If your employees drive for work, a DVLA licence check isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a legal and operational must. From confirming valid licences to identifying disqualifications or penalty points, regular checks protect your business from risk and ensure your drivers are safe and road-legal.
In this guide, we’ll explain exactly how DVLA licence checks work, what employers are responsible for, and how to simplify the entire process using automation and secure screening partners integrated with DVLA.
Why DVLA Licence Checks Matter for Employers
Ensuring the safety and compliance of your workforce is paramount, especially when employees drive for work. Whether it’s a delivery driver, a sales representative on the road, or a technician visiting clients, their driving record directly impacts your business’s risk profile.
This is where a DVLA licence check becomes an indispensable tool. For employer licence checks, understanding the importance goes beyond just ticking a box; it’s about legal compliance, duty of care, and safeguarding your company’s reputation and financial well-being. Regular checks help prevent serious accidents, mitigate legal liabilities, and ensure your team is fit for the road.
What Is a DVLA Licence Check?
So, what exactly is a DVLA licence check? In essence, it’s a formal process to verify an individual’s driving entitlements and record with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) in the UK.
When you DVLA check a driving licence, you gain access to crucial information that isn’t visible on the physical licence itself.
This includes:
- Driving entitlements: What types of vehicles the individual is legally permitted to drive (e.g., cars, vans, lorries, motorcycles).
- Endorsements and penalty points: Any current penalty points for traffic offences, their severity, and the date they were incurred.
- Disqualifications: If the driver has been disqualified from driving.
- Licence expiry dates: When the various categories on their licence are due to expire.
- Medical restrictions: Any conditions that may affect their ability to drive.
This detailed insight, often obtained through a driver’s licence check through the DVLA system, is more comprehensive than only performing an ID check and is vital for any employer with staff who drive as part of their job.
How Employers Can Check an Employee’s Driving Licence
Performing an employee driving licence check is a critical step for any business. The DVLA offers a few methods for employers to check an employee driving licence, but it always requires the driver’s explicit consent.
Manual Methods:
- DVLA Online Service (Share My Driving Licence): Drivers can generate a “check code” through the DVLA’s “Share My Driving Licence” service. This code, along with the last eight characters of their driving licence number, can then be given to the employer, allowing them to view the licence details online for up to 21 days.
- DVLA Phone Service: Employers can call the DVLA directly (with the driver present or with prior written consent) to obtain information.
- Post: A more traditional, slower method involves sending a request by post with the driver’s signed consent.
Streamlined Solutions:
For businesses with multiple drivers, checking employees driving licences manually can be time-consuming and prone to error. This is where dedicated solutions, often offered by background check services, come into play.
These services can integrate directly with DVLA data, provided they have the necessary agreements and, crucially, the driver’s consent. They can automate the request process, store consent forms securely, and provide an easily accessible overview of your fleet’s licence status.
It’s crucial to remember that consent is not just good practice; it’s a legal requirement under data protection regulations (like GDPR in the UK). Ensure you have a clear, documented consent process in place before performing any checks.
Why Regular Driver Points Checks Are Essential
A one-off driver points check at the point of hire is a good start, but it’s often not enough. Driving records can change rapidly. An employee might incur penalty points or even a disqualification weeks or months after their initial check, potentially unbeknownst to their employer.
Regular, ongoing monitoring of penalty points and driving status is essential for:
- Continuous Risk Management: Identifying new endorsements or licence changes promptly allows you to address potential risks before they escalate.
- Compliance: Ensuring drivers continue to meet legal and insurance requirements.
- Duty of Care: Fulfilling your obligation to ensure your employees are fit and safe to perform their duties, particularly when driving for work.
- Preventing Liability: Proactive checks can help prevent accidents and the significant legal and financial repercussions that can follow if it’s found you failed to monitor your drivers adequately.
Driving Licence Checks for Employers: Legal Responsibilities
When it comes to driving licence checks for employers, there are significant legal responsibilities to uphold. The DVLA, alongside health and safety regulations, places a clear onus on businesses to ensure their drivers are legally compliant.
Key considerations include:
1. Duty of Care
Employers have a legal duty of care under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to ensure the health and safety of their employees and others who may be affected by their work activities. This extends to ensuring employees driving for work are competent and properly licenced.
2. Insurance Requirements
Most commercial motor insurance policies require drivers to hold valid, appropriate licences and be free of certain endorsements or disqualifications. Failure to verify this could invalidate your insurance in the event of an incident.
3. What records must a business hold on a driver?
Best practice dictates holding records of:
- Driver’s current licence status (checked regularly).
- Dates of DVLA checks performed.
- Driver consent forms for licence checks.
