Compliance library
Fleet compliance library for UK operators
A fleet compliance library is a directory of the UK rules a courier depot has to follow. It names the regulator, links the official GOV.UK or Home Office page, and points to the Zerity note on what to file. It is not a legal opinion, and it does not replace the official text.
Who regulates a courier depot
These notes follow the Great Britain pages published by DVLA, DVSA and HMRC. Northern Ireland uses the Driver and Vehicle Agency for some of the same jobs, and the dates can differ. Open the official row before you set a depot rule.
| Regulator | What they govern | Zerity note | Official page |
|---|---|---|---|
| DVLA | The driver record: categories, endorsements and disqualification. A photocard photo is not that record. | DVLA check code for employers | Check someone's driving licence (GOV.UK) |
| DVSA | Vehicle condition, walkaround checks and the standards in the Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness where an operator's licence applies. | DVSA walkaround checks | Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness (GOV.UK) |
| HMRC | VAT, self-billing, IR35 and National Insurance. This row is a directory. It is not a VAT guide. | HMRC guides for courier operators | HMRC (GOV.UK) |
| Home Office | Right to work, using the prescribed check. A revised employer's guide is due to come into force on 1 October 2026. Use the guide that is live on the day. | Right to work checks for self-employed couriers | Employer's guide to right to work checks (GOV.UK) |
| Transport for London | The Direct Vision Standard and HGV safety permit, where a lorry enters London. This is not a van walkaround rule. | DVS compliance for London fleets | Direct Vision Standard (TfL) |
| ICO | Personal data in the driver file, including the licence view and right-to-work evidence. | How Zerity handles security and data | UK GDPR guidance (ICO) |
| HSE | Health and safety when people drive for work. That duty is separate from the DVSA maintenance guide. | Not on this page. Follow the HSE guidance for driving for work. | Driving and riding safely for work (HSE) |
What a depot has to be able to show
The test is whether you can produce the record, not whether a policy PDF exists. For a courier depot the file usually has three parts.
- Driver: a dated licence view, and right-to-work evidence kept in the way the Home Office guide describes.
- Vehicle: a walkaround and defect record where that standard applies, plus MOT and insurance dates.
- Pay: the self-billing agreement, if you raise the driver's VAT invoice.
The onboarding check is driver document verification. The working list for an audit is the UK fleet compliance checklist. Open those pages for the full check and the working list. Written guides that sit next to this library are in the Zerity learning centre. When you want a person to look at policies rather than the file alone, see Sagax compliance services.
What this library will not do
It will not tell you that a driver is inside or outside IR35, that a person has a right to work, or that a van is roadworthy. Those decisions sit with the official check and, where the contract is unclear, with a qualified adviser.
Zerity stores the evidence a depot already collected: documents, expiry dates, walkaround records and the self-billing agreement. Zerity is free for operators. Zerity stores the licence record, the date it was checked and the expiry. Track every expiry date in one place. It does not submit a VAT return.
Reviewed 25 September 2026. Figures and duties below are taken from the official pages linked here. Read the live page before you rely on a date.