Verify a driver licence before you hand over the keys
UK rental, leasing and fleet operators have to know the person taking the vehicle is actually entitled to drive it. vehReports runs the DVLA share-code check on demand — entitlements, endorsements, photocard expiry, licence status — and stamps the response onto the rental agreement. Free and unlimited on every account, paid or free-tier.
No card required. See a sample report (PDF)
Built around how UK fleets actually work
DVLA share-code verification
The driver provides their licence number and share code; we query the DVLA in real time and return the official record. No partial information, no sales-spin.
Entitlements & endorsements
See exactly which categories the driver can operate (B, C1, D1, etc.) plus any endorsement codes and points. Decline before the vehicle leaves the yard if something doesn't fit.
Photocard expiry alerts
Expired photocards are a common rental-counter problem. We flag them automatically so the driver can renew before you hand over.
Saved against the agreement
The full DVLA response is stored against the rental agreement (or the standalone driver record) for the retention period — exactly the evidence insurers ask for in a claim.
No DVLA subscription needed
You don't need a separate contract with DVLA. The integration runs through vehReports — unlimited and free on every account, no per-check fee, no monthly add-on.
GDPR-aware by default
Sensitive data is encrypted at rest, access is role-restricted, and retention is configurable per tenant. See the privacy policy for the full sub-processor list.
A van-rental yard avoids a £6,000 insurance claim by catching a revoked licence
A walk-in customer wants a 3.5t van for a weekend house move. Driver hands over a share code at the counter; the DVLA response shows the licence has been revoked for medical reasons. Yard manager politely declines, no vehicle is dispatched. Without the check, the van would have gone out uninsured, and a single-vehicle collision two days later would have cost the operator the full repair bill plus a third-party claim. Free check, £6,000 saved.
Frequently asked questions
How does the DVLA share-code check work? +
The driver requests a share code from gov.uk/view-driving-licence, hands you the 8-character code plus their driving licence number, and we query the DVLA on your behalf. The response — entitlements, endorsements, photocard expiry, current status — lands on the rental agreement within a few seconds. The share code is single-use and expires after 21 days, so you can never re-use it without the driver re-issuing.
What does the licence check actually return? +
Driving entitlements (the categories of vehicle the driver can legally operate — B, C1, D1, etc.), any endorsement codes plus their dates, points and any disqualifications, photocard expiry date, current licence status (full / provisional / revoked / expired), and whether the licence has any restrictions. We display the full response on the rental agreement so the operator can decide whether to let the vehicle out.
Is the share code mandatory? +
Yes — DVLA only releases driver-licence data via the share-code mechanism (the legacy paper counterpart has been retired since 2015). If the driver does not have the share code, they can generate one on gov.uk in under a minute. We do not store DVLA passwords or driver National Insurance numbers; only the share code itself is needed.
Does this satisfy insurance underwriter requirements? +
Most UK motor-insurance underwriters now expect a documented licence check on commercial rentals — a saved DVLA share-code response with timestamp and operator name is exactly what they ask for in a claim. We retain the response against the agreement so you can produce it on demand. Always check your specific underwriter's wording for definitive requirements.
How is this priced? +
Driver-licence checks are free and unlimited on every vehReports account, paid or free-tier. Credits are only consumed by inspection reports and rental agreements — running the share-code verification alongside them (or on its own) never costs anything extra.
How is driver-licence data handled under GDPR? +
Driver licence categories and endorsements are sensitive personal data under UK GDPR. We process them on the lawful basis of contract (you're hiring out a vehicle and need to confirm the driver is legally entitled to drive it) and legitimate interest (insurance liability). Access is restricted via role-based permissions, data is encrypted at rest, and retention is governed by the platform retention policy — usually 7 years alongside the rental agreement. See the privacy policy.
Pairs well with
Rental agreements
The agreement workflow that the licence check is embedded into.
Learn more
DVLA & MOT lookup
The vehicle-side equivalent — registration data, MOT history and vehicle history checks.
Learn more
Credits & billing
How vehReports pricing works — credits only for reports and rental agreements.
Learn more
Run your next vehicle inspection on vehReports today
Sign up free and get 10 credits — enough for 10 full reports with DVLA + MOT history. No card required, no contract.
No card required · UK-only sign-up
free credits when you sign up
No card
per report — including DVLA + MOT
Pay-per-use
monthly seat fees, ever
No contract