Compliance
Driver Licence Verification for Courier Fleets
Driver licence verification is the audit trail behind a check: who looked, which source they used, and when it must be repeated. A photocopy is not enough.
24 September 2026 · Zerity editorial team
Driver licence verification is the audit trail behind a check: the named checker, the source they used, the result and the date it must be repeated. Licence-check providers also use the word for checks they run through DVLA's Access to Driver Data service. This page means the file an auditor can replay. Zerity stores the licence record, the date it was checked and the expiry. Track every expiry date in one place.
Reviewed 25 September 2026.
Some providers offer licence checks through DVLA's Access to Driver Data (ADD) service. DVLA describes ADD as a real-time service for organisations with a demonstrable business need to check entitlement and endorsements. Each enquiry needs the driver's signed data protection declaration (DVLA's form is D906/ADD). If your insurer requires checks through ADD, your options are to use a provider that offers them or to apply to DVLA for access yourself. Either way, file the result and its date here.
A process you can defend
| Step | What you do | Evidence to keep |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The driver finishes onboarding and produces a DVLA check code or the photocard. | The check-code reference, or a dated copy of the card. GOV.UK says a check code lasts 21 days. |
| 2 | A named manager runs the validation check and the points check. The driver does not check themselves. | The checker's name, not a shared inbox. |
| 3 | The result is stored on the driver file. | A timestamp. A later edit keeps a history. |
| 4 | The repeat interval is taken from the insurance schedule or the carrier contract. | The next due date, written down. |
| 5 | Someone is alerted before the interval ends. If the policy says an overdue check means the driver does not go out, that rule is applied. | The alert, and the decision. |
The document test is the driver licence validation check. Endorsements are the drivers licence points check. The interval and the field list sit on the driver licence check.
That sequence is what driver compliance software holds on the driver file. The same file can hold right to work evidence and, when you pay contractors, the self-billing agreement on courier invoicing. Zerity stores the licence record, the date it was checked and the expiry. Track every expiry date in one place.
What to refuse
Refuse a photo of a licence with no date, a check done by the driver on themselves, and a spreadsheet that nobody owns. Verification is a control. If one person can change the date later with no history, it will not survive a serious audit.
A provider's PDF with no checker name is also incomplete. The ADD result is the source. The control is who looked at it, and when it must be repeated.
Frequently asked questions
What is driver licence verification?
It is the recorded process: named checker, source, result and the date the check must be repeated. Without that chain you have a document, not evidence.
Is verification the same as a DVLA check?
No. The DVLA check, or a bureau check through Access to Driver Data, is the source. Verification is how you prove the source was used, by whom, and when it expires. Zerity stores the licence record, the date it was checked and the expiry. Track every expiry date in one place.
Can the driver verify their own licence?
No. A check done by the driver on themselves is not a control. The checker is a named manager, and the date cannot be edited without a history.
Written by
Zerity editorial team
The Zerity team writes about fleet management, compliance, and scaling logistics businesses for UK operators running a self-employed or subcontracted workforce across one or more sites.