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Last updated: 20 March 2026

Licence checking isn’t admin for admin’s sake. If someone drives a van for work, employers still have legal duties to manage driving-for-work risk — which includes making sure drivers are competent, fit to drive, and legally entitled to drive the vehicle they’re using. (hse.gov.uk)

Why licence checks matter

Older industry articles (including a 2013-era analysis of licence checks) highlighted recurring “fail” reasons like provisional licences, expired cards and disqualifications. The specifics have aged, but the failure types are still the same — and DVLA checking is now simpler to do online.

The DVLA way to check licences in Great Britain (GB)

For GB licences, the standard method is:

• the driver uses GOV.UK to view or share their driving licence information, generating a check code
• the employer uses that code to view the driver’s entitlements, points and disqualifications

GOV.UK confirms the check code is valid for 21 days. (gov.uk) Employers can also use GOV.UK’s “check someone’s driving licence information” service to view what the code reveals. (gov.uk)

Northern Ireland: NI uses a separate nidirect service (also with check codes valid for 21 days). (nidirect.gov.uk)

The most common licence-check mistakes (2026 reality)

These are the issues that most often cause problems in fleets and small businesses:

1) Treating the “photocard expiry” as optional

A GB photocard licence must be renewed every 10 years. (gov.uk) From age 70, renewal is required every 3 years. (gov.uk)

Why it matters: drivers sometimes keep driving with an expired photocard, which creates avoidable compliance and insurance headaches.

2) Not confirming the driver has the right entitlement for the van

Many work vans are within category B limits — but weight, towing, or certain vehicle types can change what’s required. The mistake is assuming “car licence = any van” without checking what the driver is actually entitled to drive.

3) Missing disqualifications, suspensions or revocations between annual checks

Checking once at onboarding and never again is a common failure point. Licences can change after a court date, fixed penalty, medical issue or renewal failure.

4) Allowing provisional drivers to drive work vans unsupervised

“Provisional” issues still crop up in onboarding and temporary cover scenarios (new hires, seasonal drivers, agency drivers). A provisional licence does not mean someone can legally drive a work van unsupervised.

5) No evidence trail (or inconsistent evidence)

Even when checks are done, businesses sometimes can’t show when they checked, what they saw, and what action they took. Good practice is to keep:

• the check date
• the licence summary output (or reference)
• risk rating and next recheck date
• any actions taken (training, restrictions, reallocation of vehicle)

How often should you re-check?

Driving for Better Business (a National Highways programme) says good practice is to check all driving licences at least twice a year, including grey fleet drivers, and to use a risk-based approach for more frequent checks where needed. (drivingforbetterbusiness.com)

A practical approach many fleets use:

• Onboarding: check before the first drive
• Routine: every 6 months
• Higher-risk drivers: more often (for example, points, incidents, or high mileage)

A simple employer checklist you can implement this week

• Set a written “drive for work” policy (who is allowed to drive, what vehicles, what checks, what frequency).
• Use the DVLA check-code process and store evidence consistently. (gov.uk)
• Flag and manage risk: points thresholds, incident history, very high mileage roles.
• Include contractors and gig-economy workers — HSE guidance applies to “anyone engaged to work for you”. (hse.gov.uk)
• Recheck on role changes (new vehicle type, towing added, heavier van, more passengers).

Key facts and sources

• DVLA check codes used to share licence details are valid for 21 days (GB and NI services). (gov.uk)
• Photocard licences must be renewed every 10 years; from age 70 every 3 years. (gov.uk)
• Employers must manage driving-for-work risks under health and safety law. (hse.gov.uk)
• Good practice is to check licences at least twice a year, with risk-based frequency where appropriate. (drivingforbetterbusiness.com)

Sources

1. GOV.UK — View or share your driving licence information (check code valid 21 days): View source
2. GOV.UK — Check someone’s driving licence information: View source
3. GOV.UK — Renew your driving licence (photocard every 10 years): View source
4. GOV.UK — Renew your driving licence if you’re 70 or over (every 3 years): View source
5. HSE — Employers: driving and riding safely for work (overview): View source
6. HSE — The law (employer duties for driving for work): View source
7. Driving for Better Business — Licence checks: how often should you check your drivers? (twice a year; risk-based): View source
8. nidirect — View or share your NI driving licence information (NI check code): View source