# How to check how many penalty points i have. Had two not sure how long they last for?



## !RAY

How can i check how many penalty points i have .I had two not sure how long they last for.
Thanks
!RAY


----------



## Ravima

*Re: penalty points*

try your local garda station


----------



## madser231

*Re: penalty points*

HI !Ray... penalty points last for 3 years from the date of issue after which they are removed from the system....  penalty point details are not available to Gardai at the moment so its a waste of time going to your local garda station. penalty point totals are kept on your Driving licence records, which are are held on the National Driver File operated by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. dont have a contact  number for them but its easily got, try Govt.ie.... hope this is of some help to you


----------



## gipimann

*Re: penalty points*

My brother got a letter from Dept of EHLG to say that he had served his 3 yrs and the points had been removed....however, I didn't get a letter to tell me that I was now clear of points!


----------



## z105

> penalty points last for 3 years from the date of issue


 
You'll find that the 3 years begin from the date of the notice to you - this could be 4 months after the date of the offence, I figured it was 3 years from the date of the actual offence but no, it's when they get around to issuing you a notice ! Mad really !


----------



## lisam

My other half got a letter to say when his points were coming off. 

I think the points should expire 3 years after the offence rather than after the notice has been issued. It allows people like my boss an extra 3 or 4  months of driving on 12 points ( managed to get another 2 while waiting for the ban to kick in)


----------



## Frank

If the coppers cannot check how can a private company like and insurance company check if you have points or not?


----------



## Gulliver

Don't know how they check, but Hiberniandirect say that they will deduct €2500 from any claim made by you if you fail to notify them of points.  Also, if a claim is made against you by a 3rd party, they will expect you to pay €2500.  All of the above are in addition to the excess on your policy


----------



## !RAY

Just been talking to a friend of mine about the penalty points .He is of the understanding that the points run from the last set of points.What i mean is that if you got 2 points 2years and 10 months ago and you then get 2 more points the first set, start again ie will run for another 3 years.Therefor the first set will run for 5years and 10 months. 
Cheers
! Ray


----------



## bond-007

NO! they don't. 

If in your example a person has 2 points and 2 years 10 months in another 2 are applied it means that he has 4 points for 2 months and then the first 2 expire leaving 2 active points to run the remaining 2 years and 10 months.


----------



## gipimann

Frank said:


> If the coppers cannot check how can a private company like and insurance company check if you have points or not?


 
According to the Citizens Information page, Gardai have access to penalty point details via PULSE..or maybe that's an aspiration?!

Link to the page here


----------



## Frank

What about the insurance companies though?


----------



## monkeyboy

*Re: penalty points*



Ravima said:


> try your local garda station



I was in the local stn showing my full insurance details after being nabbed making an illegal right turn.

Wjile there she was able to notify me that a summons had been served to me at a previous address for another illegal right turn ( serial offender here! ).

I was not there and never got it, it was so long ago she advised to forget about it. 
Anyway I enquired about checking my points, but NOoooo.... they cant do that on that system, it really is a joke !!


----------



## monkeyboy

gipimann said:


> According to the Citizens Information page, Gardai have access to penalty point details via PULSE..or maybe that's an aspiration?!
> 
> Link to the page here



Yeah an aspiration by 1st hand experience it appears..........


----------



## flyindogturd

*Re: How to check how many penalty points i have. Had two not sure how long they last*

penalty point stay on  your licence for 3 years  but cant be removed until after forth year, for which u have to pay for when renewing license. i have drink driving on my licence for which stays on their for 11 years, i also have 6 points, whats the point in getting them renoved data base records know they've expired anyway. also if u get drink driving on your licence you dont have to declare it with your insurance company or even any driving jobs u may go for after 5 years of having it on licence..


----------



## wanderer

most gardai don't even have email, even the senior one's! So it's not surprising for  them not to have access to check penalty points.
It's just plain comical.


----------



## levelpar

> Hiberniandirect say that they will deduct €2500 from any claim made by you if you fail to notify them of points. Also, if a claim is made against you by a 3rd party, they will expect you to pay €2500.


 
Hi, Penalty points was a great idea for Insurance companies as they now have an excuse to pay out less


----------



## gipimann

Here's an interesting twist which I found when shopping round for car insurance renewal recently.   I filled out an online quotation form, but had to think about the question "have you had any convictions/accidents/fixed penalty offences in the past 5 years"....I had 2 points from Jan 2003 - Jan 2006 (offence in Oct 2002 so still within 5 yrs).    

The difference in answering Yes to this question was €170 extra on premium and a higher excess of €350!

I double-checked with the broker before proceeding, and, in fact, I can answer no to the question as I've served my penalty points time.....wonder do all brokers/insurers take this line?


----------



## LexLuthor

...Just checked my points by ringing the RSA with the contact details on this page
http://www.rsa.ie/en/RSA/Licensed-Drivers/Penalty-points/How-it-works-why-it-matters/

You just need your drivers license number.


----------



## tomfox3

I got points in June 2009. However, my Irish license was due to expire in Jan 2012 so I swapped it for a 10 year license in an EU country I was residing in at the time. My wife is from there. 
I have been continuously licensed and insured in Ireland since June 2009, but I bet they stopped counting the 3 year period after the expiration of my Irish license in Jan 2012, even though I followed all procedures and exchanged it in Oct 2011 for one from an EU country.
I'll probably need to swap it back now to get the points to be removed. ZZZzzz.. I swapped it for convenience too. credit card size, plus I resident there at the time.


----------

