Operator licence compliance checklist

To stay compliant on an operator licence, inspect vehicles at the interval you declared, have drivers do a walkaround check every day, download tachograph cards every 28 days and vehicle units every 90 days, check driving licences regularly, report changes within 28 days and keep maintenance records for 15 months. The checklist below gives every duty with its source.

This checklist covers goods vehicle licences in Great Britain. Each line comes from GOV.UK, the Senior Traffic Commissioner's statutory documents or legislation.gov.uk, checked on 2 October 2026. It does not replace your own undertakings, which are printed on your licence; see operator licence undertakings and conditions.

The checklist

Download the checklist (PDF)

Maintenance and inspections

Your inspection interval is the one you declared on the Vehicle Operator Licensing (VOL) service. Operators "must ensure that safety inspections are carried out at the stated frequency as it is recorded on the vehicle operator licensing service (VOL)" (Guide to maintaining roadworthiness).

The guide sets these points:

• Inspection frequency "would normally range between 4 to 13 weeks", depending on age, mileage, load and terrain.
• Vehicles and trailers aged 12 years and older have "a minimum safety inspection frequency of 6 weeks".
• Plan inspections by ISO week. A 6-weekly vehicle first inspected in ISO week 10 is due in weeks 16, 22, 28 and so on.
• Inspection records must be "fully completed, and the vehicle declared roadworthy before it returns to service".
• A vehicle off the road (VOR) must be recorded in the maintenance file "stating the date and reason".
• If you contract out inspections, keep a formal written contract on file. You remain responsible for the vehicle's condition.

Drivers' hours and tachographs

Download, analyse and keep. The GOV.UK drivers' hours guidance sets the download limits at 90 days for the vehicle unit and 28 days for driver cards. It adds extra triggers: download the vehicle unit before a vehicle is sold or un-hired, and download a driver card before the driver leaves.

You must also train drivers on the rules, schedule work so the rules can be met, and not pay drivers by distance or load "if that would encourage breaches of the rules". Analogue tachographs must be inspected every 2 years and recalibrated every 6 years.

Driver licence checks

Check each driver's licence about every three months. The goods guide lists, among the transport manager's duties, making sure "regular checks are carried out on the drivers' licences (usually every 3 months)" (goods guide).

GOV.UK's Check someone's driving licence information service needs the last 8 characters of the driving licence number and a check code from the driver. "You must use the code within 21 days", and each code works once.

Transport manager and financial standing

A standard licence needs a transport manager with continuous and effective responsibility. GOV.UK expects them to keep their skills up to date. The Senior Traffic Commissioner says that where a transport manager has not been specified on a licence for 5 years and/or the CPC is more than 10 years old, "evidence of continuous professional development (CPD) should be provided" (STC summaries). See our transport manager CPC guide.

Financial standing is not a one-off test. GOV.UK says it is "resources that must be available for the duration of the licence". Every standard licence carries a condition to report any event that could affect financial standing, repute, establishment or professional competence "within 28 days of the event" (Act 1995, s.22(2)). The financial standing guide sets out the amounts.

Notifications and time limits

Most changes must be reported within 28 days. The Senior Traffic Commissioner's list in SD1, section 2.4 gives these periods:

For adding and removing vehicles in detail, see vehicles on an operator licence.

Record keeping periods

GOV.UK's pages phrase two of these differently but agree. The goods guide says "at least 12 months" for drivers' hours records and "at least 24 months" for working time records. The drivers' hours page says "at least one year", and the working time annex says "two years".

Running an O licence compliance audit

An independent audit tests whether the checklist is working. GOV.UK's Operator Compliance Audits guidance says audits "should be conducted by people or organisations who are independent of the operator", and "payment cannot be linked to the successful outcome of an audit". A traffic commissioner "may accept undertakings from operators as a way to demonstrate a commitment to future compliance", and an audit undertaking is a common example.

The guidance sets minimum samples:

Maintenance records should cover "no less than four scheduled Preventive Maintenance Inspections (PMIs)", and driver records "not less than the previous three months". The framework also checks that VOL details are current and that "conditions and/or undertakings are complied with". It asks whether the operator uses its Operator Compliance Risk Score reports; see our OCRS guide. OCRS scores are not in the DVSA open data.

Watch your own licence

Run a free operator licence check to see what the DVSA file shows for your licence: status, vehicles and trailers authorised and specified, operating centres and continuation date. To catch changes without checking by hand, HaulierScope monitoring watches your licence and sends an alert when a new DVSA file changes it.

Frequently asked questions

What are the 6-weekly HGV inspections?

They are safety inspections carried out every six weeks. GOV.UK's Guide to maintaining roadworthiness says inspection frequency normally ranges from 4 to 13 weeks, and sets a minimum frequency of 6 weeks for vehicles and trailers aged 12 years and older. Your interval is the one recorded on the Vehicle Operator Licensing service, and inspections must happen within it, planned by ISO week.

Who is responsible for the roadworthiness of a vehicle?

The operator. GOV.UK says the "user" of a vehicle is responsible for its roadworthiness, meaning the driver and the person paying the driver. Operators stay responsible for vehicles and trailers inspected or maintained for them by contractors or hire companies. Drivers must do a walkaround check before use and report defects promptly.

What is the recommended maintenance schedule for a lorry?

There is no single schedule. GOV.UK says the safety inspection interval should reflect the vehicle's age, the manufacturer's recommendations, the load, the type of work, the terrain and mileage, and would normally fall between 4 and 13 weeks. Vehicles 12 years and older need inspecting at least every 6 weeks. Plan inspections at least 6 months ahead.

How long must I keep tachograph records?

Keep drivers' hours records for at least 12 months and be able to show them to enforcement officers. Working time records must be kept for 2 years after the period they cover. Download driver cards at least every 28 days and vehicle units at least every 90 days, so no data is overwritten before you save it.

What is an operator compliance audit?

It is an independent review of your maintenance, drivers' hours and licensing systems. GOV.UK's Operator Compliance Audits guidance sets the framework, minimum sample sizes and an auditor's declaration. The auditor must be independent and cannot be paid on the result. A traffic commissioner may accept an audit undertaking as a commitment to future compliance, for example after a public inquiry.