Insurance Declaration

[charlescrawley]

I hope this is the right place for this... Simply, I'd like to know the answer to a, I hope, simple question. Come next May it will be 5 years since I was convicted of a DD offense. I won't go into the details, but suffice to say I'm not particularly proud of myself for it. Anyway, as the 5 years are up, do I have to declare this to insurance companies? Some online webquote systems seem to ask for convictions within the last five years only. Is this true for all, or will I have to declare it to any insurance company at some point? I know that the offense will stay on my license for 10 years...
Thanks for your replies.

[pdV6]

You only have to give the information that they ask for.

I have seen various on-line quote systems recently (shopping around for the shopping car!) and some only asked for any convictions in the last 5 years whilst others asked for any in the last 5 years and any DD convictions ever.

If they ask, you have to tell. If they don't, you don't!

[charlescrawley]

I suppose that makes sense... I thought there must be a firm rule on this kind of thing.

[trooper1212]

charlescrawley said:

I suppose that makes sense... I thought there must be a firm rule on this kind of thing.

There is, have a read up on the "rehabilitation of offenders act"

IANABiB but as far as I understand it, speeding offences come under the heading of fineable convictions that are legally "spent" after 5 years. So unless the insurers have special dispensation (which the almost certainly don't) they are not allowed to take any speeding offences over 5 years ago into consideration. If they ask you for details of offences over 5 years ago, you have no obligation to tell them as in the eyes of the law your conviction no longer has any bearing on your character.

DD offences are different I think, so you'll need to take a look at act yourself to work out where you stand. A 10 year spending period rings a bell, but I didn't take much notice when I was researching this as it didn't apply to me.

[charlescrawley]

Thanks for that trooper1212. I hope this is not required by anyone here, but just in case here's a link to some relevant information:

www.lawontheweb.co.uk/rehabact.htm
www.homeoffice.gov.uk/justice/sentencing/rehabilitation/act.html

It seems that there is a limit placed on this type of offense of 5 years where the penalty is seen to have been paid, unless the ban was for longer. Ie if the ban was for 7 years, the rehabilitation and therefore disclosure does not lapse until the end of those 7 years. Well, I hope that's right. I'm going to look into this further of course.