In the UK, the laws governing driving activities are clear in the Road Traffic Acts and the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations.
These laws relate to the type of vehicle a driver may operate, the condition and roadworthiness of the vehicle, the ability and qualifications needed to drive the vehicle, and issues of adequate insurance cover. The same laws apply to drivers whether on private or business journeys.
Managing a fleet of vehicles is a complex and highly regulated responsibility. One critical aspect often overlooked is the periodic checking of driver licences. Ensuring that all drivers are qualified, insured, and legally allowed to drive is not just a formality—it’s a core part of risk management for vehicle operators. Failure to do so can have severe consequences for both the driver and the business.
A study by Licence Bureau Ltd revealed that up to 1 in 10 drivers in the UK are driving with a licence that is invalid or has expired. This statistic further emphasises the importance of regular licence validation, as many drivers may not be fully aware of the status of their own documents.
Regular driver licence checks are an essential part of risk management for any fleet operator. Whether your business relies on HGV drivers, company car drivers, or grey fleet drivers, you have a legal and operational responsibility to ensure that every driver is qualified, insured, and compliant with regulations.
By implementing a thorough checking system and partnering with a professional licence-checking service, you can minimise the risk of non-compliance, avoid unnecessary disruptions, and safeguard your business from the costly consequences of unqualified drivers.
For context, almost three million GB drivers had points on their licences according to an FOI request fulfilled by DVLA in March 2024.
More worryingly, almost 100,000 have nine points which typically makes them one offence away from revocation. A further 24,000 have 10 points or more. Magistrates can allow drivers to keep their licences if they claim to need it for work – despite the accumulated points suggesting they are high risk individuals who serially offend. The highest points total currently against a GB licence is 126.
Points remain on a licence for either four or 11 years depending upon the severity of the offence.
Points accrual is a key reason to check licences regularly. Points accrual indicates a pattern of risky behaviour.
For most drivers 12 points is sufficient for their licence to be revoked. Not all employees will admit to this if it means that their job may be at risk, but it is essential that an employer does not allow a disqualified driver or a very high-risk driver to drive on their behalf
Ideally drivers should volunteer any licence change information, and this requirement should be stated in your driving for work policy.
Who Should Be Checked?
Regular licence checks aren’t just for HGV or PSV drivers. Anyone driving a vehicle for business purposes should be included, including:
Transport Managers
Company Directors
Company Car Drivers
Grey Fleet Drivers (Those using personal vehicles for work)
Ensuring compliance across all drivers helps avoid costly oversights and maintains a high level of fleet safety.
Employee owned vehicles are your responsibility also
No matter how short the distance or how infrequent the journey, if an employee drives their own vehicle for work it is the employer’s responsibility to check the MOT, road tax and insurance.
In fact, if your employee will ever have to drive in connection with their job, a regular licence check is a legal necessity, stipulated by Section 87 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Corporate Manslaughter Act 2007.
While statute does not lay down a minimum interval for checking licences – it is the employer’s responsibility to know that an employee is qualified to drive a specific class of vehicle, and the driver’s responsibility to hold such a valid qualification – official guidance says you should check during recruitment, and then at regular intervals.
Fatality rate: A large percentage of road fatalities are linked to driving for work, with some studies reporting nearly 30% of deaths occurring in such situations.
For fleet operators, the message is clear: having the correct procedures in place to regularly check driver licences and other essential documents can make the difference between smooth operations and costly disruptions.
Establishing a Licence-Checking System
Operators are legally obligated to have a robust system in place for checking the validity of driver licences and related documents. Simply trusting drivers to monitor their own licence status is not enough. You need a formal process to review and record licence checks.
The importance of instigating the right checking procedure There are many different categories of driving licence, with variations arising in the level of entitlement, vehicle classifications, and the licence holder’s country of origin. All these issues make it very important that you ensure every driver on company business has a full and valid driving licence. Whether or not the company actually provides the vehicle that the employee is to drive on company business is an irrelevance. If an employee is driving on company time, for business purposes, the employer has a Duty of Care over the actions of that individual and, consequently, an absolute responsibility to ensure that the employee acts within the law.
Logico’s Automated Licence Check Solution, does it all, HGV PSV, Company Car Drivers and Grey Fleet!
Logico’s Grey Fleet Management automates these essential checks for you.
Our Grey Fleet Management solution is an easy-to-use automated service that manages itself after the initial set up. Communicating directly with the driver, we will obtain vehicle details and complete the necessary tax, MOT and insurance checks to ensure the vehicle is compliant and employer duty of care obligations are met.
Drivers may also be prompted to carry out roadworthiness checks at a frequency to suit your requirement, encouraging accountability for basic safety checks.
Efficiency
DAVIS communicates with your drivers, relieving you of the heavy administrative burden of chasing drivers, obtaining vehicle information and managing a database.
Background checks
Once a vehicle is registered in DAVIS, you can rest easy knowing the vehicle MOT and tax is being checked weekly, ensuring it is eligible to be driven.
“We are able to have a more complete picture of our drivers, ensure that we are legally compliant and can more readily identify which drivers are high or low risk.”
Jon Lowe, Fleet Systems Manager at Travis Perkins
Safety checks
DAVIS has the ability to prompt drivers to carry out basic roadworthiness checks such as tyre tread and pressure, fluids and wipers ensuring your drivers take responsibility for checking the safety of their vehicles before a work journey.
Enhanced checks
We can also help check an individual’s car insurance policy, making sure that the driver has the appropriate level of cover for business use.
Tighter control
DAVIS can automatically accept or reject a grey fleet vehicle based on your company policy. Want to restrict vehicles if they are a certain age, type or engine size? You can manage this in DAVIS, ensuring that policy is not just set, it is followed.
How often should employers check drivers licences?
Good practice is to check all driving licences at least twice a year – including your grey fleet drivers. A minimum of every three months for HGV and PSV Drivers and on a risk based approach if any driver has penalty points.
The Benefits of Professional Licence-Checking Services
While operators can handle licence checks in-house, using an external service can save time, reduce administrative burden, and ensure that your business remains compliant at all times especially where large amount of checks need to be conducted.