Compliance
Van MOTs, servicing and defect records: one file for a self-employed fleet
How UK operators keep van MOT, tax, service, safety inspection and defect records in one file, whether vans are supplied or brought by self-employed drivers.
12 March 2024 · Zerity editorial team
- Van MOTs, servicing and defect records: one file for a self-employed fleet
Van MOTs, servicing and defect records: one file for a self-employed fleet
Short answer. Keep four separate dates for every van, MOT, vehicle tax, planned service and (where you are under an operator's licence) safety inspection, plus a defect record from each walkaround, all in one vehicle register rather than spread across spreadsheets, workshop emails and paper sheets. GOV.UK says a van needs an MOT by the third anniversary of its registration and then every year. Where DVSA's maintenance guide applies, drivers' defect reports and safety inspection records must be kept for at least 15 months.
General information for operators, not legal advice. Couriers are one example; the same applies to cleaning, facilities, care and field-service teams that run vans. Checked against the GOV.UK pages listed under Sources on 16 October 2026.
Four dates, kept apart
One "service due" flag hides the date that actually stops a van. Track each separately:
| Date | What sets it | Where to confirm it |
|---|---|---|
| MOT | The third anniversary of registration, then the anniversary of the last MOT | Check MOT history |
| Vehicle tax | The tax record, which is a different date from the MOT | Check if a vehicle is taxed |
| Planned service | The manufacturer's schedule or your workshop plan | Your workshop records |
| Safety inspection | The frequency in your maintenance plan, where DVSA's guide applies | Your operator licence record |
GOV.UK says you can be fined up to £1,000 for driving without a valid MOT, and that you cannot renew vehicle tax if the MOT has expired. You can get an MOT up to a month (minus a day) before it runs out and keep the same renewal date, which makes the MOT date the easiest one to plan around. The MOT history service also shows past results, recorded mileage and when the next test is due, so use it to confirm the date you hold rather than copying it from memory.
Supplied vans and drivers' own vans
Self-employed teams often run a mix: vans you supply, and vans drivers bring themselves. The file should show which is which, because the evidence you collect differs.
- Vans you supply. You hold the MOT, tax, service and inspection records, because they are your vehicles.
- Vans drivers bring. Collect and date the evidence the work needs: MOT status, tax status and insurance that covers the work. Confirm MOT and tax yourself using the GOV.UK services above rather than relying on a photo.
Who provides the vehicle is one of the factors HMRC looks at when considering employment status, and it is only one factor. Status depends on the whole arrangement, so see GOV.UK's employment status guidance and HMRC's CEST tool. Either way, the vehicle file should record what is true.
Safety inspections: the operator sets the frequency
If you run vehicles under an operator's licence, DVSA's Guide to maintaining roadworthiness applies. GOV.UK says you need a goods vehicle operator's licence for vehicles with a gross plated weight over 3,500kg, and a standard international licence for hire-or-reward work in Europe in vans over 2,500kg maximum authorised mass. Our operator licence guide for vans over 2.5 tonnes covers when that applies.
The guide gives example inspection frequencies by operating conditions, from 10 to 13 weeks for lightly loaded vehicles in easy conditions down to 4 weeks off road, and indicates 6 weeks for vehicles 12 years or older. Experienced operators can tailor these. It also says its general principles could equally apply to light goods vehicles below the operator licensing thresholds, so for smaller vans it is good practice rather than a licensing requirement. Do not copy an HGV interval onto a small van without reading the guide; set the frequency from the work and record why.
Walkarounds and defect records
The guide says a driver or responsible person must carry out a meaningful daily walkaround check, preferably immediately before the vehicle is used, and that at least one check must be carried out every day or once in each 24-hour period the vehicle is used. For each defect report, record:
- the vehicle, the date and the reporter's name
- the defect or symptom, and who it was reported to
- the assessment and the repair, with the date it was completed
Under the guide, drivers' defect reports and repair records must be kept for at least 15 months, and records of safety inspections must be kept for at least 15 months for all vehicles, including vehicles you have sold or removed from the licence. The guide recommends keeping "nil" defect reports, which show a check was done and nothing was found, for at least 3 months. Electronic records are acceptable. The item-by-item check, and how a phone-based check compares with paper, is in our walkaround check guide.
Damage reports
Damage is a separate process from defects: condition at handover, a report at the time, triage, insurer notice, repair and a closed record. See our guide to vehicle damage reporting.
A weekly vehicle review
Once a week, someone should look at:
- MOT and tax dates due in the next few weeks
- safety inspections due, where they apply
- open defects not yet repaired
- drivers' own vans with evidence about to lapse
This fits into the weekly ops checklist. For multi-site fleets, keep one register and tag vans by site, as in the multi-site guide. Driver documents sit alongside it; see the document re-check checklist and document expiry tracking.
Common mistakes
- One "service due" date standing in for MOT, tax, service and inspection
- Accepting a photo of an MOT certificate instead of checking the MOT history
- Walkaround sheets filled in after driving rather than before, or not kept for the 15 months the guide sets where it applies
- No record of the repair after a defect
- No condition record when a supplied van changes hands
How Zerity helps
Zerity is one operating system for compliance and operations across your self-employed workforce. On the vehicle side:
- A vehicle and equipment register holds MOT, tax and insurance expiry, with an optional QR label. See asset management.
- Drivers can complete walkaround checks on their phone, and any defects they report reach you. See fleet management and vehicle inspection software.
- Every licence and policy expiry date is tracked in one place.
- Incident reports, near misses, risk assessments and training records sit on the driver file. See health and safety.
- One account covers every site, with people tagged by depot and network.
Zerity is not a workshop system and does not set your inspection frequency; that stays with you. Zerity is free for operators.
Book a demo to see your vans and drivers in one file.
Common questions
When does a van need its first MOT?
GOV.UK says you must get an MOT by the third anniversary of the vehicle's registration, then by the anniversary of its last MOT. Some vehicles need testing at one year old. You can get an MOT up to a month (minus a day) before it runs out and keep the same renewal date.
How long should I keep drivers' defect reports?
Where DVSA's Guide to maintaining roadworthiness applies, drivers' defect reports and repair records must be kept for at least 15 months. The guide recommends keeping nil defect reports for at least 3 months. Electronic records are acceptable.
How often should vans have a safety inspection?
Where the guide applies, the operator sets the frequency from the work and conditions. The guide's examples run from 10 to 13 weeks for lightly loaded vehicles in easy conditions to 4 weeks off road, and 6 weeks for vehicles 12 years or older.
What should I check when a self-employed driver brings their own van?
Check MOT and tax status using GOV.UK's MOT history and vehicle tax services, and collect dated evidence of insurance that covers the work. Record the result on the vehicle file.
Are the MOT date and the tax date the same?
No. They are separate dates. GOV.UK says you cannot renew vehicle tax if the MOT has expired, so track both.
Sources
- Getting an MOT, GOV.UK.
- Check the MOT history of a vehicle, GOV.UK.
- Check if a vehicle is taxed, GOV.UK.
- DVSA, Guide to maintaining roadworthiness, GOV.UK.
- Being a goods vehicle operator, GOV.UK.
- Employment status, GOV.UK; HMRC, CEST; HMRC Employment Status Manual, ESM0540 provision of equipment, GOV.UK.
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.