DVSA Vehicle Compliance in 2026: What Fleet Operators Need to Know

Fleet compliance has never been something operators can leave to chance. The DVSA’s Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness sets out clear expectations for commercial vehicle operators across the UK, and in 2026, those expectations remain firmly in place.

Whether you manage a handful of vans or a mixed fleet of HGVs, trucks, and trailers, the principle is the same: you must be able to demonstrate that your vehicles are properly checked, maintained, and managed.

Compliance is not just about passing an annual test. According to the DVSA, there are more than 3.6 million vans used for business across the UK, and the DVSA stops around 15,600 of them each year as part of targeted roadside checks. Being pulled over can cost operators up to £4,000 per day, per vehicle.

For HGV and truck operators, the stakes are just as high. Compliance failures can affect your operator licence, trigger public inquiries, and leave your business exposed if a vehicle is involved in a serious incident.

The DVSA’s guidance applies across all fleet sizes and vehicle types. What matters is whether your business can show a reliable, well-documented compliance process, not just a vehicle that looks roadworthy on the day.

At its core, DVSA compliance covers six key responsibilities:

• Daily walkaround checks before any vehicle is used on a public road
• Defect reporting for any faults or symptoms identified by the driver
• Defect rectification before an unroadworthy vehicle re-enters service
• Planned safety inspections at regular, documented intervals
• Maintenance scheduling is planned at least six months in advance
• Record keeping for a minimum of 15 months, including inspection records for vehicles that have been sold or removed from the operator licence

The DVSA recommend at least one walkaround check must be completed in every 24-hour period a vehicle is in service. Any defect that could affect safe operation must be reported promptly, recorded, and acted upon.

For vehicles used on site or rough terrain, DVSA guidance also states that additional checks should be carried out before leaving the site—with particular attention to wheels and tyres.

February 2026 brought several updates to the heavy vehicle testing process. From 2 February 2026, DVSA introduced visual checks for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) as part of heavy vehicle testing. According to Moving On, these checks cover sensors and cameras for security, damage, obstructions, and in some cases, operation—as well as any ADAS-related malfunction indicator lamps.

Also from 2 February 2026, PG10 prohibition clearance notices moved to email delivery. Updates relating to plating certificates followed from 13 February 2026.

The message for HGV and truck operators is clear: vehicle technology is now part of your compliance picture. Cameras, sensors, and warning systems need to be included in your routine checks and maintenance inspections, not treated as optional extras.

The DVSA also confirms that electronic systems are acceptable for documenting walkaround checks, safety inspections, first-use checks, and defect records. Electronic defect reports must be available for 15 months, along with any record of repair.

A digital tool like Vehocheck removes the risks that come with paper-based systems, missing forms, incomplete records, and filing backlogs. Drivers can complete checks on a device, defects are flagged immediately, and fleet managers can monitor compliance across the whole operation without chasing paperwork.

Before reviewing your compliance process, ask yourself:

• Are daily walkaround checks being completed and recorded consistently?
• Are defects being reviewed by the right person and repaired before vehicles return to service?
• Are safety inspection records complete, accurate, and accessible?
• Are ADAS sensors, cameras, and warning lights included in routine checks?
• Are van drivers trained on their compliance responsibilities?

If any of these are unclear, it may be time to tighten up your process.

Good fleet compliance is not just about doing the right thing. It is about being able to prove it.
A vehicle may be checked every day, but if there is no record, no defect history, no repair evidence and no clear process, it becomes much harder to demonstrate compliance during an inspection, audit or investigation.

Vehocheck helps fleet operators simplify this process by bringing vehicle checks, defect reporting and compliance records into one digital system. This gives drivers a clearer way to complete checks and gives managers better visibility over fleet roadworthiness.

Book a demo today to see how Vehocheck can support your fleet compliance.