Drink Driving on Your Criminal Record
A drink driving conviction creates a criminal record on the Police National Computer. Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, the conviction becomes spent after a period determined by the sentence imposed. Once spent, you do not need to disclose it in most circumstances.
For a fine, the rehabilitation period is 1 year from the date of conviction. For a community order, it is 1 year from the end of the order. For a suspended sentence or custodial sentence of up to 6 months, it is 2 years from the end of the sentence.
These periods were updated by the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. Previously, the rehabilitation periods were longer. The current shorter periods apply to convictions imposed after 10 March 2014.
Drink Driving on Your Driving Licence
The drink driving endorsement on your driving licence lasts for 11 years from the date of conviction. This applies to all DR endorsement codes including DR10, DR20, DR30 and others. The endorsement period is the same regardless of the severity of the offence.
This 11-year period runs from the date of conviction, not the date of the offence or the date your driving ban ends. For example, if you were convicted on 1 January 2026, the endorsement would remain on your licence until 1 January 2037.
During this 11-year period, the endorsement must be declared to insurance companies. It will also be visible to any employer who checks your driving licence. After 11 years, the endorsement is automatically removed from your licence record.
DBS Checks and Disclosure
Basic DBS Check
A basic DBS check only reveals unspent convictions. Once your drink driving conviction becomes spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, it will no longer appear on a basic DBS check.
For most drink driving convictions resulting in a fine, this means the conviction will be visible for 1 year from the date of conviction. For those receiving a community order, it will appear for 1 year after the order ends.
Standard DBS Check
A standard DBS check reveals both spent and unspent convictions, but is subject to filtering rules. Under the current rules, a drink driving conviction that resulted in a non-custodial sentence will be filtered from a standard check after 11 years.
Convictions resulting in a custodial sentence of any length, including a suspended sentence, are never filtered and will always appear on a standard DBS check. This is an important distinction that can affect long-term employment prospects.
Enhanced DBS Check
An enhanced DBS check reveals the same information as a standard check plus any relevant information held by local police forces. Drink driving convictions are treated the same way on enhanced checks as on standard checks, subject to the same filtering rules.
However, the chief officer of police has discretion to disclose additional information that they consider relevant. In rare cases, a filtered drink driving conviction could be disclosed on an enhanced check if it is considered relevant to the role being applied for.
Travel Restrictions
A drink driving conviction can affect your ability to travel to certain countries. The United States, Canada and Australia all have entry restrictions that may apply to individuals with criminal records, including drink driving convictions.
The restrictions vary by country and depend on factors including how recently the conviction occurred and the sentence imposed. Some countries apply restrictions only for unspent convictions, while others may refuse entry even for spent convictions.
If you need to travel internationally for work or personal reasons, it is worth checking the entry requirements of your destination country. In some cases, you can apply for a waiver or visa that permits entry despite a criminal record.