Days left to get licence-checking consents up-to-date

The deadline for fleet drivers to have signed new driver licence-checking consent forms is fast approaching.

Documents have to be revalidated under the provisions of new data protection legislation – the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – which came into force on May 25.

However, with some two million drivers effected by the law change, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) granted fleets a three-month period of grace to obtain updated permissions.

From Saturday (August 25), automated driving licence checks via third party providers will not be possible unless updated GDPR-compliant driver permission has been obtained for further checks to take place.

GDPR-compliant driver permission can be obtained either using a paper-based D906 Fair Processing Declaration Form (formerly D796 Mandate Form) or the new E-Permission process.  This updated permission will remain valid for up to three years from its effective date, as per the previous consent procedure.

If driver permission has not been updated or obtained since May 25, it is highly likely that any driving licences checks or scheduled re-checks due to be carried out after this date will not take place, said Licence Check.

Managing director Richard Brown explained: “Updating driver permission is no mean feat and I can understand why some organisations have been slower than others in getting around to it.  

“To date, most companies have started the process with almost 60% of drivers held within our database having provided the new permission.”

Many driver records are not yet due for rechecking which may explain why almost 40% are still outstanding. Some organisations are deliberately choosing to only seek GDPR-compliant permission from their driver pool just prior to when the next driving licence check is scheduled.

However, Brown said: “I’m absolutely certain that there will be many others wondering why their scheduled drivers’ licence checks have not been processed after 25th August.  The short answer is that we are prohibited by the DVLA from making any further requests under the old consent after this date.” 

Terry Hiles, deputy chair of the Association for Driving Licence Verification (ADLV), said: “Whilst the GDPR transition has proved to be a mammoth task to be executed over an exceedingly tight timeframe, our members were always committed to ensuring that any processing is correct and complies fully with the new GDPR.

"In large part, with the very welcome support of the DVLA, the membership has been able to achieve this albeit there may still be some housekeeping with outstanding customers required for some time to come.”