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October 16, 2026

Driver licence check: how employers verify a driving licence

A driver licence check for your fleet means confirming that a driver’s current driving licence record allows them to use the vehicle you plan to assign. In Great Britain, the driver generates a DVLA check code and gives you permission to use it. You then check the record online and compare it with the job. A photocard alone does not complete that process.

Why check before assigning a vehicle?

Employers must ensure that people employed to drive have the right licence and qualifications. That matters when you take on a new driver, change their vehicle or allocate work that requires a different licence category.

Make the check part of the assignment decision, rather than a document-collection exercise. Record who checked, what they found and whether the driver was cleared for the proposed vehicle. Our DVLA guide provides background on the GB agency and its driver records; the steps below focus on the hand-off between driver and employer.

Driver licence check: follow the GB hand-off

The DVLA online licence-check service is free and available 24 hours a day. There are two separate government services: one for the driver to create a code and one for you to use it.

Ask the driver to generate a code. The GB licence holder goes to View or share your driving licence information. They need their driving licence number, National Insurance number and the postcode on their licence. They give you the resulting check code; you do not need their National Insurance number for your check.
Get permission and the required licence details. Ask the driver for permission to access their record, the code and the last eight characters of their driving licence number. Explain who will carry out the check and why.
Use the employer service. Enter those details at Check someone’s driving licence information. The service shows driving entitlements, penalty points and disqualifications.
Make the assignment decision. Compare the record with the vehicle and work planned. Note any restriction or expiry that needs further review. Do not treat receipt of a code as proof that the driver is cleared.
Record the outcome and next check. Keep the information needed to show how you made the decision, subject to your organisation’s data-protection and retention rules.

A DVLA code lasts 21 days. It can be used only once, so obtain a new code for a later check. If a code has expired or has already been used, ask the driver to generate another rather than relying on an earlier result.

Review the record against the job

Do not stop at the number of penalty points. Work through the details that affect the proposed assignment:

Check	Decision for your fleet
Entitlements and categories	Does the driver hold the category needed for the vehicle you intend to allocate?
Dates	Are the relevant category and photocard dates still valid? Set a reminder for any approaching expiry.
Points, endorsements and disqualifications	Does anything require review under your driver policy before work is assigned?
Restrictions	Can the driver comply with conditions that apply to the licence and vehicle?

These are among the details identified in the FORS driver-licensing standard. Licence codes can indicate restrictions, including a requirement for eyesight correction. A photocard or screenshot may help identify details to investigate, but it should not replace a current record check for points, disqualifications and entitlement.

If a category is missing, a relevant date has passed or the record shows a disqualification, pause the assignment until the position is resolved. Where a restriction appears, establish whether the planned vehicle and duties meet it. Give the driver an opportunity to clarify a discrepancy, and document the decision rather than assuming a previous clearance still applies.

Set a checking frequency you can operate

Check before a new starter first drives for you. Apply the same pre-assignment approach to agency drivers and to employees who use their own cars for work. Recheck when a driver changes to work requiring a different category, and ask drivers to report relevant changes between scheduled checks. Your company car policy can help set out responsibilities for vehicles used on business.

For repeat checks, establish a risk-based schedule and put it in your fleet calendar or driver records. Government guidance for van fleets advises checking licence details regularly, particularly for drivers with six or more points; it does not set a universal interval there. Consider the driver’s role, vehicle type, points and any previous exceptions when deciding when to check again.

If you operate to FORS, distinguish its standard from general law. FORS Standard version 7.2, effective 1 September 2026, requires FORS operators to check at least every six months and more often for higher-risk drivers. Its driver-licensing requirements describe quarterly checks as typical at 6–8 points and monthly checks at 9 or more; they recommend at least quarterly checks for HGV and PCV drivers. These are FORS requirements and recommendations, not a blanket statutory timetable for every employer.

Keep permission and data protection separate

You need the driver’s permission to access their DVLA record through the employer service. That permission is not automatically the UK GDPR lawful basis for every subsequent use or retention of the information. Set out your purpose for checking, identify and document an appropriate lawful basis for your employment records, and explain your approach to drivers. The ICO’s employment-record guidance calls for relevant, minimal records and a justified retention period.

In practice, decide who can see a check result, what evidence is necessary to support the assignment decision and when that evidence will be deleted. Avoid gathering the driver’s National Insurance number for the employer check: the employer service asks for the code and part of the licence number, not the National Insurance number used by the driver to generate the code.

Handle different licences and qualifications

Northern Ireland licences use a different service. Do not enter an NI licence into the GB DVLA workflow. An NI driver uses the NI driver-record sharing service. To check someone’s NI driving licence information, the employer needs the driver-generated code and their eight-character licence number. The NI code is single-use and valid for 21 days.

A driving licence check is not a check of every professional requirement. For HGV work, establish separately which qualifications and documents the role requires, including Driver CPC or a tachograph driver card where applicable. A tachograph driver card records driving activity; it is not proof of driving-licence entitlement. Our guide to digital tachograph cards explains the distinction between driver and company cards, while our driver-card application guide covers the card application process.

Make repeat checks manageable

For a small fleet, a controlled register may be enough: record the driver, planned vehicle category, check date, outcome, reviewer, exception and next review date. Give someone responsibility for following up expiring categories, unresolved exceptions and drivers whose records have not been checked.

If you are assessing software or a checking provider, ask how it obtains the driver’s permission, accesses current records, flags changes and controls access to results. Confirm its data-retention settings and what happens when a driver leaves. Keep licence-check information distinct from vehicle tracking and tachograph data: each supports a different operational decision.

For higher volumes, DVLA Access Driver Data requires accreditation and a contract; GOV.UK lists an enquiry fee of 60p per driver record, separate from any intermediary’s charges. A postal check using form D888/1 is another option and costs £5. Choose a route that lets your team act on the result, not merely collect it.

FAQ

How do I get a DVLA check code?

If you hold a GB driving licence, use View or share your driving licence information. You will need your licence number, National Insurance number and the postcode on your licence. Give the generated code to the person checking your record, along with the last eight characters of your licence number.

How long is a driving licence check code valid?

A GB code is valid for 21 days and works once. If it has expired or has been used, generate a new one for the next check.

Can an employer check my licence without my permission?

The GB employer checking service requires the driver’s permission. With the code and the last eight characters of your licence number, the employer can check entitlements, penalty points and disqualifications. They do not need your National Insurance number to use that service.

How often should employers check driving licences?

Check before allocating driving work, then set regular rechecks based on risk and any applicable scheme requirements. Government van-fleet guidance does not prescribe one interval for all drivers. Review higher-risk drivers more often and act when a driver’s role, vehicle or licence status changes.

Can I use a DVLA code to check a Northern Ireland licence?

No. NI licences have a separate checking service. The NI driver supplies their eight-character licence number and a code generated through the NI service.

Is a photocard enough for an employer’s check?

No. Use the current driving-licence information service to review entitlement, points and disqualifications, then compare the result with the vehicle and role. A photocard alone does not give you that full current picture.

A useful check ends with a clear decision: this driver can use this vehicle for this work, or an exception needs resolving first. Request a FleetGO demo or contact our team for advice on keeping fleet information and compliance workflows manageable.

Sources

This article has been written with care and is intended as general information. Rules and rates can change, and no rights can be derived from its content. For advice on a specific situation, consult an adviser.