- Any specific training or certifications related to driving for work.
- Records of incidents or penalty points and actions taken.
4. Risks of Non-Compliance
Failing to employer check driving licence validity can lead to severe consequences, including:
- Fines and penalties for the company and individuals.
- Invalidated insurance.
- Reputational damage.
- Civil claims for damages in the event of an accident.
- Prosecution under health and safety legislation.
How Background Check Services Help Simplify DVLA Checks
Managing DVLA licence check requirements for a large or even small fleet can be a complex administrative burden. This is where professional background check services become invaluable.
They offer automated vetting platforms that significantly streamline the process by:
- Scheduled Re-Checks: Setting up automated reminders for regular re-checks of driving licences, ensuring ongoing compliance and risk management.
- Secure Data Storage: Providing a secure, central repository for all driver licence data, check histories, and consent forms.
- Real-time Alerts: Notifying employers immediately of any changes to a driver’s licence status, such as new endorsements or disqualifications.
- Reporting and Audit Trails: Generating detailed reports for internal audits or in response to external inquiries, demonstrating due diligence.
By leveraging these services, businesses can drastically reduce the administrative overhead, minimise human error, and ensure they are always compliant with DVLA regulations.
How Does EBC Global’s DVLA Licence Check Work?
We’ve simplified the DVLA licence check process into just four easy steps, making it effortless whether you’re running a single check or managing checks at scale.
The process is:
- Consent – Capture driver permission securely and digitally.
- Verification – Instantly verify licence data via our direct DVLA integration.
- Reporting – Access clear, compliant reports with key licence details and risk indicators.
- Repeat – Set automated re-checks to maintain ongoing compliance and peace of mind.
With this streamlined approach, we’ve helped countless employers, recruiters, and HR managers stay compliant and in control.
Hiring Drivers: What to Consider Beyond the Licence
While the DVLA licence check is fundamental, employing a driver often requires a broader scope of vetting, especially for roles that are safety-critical or involve handling sensitive goods/information. Beyond simply checking the licence, consider:
- Criminal History: Depending on the role and industry, a criminal records check (DBS check in the UK) may be essential, particularly for roles involving vulnerable people, high-value goods, or significant public trust.
- Employment History: Verifying past employment, including references, can provide insights into a candidate’s reliability, professionalism, and previous driving behaviour.
- Right to Work: Confirming the individual’s legal right to work in the UK.
- Medical Fitness: For certain roles, particularly HGV drivers, regular medical assessments are required to ensure they meet the DVLA’s medical standards.
- Skills and Experience: Assessing practical driving skills through assessments or probationary periods.
A holistic approach to vetting ensures you hire competent, trustworthy, and compliant drivers, safeguarding your business from multiple angles.
Driving to Work vs Driving for Work – Know the Difference
It’s crucial for employers to understand the distinction between “driving to work” and “driving for work.” This difference significantly impacts your responsibilities regarding licence checks and duty of care:
- Driving to Work: This refers to an employee’s personal commute from their home to their usual place of work. Generally, employers have limited responsibility for this journey beyond ensuring safe access to the workplace.
- Driving for Work: This encompasses any driving undertaken by an employee as part of their job responsibilities, regardless of who owns the vehicle (company car or employee’s own car). Examples include:
- Sales representatives visiting clients.
- Delivery drivers.
- Service engineers attending call-outs.
- Employees driving company vehicles for any business purpose.
- Employees using their personal vehicles for business trips (often referred to as ‘grey fleet’).
When an employee is driving for work, your responsibilities as an employer increase significantly. This is when regular DVLA licence checks, ensuring vehicle roadworthiness (even for ‘grey fleet’ vehicles), and appropriate insurance become vital. Failing to recognise this distinction can lead to significant compliance gaps and liability risks.
Keep Your Fleet Compliant with Fast, Accurate, and Secure DVLA Checks
In summary, implementing robust DVLA licence check procedures is a fundamental pillar of responsible business operation.
From ensuring legal compliance and fulfilling your duty of care to mitigating financial risks and protecting your company’s reputation, proactive and regular licence checks are indispensable for any organisation with employees who drive for work.
Embrace a smarter approach to fleet compliance. Automating your licence checks through professional background check services can save you time, reduce errors, and provide real-time insights into your drivers’ statuses, allowing you to focus on your core business.
Did you know our solution has been awarded the highest possible rating by the DVLA?
Thanks to our secure integration, Employment Check Pro pulls verified data directly from the DVLA — giving our customers fast, accurate, and fully compliant access to driving licence information, all within a trusted and controlled environment.
Learn why this achievement is so important and how it directly benefits our clients, their teams, and their candidates.
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