Exceptional Hardship and Disqualification

When you accumulate 12 or more penalty points on your licence for offences committed within 3 years, you are liable to an automatic or mandatory disqualification of at least 6 months, unless you can establish that this would cause you and/or others exceptional hardship.  Hardship suffered by innocent third parties such as family members or employees is often given more weight.

To avoid a disqualification the hardship has to be “exceptional”.  The evidence needs to be carefully examined and prepared.  The courts will scrutinise the arguments presented, so it is essential to put forward the strongest and most persuasive case, especially as the consequences of such a disqualification are frequently devastating.

If you succeed with this argument you will not be able to use it again if you find yourself in a similar position within 3 years.  If you are disqualified in these circumstances, at the end of the disqualification you start again with a clean licence.