding is that every endorsement disappears after three years. The actual endorsement period is generally four or 11 years depending on the offence.
For many offences, endorsements remain on the Northern Ireland driver record for four years. The point from which that period runs depends on the type of offence.
For most offences the four-year period runs from the date of the offence. Dangerous-driving and certain disqualification-related endorsements run for four years from conviction.
Certain drink-driving, drug-driving and related offences remain on the driving record for 11 years from the date of conviction.
This longer period also applies to specified offences involving death by careless driving while under the influence and certain failures to provide a specimen.
The endorsement period should not be confused with the three-year totting-up window. A driver who accumulates 12 or more penalty points within three years can become liable to disqualification under the totting-up system.
