Car insurance
Drug Driving Insurance
car insurance after a DG10, DR80 or other drug driving conviction, from the day the ban ends
Drug driving insurance is ordinary UK car insurance for a driver with a drug driving conviction. It offers third party up to comprehensive cover once the ban has ended, with the offence code and dates declared so specialist insurers can price it.
- DG and DR codes
- Conviction declared in full
- Specialist insurers
- FCA authorised and regulated
Quick answerDrug driving insurance is car insurance for a driver with a drug driving conviction on their record, such as a DG10 for driving with a drug above the specified limit or a DR80 for driving while unfit through drugs. A conviction brings a ban of at least a year and stays on the licence record for eleven years. Cover starts once the ban ends, the conviction is declared while unspent, and specialist insurers quote for it. Start your quote and UK providers can come back with quotes.
More than one conviction? Our convicted drivers insurance page covers a wider record.
At a glance
Drug Driving Cover, in Brief
Six things that decide how insurance works after a drug driving conviction.
- The codes
- DG10, DG40, DR80, DR90 and others
- The ban
- At least a year
- How long it shows
- Eleven years on the record
- Declare it
- While the conviction is unspent
- When cover starts
- Once the ban has ended
- Who quotes
- Mainly specialist insurers
The basics
What Is Drug Driving Insurance?
Standard car insurance arranged for a driver with a DG or drug-related DR code. The policy is a normal one; the conviction is declared and specialist insurers price it.
Third-party cover
Injury to others and damage to their property.
Fire and theft
The car if stolen or burnt out, on higher levels.
Comprehensive cover
Damage to your own car as well.
Conviction declared
The code, the date and the ban.
Telematics options
Often offered, sometimes required.
Starts after the ban
Never while you are disqualified.
How it works
How Is a Quote Arranged After a Drug Driving Conviction?
Once the ban end date is known, you give the code and dates, describe the car, and compare specialist quotes for cover starting when you can drive again.
You confirm the ban dates
When it started and the day it ends.
You give the exact code
DG10, DR80 or whichever is on the record.
You describe the car
Registration, model and where it is kept overnight.
You choose the terms
The level of cover, the excess and any black box.
What it covers
What Does Drug Driving Insurance Cover?
The same sections as any UK car policy, at third party, third party fire and theft or comprehensive. What changes is the price, the choice of insurer and how generous the extras are.
| Section | Where it sits | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Injury and damage to others | Core | Included at every level |
| Fire and theft | Core on higher levels | Subject to security conditions |
| Accidental damage | Comprehensive | Repairs to your own car |
| Windscreen | Often included | Can carry a separate excess |
| Courtesy car | Sometimes included | Some specialist policies leave it out |
| Legal expenses | Optional add-on | Helps recover uninsured losses after an accident |
| Telematics | Common after this conviction | Can be a condition of the policy |
| European driving | On some policies | Check the level of cover and the days allowed |
Claims are paid on the same basis. A declared conviction does not reduce what the policy pays; an undeclared one can lead to a claim being refused.
Exclusions
Where Does a Policy Draw the Line After Drug Driving?
Driving while impaired is excluded on every policy, and so is anything during the ban or left off the proposal.
Driving while unfit
Under the influence of drink or drugs.
Driving while disqualified
Not covered at any level.
Undeclared convictions
Codes left off the proposal.
Undeclared drivers
Someone driving who is not named.
Breaking telematics terms
Curfews or rules the policy sets.
Undeclared modifications
Changes the insurer was not told about.
The codes
What Do the DG and DR Codes Mean?
Drug driving is recorded under DG codes for drug levels above the limit and DR codes for being unfit through drugs. The code tells an insurer exactly what happened.
DG10
Driving with a drug above the specified limit.
DG40
In charge of a vehicle above the limit.
DR80
Driving while unfit through drugs.
DR90
In charge while unfit through drugs.
DR70
Failing to co-operate with a roadside test.
DG60
Causing death with a drug above the limit.
Another serious offence on the record? See our dangerous driving insurance page.
Who it suits
Can You Be Insured Again After a Drug Driving Ban?
Yes. Many mainstream insurers decline a recent drug driving conviction, but specialist insurers quote for it. Age, the code, the time since and the car shape the terms.
Drivers whose ban has ended
Ready to drive again.
Drivers near the end of a ban
Arranging cover to start on the day.
Young drivers
Where the conviction weighs heaviest.
Older drivers
With a long record before the offence.
Drivers who need a car for work
Commuting or business use.
Drivers declined elsewhere
Where a mainstream insurer will not quote.
Under 25? See our young drivers car insurance page. Over 50? See our over 50s car insurance page.
Drugs or drink
Drug Driving or Drink Driving: Do Insurers Treat Them Alike?
