Driving licence checks for employers

To check a driver’s licence, ask the driver to create a check code on GOV.UK’s View or share your driving licence information service, then enter that code with the last 8 characters of their licence number. The code is valid for 21 days and can only be used once.

Businesses checking many drivers can use DVLA’s Access to Driver Data service, usually through a licence-checking company, with each driver’s consent.

The method is the easy part. The harder part is doing it on a schedule, recording what you find and acting on it.

This guide covers both, from an employer’s point of view.

Why Do Employers Check Driving Licences?

A licence check confirms three things an interview cannot: whether the driver is entitled to drive that vehicle, whether they have penalty points and whether they are disqualified. A photocard in a wallet shows none of that as it stands today.

What the photocard does not tell you

A photocard does not show whether points were added last month. Nor does it show whether the driver has been banned since it was issued.

The health and safety duty

HSE’s guidance on driving for work says employers must assess drivers’ competence and check that licences, insurance and MOTs are valid. That duty comes from general health and safety law, and it applies whether the vehicle belongs to the business or the employee.

The insurance angle

If someone drives a fleet vehicle without a valid licence, or outside the categories their licence allows, the insurer may have grounds to dispute a claim or recover its costs from the business. You also run the risk of “causing or permitting” someone to drive without valid insurance.

How Do You Check A Licence With A DVLA Check Code?

The driver creates a check code on GOV.UK and sends it to you, then you enter that code with the last 8 characters of their licence number. The route is free and works well for small driver lists or one-off checks.

What the driver does

1. Go to the View or share your driving licence information service on GOV.UK.
2. Enter their driving licence number, National Insurance number and the postcode shown on their licence.
3. Choose to share their licence information and create a check code.
4. Send the code to the person running the check.

What the employer does

1. Go to the Check someone’s driving licence information service.
2. Enter the check code and the last 8 characters of the driver’s licence number.
3. Review the record, then save or print it for your files.

Validity and timing

The code lasts 21 days and works once. If a check fails because the driver mistyped something, or you need to check again later, they must create a new code.

Ask for the code a day or two before you plan to check rather than weeks in advance.

The paper route

There is also a paper route for companies, form D888/1, which carries a £5 fee according to GOV.UK. Most businesses find the online route quicker.

Tip: Ask drivers to send the check code to a shared inbox or a named person, not a manager’s personal phone. It keeps the audit trail in one place.

How Does Bulk Licence Checking Work For Larger Fleets?

Organisations with a business need can check licences through DVLA’s Access to Driver Data service, with each driver’s consent. Most employers use it through a licence-checking company rather than connecting directly.

Why collecting codes stops scaling

Once you have more than a handful of drivers, collecting codes by email becomes its own admin job. A provider using Access to Driver Data can run checks on your chosen schedule and flag changes, such as new endorsements, without asking the driver for a code each time.

Consent and form D906/ADD

Each driver must give consent. DVLA recommends its standard declaration, form D906/ADD, and many checking services capture the equivalent electronically.

The D906/ADD declaration expires when the driver stops driving in connection with the company, or three years after it was signed, whichever comes first.

Comparing checking companies

FleetQuote does not recommend particular checking companies. When comparing them, ask how consent is captured and renewed, how often checks can run, what alerts you receive and where the data is stored.

Method	Suits	Cost	Consent
Driver check code (online)	Small driver lists, occasional checks	Free	Driver creates and shares the code
Form D888/1 (paper)	Businesses that cannot use the online service	£5 fee (per GOV.UK)	Driver signs the form
Access to Driver Data via a checking company	Larger or changing driver lists, scheduled checks	Set by the provider	Driver consent, often form D796 or electronic

What Does A Licence Check Show?

The record includes the driver’s vehicle categories, any penalty points and offence codes, disqualifications and the licence’s validity dates. Read it against the vehicles the person will actually drive, not just whether they “have a licence”.

Points to read on the record

• Categories. A category B licence covers vehicles up to 3,500kg maximum authorised mass with no more than 8 passenger seats. Electric or hydrogen vehicles can go up to 4,250kg. Heavier vans and lorries need C1 or C, and minibuses need D1 unless specific conditions apply.
• Grandfather rights. Drivers who passed their car test before 1 January 1997 usually also hold C1 and D1 (the D1 often with restriction code 101, not for hire or reward). Check the record rather than assuming from their age, because entitlement can be lost.
• Endorsements. Note the offence codes and dates. Some offences matter more to an insurer than the points total suggests.
• Restriction codes. These can limit what or how someone drives, such as a requirement for glasses or an automatic-only entitlement.
• Expiry. Photocards need renewing, and some entitlements need renewing on medical grounds or at certain ages.

