Someone has been driving your van for two or three years… but when was the last time you knew they were fit to drive?
You saw their licence when they started, they drive every day and nobody has ever mentioned a problem. So everything must be fine right?
Wrong. For plenty of businesses, it’s one of those things that feels like the driver’s responsibility. But that’s not entirely the case if they’re driving for your business.
Is a driving licence really your problem?
Yes. If you employ someone to drive, you must make sure they have the right licence and qualifications for the vehicle and work they’re doing.
HSE guidance also says employers must manage health and safety risks for people driving for work, and must ensure documentation is legal and up to date.
It’s all about knowing the person you send out in a vehicle is entitled to drive it.
What should you be aware of?
The four basics: entitlement, endorsements, driving entitlement expiry and photocard renewal date.
- Entitlement: For conventional petrol and diesel vehicles, category B usually covers vehicles up to 3,500kg maximum authorised mass and category C1 covers vehicles between 3,500kg and 7,500kg. Different allowances can apply to some zero-emission vehicles, so check the actual entitlement against the vehicle.
- Endorsement: penalty points, endorsements or disqualifications.
- Expiry date: when does the driver’s entitlement expire?
- Photo: when was the photocard renewal date? Photocard licences normally need renewing every 10 years, which is different to how long someone may be entitled to drive a particular category.
Why looking at the card isn’t enough?
In short, because penalty points are held on the DVLA’s electronic driver record and not on the card itself.
The paper counterpart to the photocard licence was scrapped in Great Britain in 2015 and new penalty points aren’t printed on the photocard. That means it can still look current even if your driver’s record has changed.
How do you check a driver’s record?
They have to start the process or give permission via a check code to let you access their records.
They use the GOV.UK View or share your driving licence information service (www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence) to generate a check code, then give you that code and the last eight characters of their driving licence number.
You use the separate GOV.UK service to check someone’s driving licence information (www.gov.uk/check-driving-information). It shows the vehicles they can drive, along with any penalty points or disqualifications.
The code is valid for 21 days and can only be used once, but you do need the driver’s permission.
These DVLA services cover licences issued in England, Scotland and Wales; Northern Ireland uses DVA services.
Ask, check, record the date and set the next reminder.
Is it different for drivers who passed before 1997?
They may have extra entitlements that younger drivers don’t.
Drivers who passed a category B car test before 1 January 1997 were generally given additional entitlement including category C1, allowing them to drive vehicles between 3.5 and 7.5 tonnes.
Do not assume it lasts forever. The inherited C1 entitlement generally runs until the licence expires, normally at age 70. Keeping it after that requires renewal and the higher medical standards that apply to those vehicles.
So ‘they’ve always driven that one’ is not a licence check.
How often should you check?
There’s no single statutory timetable for businesses to check licences once a year. But GOV.UK and HSE guidance require employers to make sure drivers have the correct up-to-date entitlement, so sensible frequency depends on the risk.
For a small fleet, an annual check is a sensible baseline for lower-risk drivers. Check more often where someone covers high mileage, has points or endorsements, drives larger vehicles or where losing their licence would create a serious operational issue.
If you operate vehicles under an operator licence, stricter requirements may apply. Traffic Commissioner guidance for transport managers suggests regular licence checks, usually every three months.
Make it non-negotiable that drivers must tell you about new points, a disqualification or any change to their entitlement between checks. If someone no longer has the entitlement for the vehicle, they shouldn’t drive it.
For wider issues around employees using their own vehicles for work, see What is a grey fleet?
How do you keep a record without creating more admin?
A spreadsheet and calendar reminder are enough for most small fleets.
Record the driver’s name, date checked, relevant vehicle categories, any points that need noting, key expiry dates and the next check date.
There’s no need to collect unnecessary personal information – just a clear trail showing that the check happened and anything important was acted on.
The same principle applies to other driver rules: simple, written and easy to repeat. A fuel card usage policy is a good example of how a short process can remove ambiguity without creating bureaucracy.
Five minutes now and a recurring reminder means a much smaller chance of any awkward surprises later.
