If you run HGVs or PSVs in the UK under an operator's licence, DVSA requires a documented daily walkaround check at the start of every shift. The rule is simple. The enforcement is not — DVSA examiners spot-check yards unannounced, and the consequences of failing one range from a formal letter to a public-inquiry-level licence challenge.
This is the plain-English guide to what DVSA actually requires, what they look for in a spot check, and how to produce evidence that survives one. There's a free downloadable checklist at the end of the post.
Free download: the checklist at the heart of this post is available as a one-page PDF. Get the free DVSA walkaround checklist (HGV & PSV) →
What DVSA requires (and where the rules sit)
The walkaround check requirement is set out in DVSA's Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness. The headline rules:
- A documented walkaround is required at the start of each shift for every HGV (over 3.5t) and PSV (8+ passenger seats including the driver).
- The check covers a defined set of safety-critical items — lights, tyres, brakes, fluids, leaks, mirrors, glass.
- Defects must be raised and either rectified or formally signed off before the vehicle leaves the depot.
- Records must be retained for at least 15 months.
The rules apply to the operator under their O-licence. Drivers carry out the check; the operator is responsible for the system.
The minimum walkaround checklist
DVSA doesn't publish a single mandated form, but the items below are the de-facto industry baseline and what examiners look for. Our free template covers the same items in a more structured way.
Before the engine starts
- Vehicle registration document accessible
- Insurance, MOT, tax all current
- Operator's Licence disc visible (where required)
- Tachograph card / chart inserted, mode set correctly
- Driver CPC card in date
Exterior — front
- Dipped beam, main beam, indicators, hazards, sidelights — all working
- Number plate clean, legible, undamaged
- Windscreen — no cracks larger than 10mm in driver's view zone
- Wipers + washers operate cleanly, washer fluid full
- Front tyres — tread ≥ 1.6mm across central ¾ of width, no sidewall damage, pressure OK
Exterior — sides
- Side markers + repeaters working
- Side guards / under-run protection present (HGV)
- Tank caps (fuel, AdBlue) closed and undamaged
- Mirrors clean, undamaged, correctly adjusted
Exterior — rear
- Brake, tail, reverse, indicators, fog, plate lights — all working
- Rear tyres — tread ≥ 1.6mm, no damage, pressure OK on all axles
- Mudguards / spray suppression present
- Tail lift (if fitted) — operates safely, no hydraulic leaks
- Coupling / drawbar — correctly latched, locking pin in place
Underside (visual scan)
- No fluid leaks (engine oil, coolant, hydraulic, fuel, AdBlue)
- Exhaust not loose, no visible damage
- Air tanks (HGV) — no obvious leaks audible
- Brake lines / hoses — no visible damage
Cab
- Steering — free play within acceptable range
- Brakes — pedal feel firm, no excessive travel, parking brake holds
- Air pressure (HGV) — builds within manufacturer time
- Horn working
- Seatbelt — present, undamaged, locks correctly
- Dashboard warning lights — none illuminated at idle (other than expected start-up)
- Heater / demister / air-con working
Load (HGV/LGV)
- Load distribution within axle weights
- Load secured per manufacturer / DVSA load-securing guidelines
- Dangerous goods (where applicable) — correct ADR placards, paperwork in cab
How long to keep records
DVSA requires walkaround check records to be retained for at least 15 months. Most operators retain for longer — typically 3–7 years — to cover insurance disputes, audit trails and historical compliance evidence.
At a 10-vehicle operation, that's 3,650 records a year. At 50 vehicles, 18,250 records a year. Paper filing at that volume is mechanically painful; digital records that auto-archive are a substantial operational improvement.
What examiners actually look for
In a spot check or operator-visit, DVSA examiners typically focus on:
- Are records complete? Every vehicle, every shift, no gaps. Gaps are the single biggest flag.
- Are defects being raised and rectified? A clean record with zero defects ever raised across 50 vehicles for 6 months is a flag — it suggests defects aren't being recorded, not that no defects exist.
- Is the rectification chain documented? A raised defect should link to either a repair record or a formal "fit to proceed" sign-off.
- Are the records retrievable? "We have them, they're in the cabinet, give me an hour" is a much worse posture than "let me pull them up on this tablet — here are the last 90 days."
- Driver awareness. Does the driver know what they checked? A driver who couldn't tell the examiner what a defect would look like is a system gap.
Paper vs digital — both are compliant, only one survives a real audit
Paper walkaround records are legally compliant with DVSA requirements. They have been for decades. Digital records are also legally compliant. The difference is in how they hold up under real-world scrutiny.
Paper records:
- Filed in cabinets, sometimes off-site
- Hand-written, sometimes illegible
- Often unfindable when the examiner is standing in the office
- Photo evidence isn't part of the workflow
Digital records:
- Searchable by vehicle, date, driver
- Photo evidence baked in
- Timestamped (no "is this date real?" question)
- Retrievable in seconds on a tablet
In practice, operators with digital records pass spot checks faster and with fewer follow-up actions. The legal compliance is the same; the operational outcome is very different.
A worked example: the skip-hire operator
A small skip-hire operator (12 HGVs) had been running paper walkarounds for years. In April, DVSA arrived unannounced at 8am. The examiner asked for the previous 90 days of walkaround records.
On the paper system, this would have meant the office manager opening 12 binders, finding the right week's tabs, and hoping the missing-Monday gap wasn't visible. The examiner would have given a verbal warning and scheduled a follow-up.
The operator had migrated to a digital workflow three months prior. The yard manager pulled the records on a tablet in the depot office in 45 seconds. Filterable by vehicle, by date, by driver, by defect. The examiner left without follow-up action.
The whole encounter took 12 minutes.
Our free DVSA walkaround template
We've put the minimum-check items into a printable / digital template that maps directly onto DVSA expectations. Get the free template →
Use it under your own branding. Free, no attribution required.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to use DVSA's exact wording on the check? No. DVSA expects the items covered, not the exact phrasing. Use the wording that works for your drivers — clear is more important than mirroring official language.
Does the driver have to be the one filling in the check? Yes. The walkaround is a driver check — they're the one assessing the vehicle they're about to drive. The operator's role is to provide the system, retain the records, and act on defects.
What if a defect is raised but the vehicle has to go out? The operator must formally sign the vehicle off as fit to proceed, documenting that the defect doesn't compromise safety. This is a real authorisation — not a tick-box — and the operator bears responsibility if it turns out wrong.
Does this apply to LCVs (vans under 3.5t)? The formal DVSA walkaround requirement applies to HGVs and PSVs only. Best-practice rental operators run an equivalent check on LCVs for insurance and dispute-defence reasons, but it's not statutory.
Can I delegate the check to a yard mechanic? No. The driver-in-charge must do the walkaround. A mechanic can do additional checks, but they don't substitute for the driver's pre-shift check.
Sources
- Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness — gov.uk
- DVSA — gov.uk
- Related download: Free DVSA walkaround checklist (HGV & PSV)
- Related feature: Vehicle health checks