GOV.UK publishes the full list of driving licence categories and the meaning of each restriction code.

Trailers and towing

If someone will tow a trailer, check whether their category B entitlement is enough for the combined weight before they set off. The rules depend on the trailer’s weight and when they passed their test.

How Often Should You Check A Driver’s Licence?

No law sets a single checking frequency for every employer, and HSE’s driving for work guidance does not give one. What matters is that your approach is reasonable for the risk, written down and followed.

A risk-based schedule

A common approach ties the interval to the driver’s profile rather than treating everyone the same. The intervals below are examples of practice, not rules.

Driver profile	A frequency some businesses use
New starter	Before they drive for the first time
Clean licence, light or occasional driving	Periodically, for example every 6 or 12 months
Points on licence, high mileage or heavier vehicles	More often, for example every 3 months
After an incident, a conviction or a change of role	Straight away

Policy conditions come first

Check your insurance policy before you set an interval.

Some fleet policies include a condition about licence checks, and a policy condition you are not meeting can cause trouble at claim time.

Drivers reporting changes

Also require drivers to tell you straight away about any new points, disqualification or medical condition that affects driving. Put this in your driving for work policy (see our guide to writing a driving for work policy).

A periodic check then acts as a backstop.

What Are The Rules On Consent, Privacy And Records?

It is a criminal offence to get someone’s driving information without their permission, so every check needs consent. Licence data is personal data, and offence information needs particular care.

Getting consent

The check code route builds consent in, because the driver creates the code. For bulk checks, keep each consent record for as long as it applies.

Handling the data

Data protection law sets extra conditions for processing criminal offence data.

Only collect what you need, limit who can see it and set a retention period.

What to log for each check

• Driver name and the date of the check
• Method used (check code, D888/1 or checking service)
• Categories held and whether they cover the vehicles the person drives
• Points, offence codes and any disqualification
• Any action taken, such as a conversation, training or a change of vehicle
• The date of the next scheduled check

What Do Insurers Ask About Licence Checks?

Fleet insurers want to understand who drives, not just which vehicles you own, so brokers commonly ask how and how often you check licences. A documented process gives them something concrete to present, though it does not guarantee any particular terms.

Questions a broker may put to you

• How often do you check driver licences, and by what method?
• What do you do when a driver has points, or reaches a certain number?
• Do agency drivers, subcontractors or temporary staff get checked too?
• Do you check drivers who use their own cars for work?
• Can you provide a current driver list with licence details?

How insurers treat drivers with points

Practice varies.

Some insurers set referral points for particular offences or points totals, and some ask to be told about individual drivers.

A documented process with records behind it helps a broker describe the risk accurately. It is also one of the items in our fleet insurance renewal checklist.

What Should You Set Up In Your Own Business?

Small fleets of vans or cars can rely on the free check code route, as long as checks happen at recruitment and on a date you have already set. Larger or fast-changing driver lists usually justify a checking company using Access to Driver Data.

A routine for a small fleet

Check at recruitment, set a date for each driver’s next check and keep a spreadsheet of results. Write down how often you check and what happens when a check turns something up, then make sure that matches any condition in your insurance.

A routine for a longer driver list

A checking company will usually save more time than it costs. Compare how each provider captures consent before you sign anything.

Watch categories, not just points

If your drivers move between cars, vans and heavier vehicles, check entitlement as carefully as endorsements. The mixed fleet insurance page explains why entitlement matters when one policy covers several vehicle types.

Before you call a broker

When you speak to a broker about fleet insurance, have your driver list and a summary of your checking process ready. It is one of the first things they are likely to ask about.

Sources

• GOV.UK: View or share your driving licence information
• GOV.UK: Check someone's driving licence information
• API catalogue: DVLA Access to Driver Data
• GOV.UK: Driving licence categories
• GOV.UK: Driving licence codes
• HSE: Driving and riding safely for work (employers)
• DVLA API developer portal: Access to Driver Data FAQ
• DVLA form D906/ADD: driving licence information fair processing declaration (copy published by Bristol City Council)
• ICO: What is criminal offence data?

Updates

• 17 September 2026 : last reviewed
• 17 September 2026 : Legal and regulatory points checked against official sources

General information about UK fleet insurance, not advice. How we write and check our content