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Why Employers Must Regularly Check Their Drivers’ Licences

If your business involves drivers—whether they’re operating HGVs, buses, coaches, minibuses, vans, company cars, or even their own vehicles for work purposes (grey fleet)—regular driving licence checks are not just a tick-box exercise. They’re critical to ensuring safety, legal compliance, and the smooth running of your operations.

This article explains why checking licences is so important, what’s involved, and how using a system like Licence Check can save time, reduce hassle, and keep you on the right side of the law.

The Importance of Regular Licence Checks

Imagine this: one of your drivers is pulled over, and it turns out their licence expired months ago. Not only could this result in fines and penalties for your business, but it might also invalidate your insurance. Worse still, if that driver is involved in an accident, the fallout could be catastrophic for everyone involved.

This is why employers are required by law to ensure that anyone driving for work purposes has a valid and appropriate licence. Let’s break down why it’s so vital:

1. Legal Responsibilities

Employers must comply with UK legislation, including:

  • The Road Traffic Act 1988, which requires drivers to hold valid licences and the correct entitlements for the vehicles they’re driving.

  • The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, which obligates businesses to ensure the safety of employees driving for work and other road users.

Failing to check licences regularly could lead to prosecution, hefty fines, and even reputational damage.

2. Managing Risks

A driver with too many penalty points or incorrect entitlements poses a real risk. For instance, a company car driver with 9 points on their licence is just one minor offence away from disqualification. Without regular checks, you might not even know they’re close to losing their licence.

High-risk drivers—those with points or a history of accidents—should be monitored more frequently, sometimes monthly, to ensure they remain compliant.

3. Ensuring Operational Efficiency

Grey fleet drivers (employees using their own cars for business) add another layer of complexity. Employers must confirm these drivers are insured for business use and that their licences are valid. It’s not enough to assume someone with a clean record in the past still has it today.

What’s Involved in a Driving Licence Check?

Key Things to Verify

  1. Licence Validity: Is the licence current, or has it expired?

  2. Entitlements: Does the driver have the correct entitlements for the vehicle they’re driving? For example, a minibus driver needs a D1 entitlement, while HGV drivers need a valid C or C+E entitlement.

  3. Penalty Points: Check for endorsements and disqualifications.

  4. Tachograph Card: For HGV and PSV drivers, ensure the tachograph card is valid.

  5. CPC Card: Professional drivers must hold an up-to-date Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC).

  6. Address Accuracy: The address on the licence must match the driver’s current address.

Keeping Evidence

Employers should maintain detailed records of every licence check, including:

  • The date of the check.

  • A record of the licence details, such as endorsements, entitlements, and expiry dates.

  • Notes of any action taken, like a follow-up with the driver.

These records should be kept for at least three years and must be readily available if requested by the DVSA or the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The Challenges of Manual Licence Checks

Checking one or two licences might seem straightforward, but for businesses with large fleets or high-risk drivers, it quickly becomes a logistical nightmare. For example:

  • If you have 50 drivers, each requiring quarterly checks, that’s 200 checks a year

—and that doesn’t account for high-risk drivers who may need monthly monitoring.

Manual checks take time, involve chasing paperwork, and leave room for human error. You might miss an expired entitlement or overlook penalty points added since the last check. These gaps can lead to non-compliance, putting your business at serious risk.

How Licence Check Can Help

Imagine having a system that does all this work for you. That’s where Licence Check comes in. Here’s how we make your life easier:

1. Automated Checks

Our system connects directly to the DVLA, automating licence checks for all your drivers. You can set the frequency—monthly for high-risk drivers or quarterly for the rest—and get real-time updates on changes, such as new endorsements or expiring licences.

2. Comprehensive Monitoring

In addition to licence checks, our system tracks:

  • Tachograph card validity for HGV and PSV drivers.

  • CPC driver cards to ensure professional drivers remain compliant.

  • Entitlements, such as ensuring a van driver moving up to a larger vehicle holds the correct category.

3. Effortless Record-Keeping

Every check is logged automatically, creating a complete audit trail. If the DVSA or HSE asks for proof, it’s all there—organised, accurate, and ready to go.

4. Cost-Effective and Scalable

For businesses with dozens—or even hundreds—of drivers, our solution saves time and reduces administrative overhead. No more chasing drivers for licence details or manually cross-checking records.

Real-World Example

Let’s say you manage a logistics company with 20 HGV drivers and 10 van drivers. You need to:

  • Check licences quarterly for the van drivers.

  • Check licences monthly for 3 HGV drivers who’ve accumulated penalty points.

  • Monitor CPC and tachograph cards for all HGV drivers.

Manually, this would require significant staff time and constant follow-ups. With Licence Check, you could automate everything, saving hours of admin work every month.

Take the Stress Out of Licence Checks

Licence checks don’t have to be a tedious, manual process. By switching to an automated system like Licence Check, you can stay compliant, manage risks effectively, and focus on running your business.

Ready to simplify your licence checks? Contact us today or book a free demo to see how our system can work for you.