# Driving license points



## Xose (Dec 10, 2008)

Here's one I hadn't considered during the legality posts about UK driving license in Spain long term....

What happens if you get stopped for an endorsable offence that carries a fine and 3 points?

If you have a UK license in the UK, you get 3 points and when you reach 12, you're in big trouble.

If you have a Spanish license in Spain, you start with 12 and when you get to zero you're in trouble.

If you have a UK license in Spain, do they "send" your points to the DVLA?

If not... RESULT or what !!

I know France have been passing the points accross the channel for a while now, but didn't think Spain did. Hence the on the spot fine and sending you on your way if on holiday here.

Does anyone know?

Thanks,
Xose


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

now that is an interesting question!! I hope someone can answer it!!

Jo xxxx


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## malagaman2005 (Apr 23, 2008)

Xose said:


> Here's one I hadn't considered during the legality posts about UK driving license in Spain long term....
> 
> What happens if you get stopped for an endorsable offence that carries a fine and 3 points?
> 
> ...


There is no "passing of points" from any country to the DVLA so any infringement in Spain is dealt with internally. I believe the system in Spain is similar to the DVLA whereby if you get points but do not hold a licence for the country in which the offence was committed, the authorities issue a "ghost" licence and add the points to it so that when a licence is applied for and issued the points get added, or as in Spain deducted.
However, if you are caught drink driving in Spain and subsequently get disqualified, you are obliged to surrender your UK licence to Traffico for the period of disqualification but whether this gets sent to DVLA I don't know but if it does the DVLA wouldn't be obliged to endorse the licence accordingly as the offence did not occur in the UK.


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## Xose (Dec 10, 2008)

malagaman2005 said:


> There is no "passing of points" from any country to the DVLA so any infringement in Spain is dealt with internally. I believe the system in Spain is similar to the DVLA whereby if you get points but do not hold a licence for the country in which the offence was committed, the authorities issue a "ghost" licence and add the points to it so that when a licence is applied for and issued the points get added, or as in Spain deducted.
> However, if you are caught drink driving in Spain and subsequently get disqualified, you are obliged to surrender your UK licence to Traffico for the period of disqualification but whether this gets sent to DVLA I don't know but if it does the DVLA wouldn't be obliged to endorse the licence accordingly as the offence did not occur in the UK.


Very informative, thanks. Interesting about the ghost license here. I can certainly see why Trafico would rather the UK license got exchanged and not have all that to deal with.

However, unless things have changed in the last four years, if you get caught speeding in France, you will receive points for speeding on your UK license. This was agreed between France and UK not long before we came out here in 2005.

Xose


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## malagaman2005 (Apr 23, 2008)

Xose said:


> Very informative, thanks. Interesting about the ghost license here. I can certainly see why Trafico would rather the UK license got exchanged and not have all that to deal with.
> 
> However, unless things have changed in the last four years, if you get caught speeding in France, you will receive points for speeding on your UK license. This was agreed between France and UK not long before we came out here in 2005.
> 
> Xose


Interesting your comments about France. I can't find anything to substantiate this but did find a post on another forum of which the OP has the same opinion as me. 
It would appear that an EU Directive coming out in 2013 covering traffic laws amongst all EU states will clear up any ambiguities
Just out of interest, have you had points put on your UK licence for an offence in France, or personally know someone who has?


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## Xose (Dec 10, 2008)

malagaman2005 said:


> Interesting your comments about France. I can't find anything to substantiate this but did find a post on another forum of which the OP has the same opinion as me.
> It would appear that an EU Directive coming out in 2013 covering traffic laws amongst all EU states will clear up any ambiguities
> Just out of interest, have you had points put on your UK licence for an offence in France, or personally know someone who has?


Hi Malagaman,
No I don't know anyone to whom this has happened. But I did work in France quite a bit when in the UK and the company warned us of this...company car ownership issues (no M. Chandarme, I haven't stolen the car) etc.

It's obviously taken a hell of a lot longer than they realised and in fact, the French wanted to speed it up back then but the UK was evidently not in such a hurry.

Here's a story along those same lines some years later, from Oct 2008.

Britons caught speeding in France to get points on their licence - Telegraph

It seems from what you say that my company back then jumped the gun telling us to be so carefull - perhaps they saw it as a good thing to not get letters from the French authorities as this could have been used as bad press for us.

In any event, I think it's safe to say if it ain't here yet, it soon will be and if left to Brussels to sort it out, probably not only France, which is more to the point for us in Spain. The high vis vest, triangles, spare bulbs etc., all came from the directives that France had way before.

Xose


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