Largely, yes. Both are rated as serious, bring a ban and stay on the record for the same time. The main difference is that the court course which can shorten a ban applies to drink driving.
| Drug driving | Drink driving | |
|---|---|---|
| The codes | DG and DR80 or DR90 | DR10, DR20 and related codes |
| Minimum ban | At least a year | At least a year |
| On the record | Eleven years | Eleven years |
| Ban-shortening course | Not offered | Often offered by the court |
| How insurers read it | Rated as a serious conviction | Rated as a serious conviction |
A ban for something else? See our disqualified drivers insurance page.
Cost
What Does a Drug Driving Conviction Do to Premiums?
It usually raises them noticeably, at least for the first years after the ban. The code, the time since, your age, the car and the postcode decide by how much. We do not print average premiums.
Why the first years count most
Insurers weigh a recent conviction heavily. The effect usually eases with each clean year, and more insurers quote as time passes.
Why the code matters
A DG10 found on a roadside test reads differently from a DR80 or an offence that caused an accident.
What the quote is rated on
The main factors
- The convictionCode and how recentBase
- Other entriesAny further codesRate
- The carGroup and valueRate
- PostcodeWhere it is keptRate
- Record sinceClean years after the banAdjust
Telematics
Careful driving can count towards the price.
A modest car
A lower insurance group can help. See our insurance groups guide.
Time since the conviction
The effect often eases each year.
The long tail
Why Does a Drug Driving Conviction Stay With You So Long?
It stays on the licence record for eleven years, far longer than most codes. Insurers set their own period for asking, so four things are worth knowing.
The record runs for eleven years
Longer than speeding or most other codes.
Insurers ask over their own period
Read each question for the years it covers.
Unspent means declare it
Answer exactly what is asked, no more and no less.
The effect fades before it ends
Prices usually ease well before the record clears.
Quote checklist
What Information Will an Insurer Ask You For?
Six things shape the quote: the code, the conviction date, the ban dates, any other entries, the car and your claims record.
The offence code
As shown on the record.
The conviction date
When the court dealt with it.
The ban dates
When it started and ended.
Other entries
Any further codes on the licence.
The car
Registration, model and group.
Claims record
Recent claims and clean years.
Comparing
Which Parts of a Quote Deserve a Closer Look?
After a drug driving conviction, the excess and the telematics terms vary most between insurers. Read them alongside the cover and the price.
The cover
- Level of cover offered
- Courtesy car
- Windscreen cover
The excess
- Compulsory excess
- Voluntary excess
- Any extra conviction excess
Telematics
- Whether a black box is required
- Curfew or night rules
- Mileage limits
Terms
- Payment options
- Cancellation terms
- What happens after another offence
Add up the total excess. Some insurers add a conviction excess on top of the usual amounts. See our car insurance excess guide.
Cutting costs
How Does the Price Change as the Years Pass?
It usually falls as the conviction ages, helped by clean driving, the car, a black box and the excess. We publish no savings figures.
Build clean years
Each one counts at renewal.
Accept a black box
Careful driving can help the price.
Choose a modest car
A lower insurance group can help.
Declare everything
Accurate disclosure keeps the policy sound.
Choose the excess deliberately
A higher voluntary excess is a lever, worth using only at a level you could pay.
Compare at every renewal
More insurers quote as time passes.
Thinking about a black box? See our black box car insurance guide.
Glossary
Drug Driving Terms Insurers Use
The words that come up most on a quote after a drug driving conviction.
- DG10
- Driving with a drug above the specified limit.
- DR80
- Driving while unfit through drugs.
- Specified limit
- The level set for each drug in the blood.
- Disqualification
- A period when you are not allowed to drive.
- Endorsement
- An offence code recorded against a licence.
- Unspent conviction
- A conviction still treated as current, which needs declaring when asked.
- Conviction excess
- An extra excess some insurers add for an offence.
- Telematics
- A black box or app that records how the car is driven.
- Named driver
- Someone else allowed to drive the car under the policy.
- Compulsory excess
- The part of a claim the insurer sets that you pay.
Why MyMoneyComparison.com
Why Compare Drug Driving Insurance with MyMoneyComparison.com?
MyMoneyComparison.com is an FCA-authorised UK comparison service that introduces drivers to specialist brokers. We do not sell insurance and we do not give advice: the broker you choose arranges the policy. Using us is free.
One form, one car
Describe the car once, instead of repeating yourself to each broker.
Advice given
We are an introducer, not a broker. We do not sell policies and we do not recommend one insurer or product over another. Read our editorial policy.
Authorised and regulated
MyMoneyComparison.com Ltd appears on the FCA register under FRN 916241.
Incorporated
A UK company since 2013. FCA authorisation is separate and later; the register carries its date.
