How long is the disqualification for drug driving?

The minimums are: at least one year for a first conviction for being over the specified limit for cannabis, cocaine or heroin, and at least two years for a second; at least four years for a first conviction for impaired driving under any drug, including prescription drugs, and six for a second. A judge can increase them.

I had a drink-driving conviction before. Does that matter?

A first offence can be either a drink or a drug offence, so a drug-driving conviction after a drink-driving one is sentenced as a second offence, with the longer disqualification. Both are convictions to declare.

Can I get my licence back early after a drug-driving ban?

Not from a one-year specified-drug disqualification, because early restoration is not available where the period is two years or less. For a longer ban, you can apply to the court that made the order once you are more than halfway through, unless you have had another disqualification in the past ten years.

I am a young driver with a drug-driving conviction. Is there anything I can do?

Declare the conviction, count every year of named-driver experience, and consider a telematics policy once you are driving again. Age and the conviction are separate factors that each insurer weighs in its own way, so compare quotes rather than assume.

What do I need to get a quote?

For the Quick Quote: the car’s registration and value, your area, name, date of birth, licence type, no-claims years, mobile number, email, cover start date and Eircode. For the full quote: the conviction date, the court, the offence and the disqualification dates.

Car insurance after a drug-driving conviction

You can apply for car insurance after a drug-driving conviction once your disqualification has ended and you have your licence back. Every drug-driving conviction carries a disqualification, so the first question is when you can drive again and the second is what to declare. Enter your details in the form below and one of our agents reviews them, checks which of the 14 different insurers we compare will quote, and calls you back with the options. Do it before the end date and tell us when cover needs to start.

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Drug-driving offences and disqualification periods

There are two offences. It is illegal to drive under the influence of any drug, including prescription drugs, if your driving is impaired to the extent that you do not have proper control of the vehicle; on conviction the minimum disqualification is four years for a first offence and six for a second or subsequent one. For cannabis, cocaine and heroin it is also illegal to drive over a specified limit even if your driving is not impaired; on conviction the disqualification is at least one year for a first offence and at least two years for a second or subsequent one. A previous drink-driving conviction counts as a first offence, so a drug-driving conviction after it is treated as a second. Gardaí test for drugs at the roadside using saliva.

These are minimums, and a judge can increase them. You can apply to the court that made the order for early restoration once you are more than halfway through the disqualification; the licence will not be restored if the ban is for two years or less or if you have had another disqualification in the past ten years, and the court can reduce the period to two-thirds of the original or to two years, whichever is greater. Because the one-year disqualification for a specified-drug offence is two years or less, early restoration does not apply to it. Driving while disqualified is a serious offence.

Declaring it, young drivers, and what to have ready

Declaring it. Our full quote asks about convictions and disqualifications over a set number of past years. Under the Consumer Insurance Contracts Act 2019 you must answer the insurer’s questions honestly and with reasonable care, and the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), the State’s consumer watchdog, warns that a policy can be cancelled for undisclosed details and that you may then find it difficult to get cover. Give the conviction date, the court, the offence and the disqualification start and end dates for the period asked. Some convictions become spent after seven years; our car insurance for convicted drivers page explains the rule and the exception for insurance.

Young drivers. A drug-driving conviction and being a young driver are two separate things our full quote asks about, and Citizens Information notes that insurers treat young drivers as a higher-risk category in their own right. Count every year of named-driver experience, and once you are driving again consider a telematics policy, which records how you drive so the insurer has that record to price on. Our young drivers page covers the rest.

Drink driving and driving bans have their own pages. If three insurers refuse you in writing, the Declined Cases Agreement applies and Insurance Ireland’s Declined Cases Committee will get a quotation for you, according to Citizens Information; our refused car insurance page explains it.

Have ready the conviction date, the court, the offence, the disqualification start and end dates, your licence status now, and your no-claims bonus letter if you have one. To talk it through, call 0818 92 92 42, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm.

Sources: Citizens Information – drink driving offences; Citizens Information – being disqualified from driving; Citizens Information – motor insurance; Consumer Insurance Contracts Act 2019; CCPC – car insurance. Last reviewed September 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the disqualification for drug driving?
The minimums are: at least one year for a first conviction for being over the specified limit for cannabis, cocaine or heroin, and at least two years for a second; at least four years for a first conviction for impaired driving under any drug, including prescription drugs, and six for a second. A judge can increase them.
Does a prescription drug count?
It can. It is an offence to drive under the influence of any drug, including prescription drugs, if your driving is impaired to the extent that you do not have proper control of the vehicle.
I had a drink-driving conviction before. Does that matter?
A first offence can be either a drink or a drug offence, so a drug-driving conviction after a drink-driving one is sentenced as a second offence, with the longer disqualification. Both are convictions to declare.
Can I get my licence back early after a drug-driving ban?
Not from a one-year specified-drug disqualification, because early restoration is not available where the period is two years or less. For a longer ban, you can apply to the court that made the order once you are more than halfway through, unless you have had another disqualification in the past ten years.
I am a young driver with a drug-driving conviction. Is there anything I can do?
Declare the conviction, count every year of named-driver experience, and consider a telematics policy once you are driving again. Age and the conviction are separate factors that each insurer weighs in its own way, so compare quotes rather than assume.
What do I need to get a quote?
For the Quick Quote: the car’s registration and value, your area, name, date of birth, licence type, no-claims years, mobile number, email, cover start date and Eircode. For the full quote: the conviction date, the court, the offence and the disqualification dates.