Drivers · Compliance
What should an agency driver file contain?
There is no single official list, so an agency driver file brings together what the rules ask for: a DVLA licence check, the Driver CPC card, the digital tachograph driver card, right to work, and time worked for other employers. A licence check uses the driver's check code, within 21 days and once only. Drivers must carry their Driver CPC card when driving professionally. Employers of mobile workers must ask about time worked for other employers, and DVSA says agencies keep working time records where the driver is paid by or through them.
No card needed. Trial credits are valid for 14 days; plans start at £20 a month.
What the rules say
- Licence: check it on GOV.UK with the last 8 characters of the licence number and a check code from the driver. The code must be used within 21 days and only works once.
- Driver CPC: 35 hours of periodic training every 5 years. Mixing in National courses gives a National Driver CPC, which does not allow professional driving in Europe. The card must be carried when driving professionally.
- Tachograph: operators download driver cards every 28 days and vehicle units every 90 days. Drivers make their cards available for download.
- Working time: an employer of a mobile worker asks for time worked for another employer, counts it and keeps records for two years (Road Transport (Working Time) Regulations 2005, regulation 11). The worker tells them in writing on request.
- Agencies: DVSA says employment agencies and businesses must keep working time records if the mobile worker is paid by or via them.
What else agencies usually hold
These are good practice rather than rules we can point to: an identity check, a right to work record, a driver assessment, references, and other tickets such as ADR or forklift with their expiry.
Doing it with Formatix
Upload the CV, check result and card scans, and Formatix fills a driver file, keeping at most the last 8 characters of the licence number. A photo of a licence is not shown as a DVLA check. It does not run any check. New accounts get 10 free credits, valid for 14 days, with no card. Paid plans start at £20 a month, and one credit fills one document.
Sources
- GOV.UK, Check someone's driving licence information (read 30 October 2026).
- GOV.UK, Driver CPC training for qualified drivers.
- DVSA, Drivers' hours and tachographs: goods vehicles, section 4 and Annex 2, updated 1 July 2026.
- Road Transport (Working Time) Regulations 2005, legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/639.
Frequently asked questions
- Is it a share code or a check code?
- For driving licences it is a check code. A share code is the right to work service.
- How long is a check code valid?
- 21 days, and it can only be used once.
- Who keeps working time records for agency drivers?
- DVSA says employment agencies and businesses must keep them if the mobile worker is paid by or via them.
Try it on your own documents
Upload a document your firm already sends and a CV, and see the result in your own template.