FAQs
Drug Driving Insurance FAQs
Answers on cover, cost, eligibility, the codes, the ban, medicines and how long a conviction counts.
What is drug driving insurance?
Ordinary UK car insurance for a driver with a drug driving conviction such as a DG10 or DR80. It offers the usual levels of cover once the ban ends, with the conviction declared in full.
Who can get drug driving insurance?
Any UK driver whose ban has ended can usually find quotes, mainly from specialist insurers. Your age, the code, the time since the conviction and the car shape the price and the choice.
What does drug driving insurance cover?
The same as any car policy at the level you choose: third party, third party fire and theft, or comprehensive. Courtesy cars and other extras can be thinner on specialist policies, so check each quote.
How much does drug driving insurance cost?
There is no typical price. The code, how recent the conviction is, any other entries, your age, the car and the postcode all play a part. We do not print average premiums.
What do DG10 and DR80 mean?
DG10 is driving with a drug in the blood above the specified limit. DR80 is driving while unfit through drugs. Both lead to a ban and stay on the record for eleven years.
How long does a drug driving conviction stay on my licence?
Eleven years on the driving record. Insurers ask about convictions over their own set period, which is often shorter, so read each question carefully and answer exactly what it asks.
How long is the ban for drug driving?
At least a year, and longer for a repeat offence or where someone was hurt. The court sets the length, and cover can only start once it has ended.
Will my current policy be cancelled after a drug driving conviction?
It may be. Many policies ask you to report a conviction during the term, and the insurer can then cancel or remove you as a driver. A cancellation may be asked about on later quotes.
Do I have to tell my insurer about a drug driving conviction?
Yes, while it is unspent and whenever an insurer asks about motoring convictions. Leaving it out can lead to a claim being refused or the policy being cancelled.
Can I get insurance while I am still banned?
Not to drive. Cover can be arranged in advance to start on the day the ban ends. Driving during the ban is never covered and is a separate offence.
Is drug driving treated the same as drink driving?
Largely. Both are rated as serious, bring a ban of at least a year and stay on the record for eleven years. The court course that can shorten a ban applies to drink driving.
Is there a course that shortens a drug driving ban?
The court-approved course that can shorten a ban is offered for drink driving offences rather than drug driving. Any other course is worth mentioning to an insurer, but it does not change the conviction.
What about prescription medicines?
Driving with certain prescribed medicines in your system is not an offence if you take them as directed and are fit to drive. If unsure, ask your doctor or pharmacist before driving.
Does a drug driving conviction affect my no claims bonus?
A bonus is built on claim-free years, so the conviction does not remove it in itself. Some insurers treat a bonus differently after a gap in cover, so ask how yours will be handled.
What if I have more than one conviction?
Each one is declared, and together they narrow the choice of insurer. Specialist insurers look at the whole record. See our convicted drivers insurance and TT99 insurance pages.
I am a young driver with a drug driving conviction. Can I get cover?
Usually, though the price is higher, the choice narrower and a black box often part of the deal. See our young drivers car insurance page.
Are older drivers treated differently?
A long clean record before the offence can help put it in context, though it still has to be declared in full. See our over 50s car insurance page.
Can I insure a classic or imported car after drug driving?
Sometimes. Specialist classic and import insurers set their own conviction rules; some decline a recent drug driving conviction and others quote. See our classic car insurance and import car insurance pages.
Can I insure a modified or kit car after drug driving?
It is harder. A modified car and a serious conviction together narrow the choice, so declare every change and the code. See our modified car insurance and kit car insurance pages.
Will I need a black box?
Not always, but it is common. Some specialist insurers make telematics a condition after a drug driving conviction, and others offer it to bring the price down. Read any curfew terms first.
Can I drive someone else’s car after the ban?
Only if their policy names you or allows other drivers, and your conviction has been declared to their insurer. Many policies exclude drivers with serious convictions, so check before driving.
Can I drive for work after a drug driving conviction?
Once the ban ends, yes, if the policy includes business use and your employer agrees. Some employers and insurers ask about convictions for business driving, so declare it.
What documents will an insurer want?
Usually the licence details so the record can be checked, the conviction and ban dates, and sometimes proof of a cancelled policy. Have the court paperwork to hand in case it is asked for.
How do I compare drug driving quotes?
Look past the price to the level of cover, the total excess including any conviction excess, the telematics terms, payment options and what happens if another offence lands during the policy year.
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About this page
This page explains UK car insurance after a drug driving conviction: what it covers, who can get it, and how the points, the date and other entries shape a quote. It is general information rather than advice. Policies differ between insurers, so read your own documents and put the questions raised here to your insurer or broker.
How we approached this page
- Published UK specialist motor policy summaries
- UK guidance on endorsement codes and penalty points
- Financial Ombudsman material on motor and liability complaints